When they arrived, the weather was warm and the workers on the vineyard were going about their business. Sure enough, it was Rosanna, his grandmother’s trusted housekeeper cum companion and cook, who opened the door to them and she made a big fuss of them both. She had lived with Nonna for years and ran the household. She was more of a family member than an employee and her excited Italian hugs and kisses made them laugh as she chatted constantly.

‘Where is Nonna?’ Tony asked, when they were in the house and Rosanna had brought them a cold drink each.

‘She is at the church, Antonias. She will be back soon.’ Rosanna went and made herself busy, airing the bedrooms.

‘You take the cases up, Jake, I want to go and see Miriam.’

Tony walked out into the courtyard and went to the little church on the grounds. Miriam was kneeling before the altar, praying. He waited until she had finished and then spoke. ‘Grandma, Nonna.’ He held out his arms and watched her stand, turn, and walk swiftly towards him.

‘Antonias, my beautiful boy, why didn’t you call? I could have had things ready. Truly, God answers my prayers.’ She fell into his open arms and held him tightly.

The next few days were truly relaxing – no newspapers, no hassle; that all seemed a million miles away.

Although Tony was pleased to see his grandma, being at the vineyard saddened him. Flashbacks of childhood memories that had been locked away came flooding out. It had been a lifetime since he had lived here as a child, although it didn’t feel strange at all. He felt a sense of belonging here.

All those years he’d spent living in squats with no heating, lighting or running water, frightened and on his own. And all that time he could have been here with Rosanna fussing over him and family that loved him. The house was warm, dry and welcoming. There were fields and fields of grapes and grape pickers and life could have been so different for him as a young boy.

On the other hand, he mused to himself, if he had been brought up here, would he be the man he was now? Would he have Jake and Elle? It was a double-sided coin.

But this was his home and it was full of ghosts and memories. The walls held all of the secrets of the Lambrianu empire, old and new. He was filled with sadness and joy at the same time. Again and again the same question ran through his head: why didn’t his mother leave him here? He appreciated she wanted to live her own life, but why destroy his own childhood in the process? It was unfathomable. There were no real answers, only assumptions. He would never trust a woman and let them ruin his life again. His mother had always promised they would find somewhere nice to live and things would change. They never did.