Love and Liquor

Bella e Bello e Baci

XVI.
Bella e Bello e Baci

Grace fell to her knees easily as Milo ran to the corner to get her a toy train as well. He figured they couldn’t properly play if she had nothing to play with. She smiled at the little boy and his eagerness for the simplest things in life. It was something to envy.    

She wished she could be that way, but everything of late seemed so difficult to her. There was nothing to be eager about. Her life consisted of dull meetings and fights with the Venzetto men. 

“Choo! Choo!” Milo bellowed, pulling the wood train in circles as he turned on his knees.  Grace played along, pulling her train towards his. Milo frowned.            

“You cannot do it like that, BellaGracie. The trains will run into each other,” he reprimanded. Grace hid a giggle at his attempt at being serious.                   

“You are so very right, Milo. How silly of me,” she smiled. She smoothed her skirt over her knees while Milo righted her askew train.                

“There. Now we can play again,” he stated. He looked very proud of himself, as though he had just righted some horrible wrong.                                           

The two began to play again, pushing and pulling the trains in different paths around the area where they sat in the sitting room. Milo pretended the chairs were mountains, and the space between them and the floor were caves. The rug was a lake.              

Grace giggled.                                   

Milo quirked an eyebrow. “What’s so funny, Bella Gracie?”                 

“Bella?” Milo and Grace both turned their heads to see who had spoken.         

Luca stood in the archway leading into the room, leaned against the frame. He had been in his father’s study all morning, trying to find any leads concerning what O’Donnell had said the night before, but he had overheard his nephew playing and his fiancée’s sweet laugh. He couldn’t resist the temptation to investigate.                

He was dressed more casually than Grace had yet to see him. He still wore a suit, but no vest or jacket. His sleeves were rolled up his forearms and the first two buttons of his shirt were undone.  It was strange to see him look so undone. She thought he was handsome.                

Milo nodded up at Luca from where he sat on his knees on the carpet, his hand still resting atop the toy train.     

“She’s my Bella Gracie, Zio Luca.” Milo looked up at Luca like he was a god. There was such admiration in the little boy’s eyes. 

“She is a bella isn’t she?” Milo nodded.   

“I suppose I have some competition then,” Luca chuckled.  

Milo shook his head back and forth.  

“No, Bella Gracie loves you,” he said, truly believing his words. Grace felt Luca’s eyes on her, but she stared at the carpet steadfastly.                                                                                            

“Does she now?” Luca asked teasingly.     

“Well, she’s going to be your wife, so she has to love you, just like you have to love her.” Grace grinned at his childlike logic.