From beside me, I felt Vittoria’s cold hand curl around my wrist and her broken, “Tor, stop. Please,” held me motionless.

My chest rose and fell as molten lava pumped through my veins. But her gentle plea cut through it and all I could do was curl my lip at the childish asshole. My voice sounded rougher than intended. “You get one. That’s it. One warning. Your next one comes in the form of a missing limb.” Before I sat, I met his eyes and saw the regret there, but I didn’t care. It was too late and he’d pushed too hard. “Good to know you’ve got my back like I’ve always had yours. Fucking with my happiness like I haven’t been through hell and clawed my way back, like my family doesn’t deserve a goddamn break.” I shook my head at him. “With family like this, who needs enemies, right?” Daniele attempted to speak but my firm gaze held him silent. I only had one more thing to say. “You ever disrespect my wife like that again and I will put you through a fucking wall.”

And I meant it.

With that, I picked up my chair and took a seat besides my soft-hearted wife.

Under the table, my hands shook.

* * *

The meal ended as gracelessly as it began. Silent and still, with tension sizzling in the air. It was only afterwards that I realized I needed to speak to my daughter, but when I went looking for her, she was nowhere to be found. I checked every room, twice, and it was only when I went into panic mode and headed for the backyard, I heard her speaking to somebody.

“Why are you so mean to Vittoria?”

From his sigh alone, I knew who she was with. Daniele returned, “I’m not being mean. That’s just how adults joke around.”

Would you listen to this guy?

I waited to hear my daughter’s response.

Ella thought about that a moment before she said, “It’s only a joke if everyone is laughing.” She paused a moment. “Mama taught me that.”

My brothers voice lowered some. “Sounds like something your mom would say.”

When Ella spoke up next, I almost couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “She’s not so bad, you know?”

Daniele groaned in annoyance. “Aw, shit, Ella Bella. I thought you were on my team.”

“I don’t know,” Ella replied. “It’s kind of nice to have another girl in the house. She got the boys to stop touching my things. And papa likes her.”

“Yeah,” he conceded quietly. “He does, doesn’t he?”

“Maybe…” Ella paused then, and when she began to speak again, it was almost as if she were hearing the words from a fresh perspective. From a new angle. Like advice given to oneself. “Maybe you’d like her too if you gave her a chance.”