Under Her Wing

Chapter 167

Stefania POV

Danielle and I sat quietly, my fingers gently tracing the edge of the couch. I glanced over at my love, her expression filled with the same concern I was feeling. I knew she was nervous about the conversation I was about to have with Amalia. She was so used to Mali being our little bambina.

Amalia was growing up. I couldn't believe how much she'd changed already. From the little, timid girl who appeared on set one day, trying to hide the truth of her entire life, to the one who was starting to grow into a beautiful teenager. We both knew that on paper Amalia was 14, but Danielle and I aren't naive to the fact that she's not as advanced as your regular teenager.

I just wanted to be sure we were handling everything with the love and care she deserved.

Danielle leaned in, her voice soft but full of worry. "Are you sure she's ready for this conversation?"

I looked at her, a soft smile playing at the corners of my lips. "I think it's time, bellina. We've always been honest with her. We can't shy away from this."

"And we did briefly mention it to her not that long ago," I added.

Her eyes flicked to the hallway where Amalia was playing with the dogs.

"I just... I don't want to make her feel like she's being rushed. Or like something is wrong." Danielle sighed.

I reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Nothing's wrong. This is just a part of growing up, and we're here to guide her through it," I assured her.

I could see the tension in Dani's shoulders start to ease as I spoke, but there was still that flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. I didn't blame her. These kinds of conversations weren't easy. It was more than just a simple discussion about a bra.

"I'll go talk to her," I said, my voice steady, despite the knot in my stomach. I wasn't overly worried about Amalia's reaction. I just didn't want her to feel scared or overwhelmed.

Dani nodded, but there was still a flicker of worry on her face. "Good luck my love" she whispered, her smile soft but full of warmth.

I squeezed her hand once more before I stood up. Amalia was sitting on the floor, completely absorbed in trying to teach Ford to roll over. When she noticed me, her face lit up, and she waved excitedly.

"Mama look,"

I stood and watched for a moment.

"Ford, sit," she said firmly.

Ford listened.

"Down," she added as Ford lay down on the floor.

"Roll," she said.

Ford just looked at her, tilting his head to the side.

"He did it before," she said with a cute pout, crossing her arms.

"You'll get there bambina! That was still very impressive," I assured her.

She sighed, but reached to stroke Ford's soft fur nonetheless.

"Hey, sweetie," I said gently, sitting down on the sofa and patting the space beside me.

She got up and scooted closer, looking up at me with big, curious eyes.

"Mama needs to talk to you about something," I said calmly, putting my arm around her and pulling her gently into my side.

Her eyebrows furrowed a little, her expression changing.

"It's okay bella, it's nothing bad," I assured her, noticing her shoulders relax a little.

I kissed the top of her head.