In The Shadows ✔

[10] Dieci - True self

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zia = aunt 

ti amo = I love you

bambina = child / girl 

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Pia — – –

Pia sits at her desk with a cup of tea and thinks about Logan. He somehow gets to her and she's not sure that's a good idea. Especially now. But at the same time, it's a nice feeling and she would like to investigate it. But how do you tell someone that there's no room for sweet emotions right now? That you need to kill someone first?

She sighs and loosens up her shoulders in an attempt to relax. She takes another sip of her tea and looks at the clock. One more minute before the kids come flooding in. She gets up to stand in the doorway to wait for 'her' kids.

Lucas is the first one inside and hugs her immediately. Pia laughs and hugs him back lovingly. All the other kids follow his example and when they have formed a line, she lets them into the classroom and they all find a spot to sit. The time flies while she reads them a story, sings, and does some arts and crafts with them.

As soon as recess starts they all run out, all but Lucas. He stands next to her desk and uncomfortably rubs his hands together. "Miss Pia?" 

Pia leans against her desk and tries to guess what he is going to ask her. He seems very nervous and stares at the floor. 

"Is it really okay that I don't have a daddy?" He looks up at her, his grey eyes full of tears.

She crouches down to his level and says: "I don't have a daddy either. And there are even kids with a mean daddy or a daddy in a foreign country. You have an uncle Logan really close by and I think a lot of kids are jealous of you for that."

Lucas takes a long time to think about it all and eventually asks: "You don't have a daddy either?"

Pia shakes her head and softly says: "And I don't have an uncle Logan. But I do have a sweet big brother, that's pretty cool too."

Lucas says: "You can borrow uncle Logan Miss Pia. He is really sweet. Sweeter than all the daddy's in the entire world."

Pia clears her throat and looks at Lucas with tears in her own eyes. "Thank you, Lucas. Go and play outside, I'll be right there." She takes a deep breath and grabs her phone to send Bruno a message.

Hi.
Do you have Logans' number?

It doesn't take Bruno long to send her a message back with Logan's number in it. She's surprised that Bruno doesn't ask her any questions about it, but quickly types a message to Logan.

Lucas says I can borrow you some time.
Because you are very sweet.
Sweeter than all the daddies in the world.
X Pia

She walks outside and finds Thomas sitting on the bench already. He makes room for her and hands her a mug of tea. "I hope it's still warm. I was a bit early. How are you doing, Pia?" 

She takes a sip of the tea and looks at Thomas with a distant look in her eyes. 

Thomas softly says: "You don't have to lie. I can tell there's a lot going on in that head of yours. And that you can't or won't share it with me. And that's fine. But I'm here for you when you do want to talk about it."