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G I O V A N N I
The car pulls up in front of a cozy, warmly lit house. My driver steps out and opens my door, and as I get out, a man in a dark suit appears from the shadows beneath the trees, nodding in greeting.
"Anything suspicious?" I ask, my voice low.
"Nothing, sir," he replies, his gaze steady. "It's been quiet. No one's approached the area."
I nod. My men are stationed around the property; close enough to respond to any threat but far enough to give the family their space. I walk up to the house and knock. The door opens, and there stands Luca, Pietro's oldest, beaming up at me with a big, toothy grin.
"Zio Gio!" He exclaims, nearly bouncing with excitement. (Uncle Gio!)
I crouch down to his level, my hand reaching out to ruffle his dark hair.
"Hey, little man," I say, my tone softening just a bit. "You keeping out of trouble?"
He nods but hesitates.
"Yep... mostly."
"Mostly?" I echo, raising an eyebrow.
Luca's grin falters, and he looks down, fidgeting with his small hands.
"Well... there was this boy at school. He was being really mean," he mumbles, his face crumpling a bit as he stares down at his shoes. "He... he said bad things about daddy, and he even pushed me on the ground."
The anger rises in me, but I swallow it down, staying calm for his sake.
"So, what did you do?" I ask, my jaw twitching.
"I... I defended myself," he responds, glancing up at me briefly before his gaze drops back to the ground. "I told him to stop, but he wouldn't. So I pushed him back, and he got hurt. But I got in trouble for it."
He looks up again, eyes uncertain.
"They said I shouldn't have done it. Mamma was mad too. But... but he wouldn't stop, zio Gio," he mutters, shifting on his feet. "I didn't mean to cause trouble. I promise. I just wanted him to stop."
I nod, reaching out to rest a hand on his shoulder.
"You did the right thing, Luca. Sometimes people will try to push you around and hurt you, but you stand up for yourself. That's what matters."
His face relaxes, relief shining in his eyes.
"You're not mad?"
"Not one bit. Your dad would've been proud of you," I give his shoulder a firm squeeze. "Now, keep that chin up. You've got nothing to be ashamed of."
A small, proud smile appears on his face, and he nods.
