Chapter Six
Holly stared outside, watching the streets as Dante drove the car uptown. They first dropped off Nonna Gianna at an apartment building on the Upper West Side. Dante’s sister must have already known about the situation as the doorman was waiting for her outside, ready to help her out of the car. Once they said their goodbyes to the old woman, she gave Dante the directions to Hannah’s school.
Emotions swirled inside her. Hannah didn’t seem different that morning. In fact, she’d been the same as she had been for months. Quiet. Unresponsive. Moody. It was always a struggle to get her up, dressed and fed, then dropped off at school.
Holly had initially been hesitant about starting work at the restaurant, with the late nights, but what could she do? She had to work. The insurance money wasn’t going to keep them afloat. Plus there were more costs to think about in the future, like after school activities, trips, and college tuition fees. Thank God she at least found a babysitter who could pick up Hannah after school and stay late so she could still work in a restaurant.
This wasn’t the first time this had happened, and Holly knew it might be an adjustment, but she thought Hannah would at least wait a few weeks before acting up again.
The situation with Hanna wasn’t the only thing confusing her. She couldn’t believe she said yes to Dante. Or that he’d even offered to take her in the first place. Maybe he really was sorry for what he’d said and done.
She snuck a glance over at him, watching as his eyes stayed on the road and his forearm muscles flexed as he turned the wheel or shifted gears. Biting her lip, she tried not to think about how sexy he looked in his tight, long-sleeved T-shirt, jeans, and boots. He wasn’t wearing a coat or gloves. Was the man never cold?
“It’s just over there.” She pointed to the red-brick building at the end of the street. He moved the car to an empty spot and cut the engine. “Thanks,” she said as she opened the door and stepped out of the car. She hurried to the entrance. She was walking up the steps when she heard a shout from behind.
“Holly, wait!”
She frowned and pivoted. “What are you doing?”
Dante jogged up to her. “I’m coming with you.”
“You don’t have to do this,” she said, shaking her head. “Really, you’ve done more than enough. Not your circus, not your monkeys. You can go.”
He huffed. “Look, just let me help, okay? I’ll bring you guys home or wherever you want afterwards. Please,” he put his hands on her shoulders, “think of this as my apology. A better one than this morning’s.”
Holly tried to protest, but the feeling of his large hands on her was distracting. “Fine,” she said with a nod.
“Good.”
She walked ahead, opening the door to the school, and Dante followed behind her. The hallways of the school looked as they did before, though they were now decorated with wreaths and Christmas ornaments. She’d been to the principal’s office before and remembered the way. When they got there, the secretary ushered them in. She was about to tell Dante to wait outside, but as soon as she saw Hannah, she forgot he was even behind her.
“Hannah!” she cried as she rushed to the little girl’s side. Hannah was sitting in one of the chairs by the principal’s desk. Her jeans were torn on one knee, and her hair was mussed. A nasty-looking scratch marred one cheek. Anger built in her. “What happened?” she asked, looking at the principal.
“Ms. Taylor,” Principal James Palmer began as he took off his glasses and laid them on the desk. “Your niece was caught fighting with one of her classmates.”
“Is this true, Hannah?” She looked down sternly at the little girl.
Hannah looked up at her, face somber, and nodded.
“Why?”
The little girl shrugged and placed her hands on her lap.
Holly looked to Principal Palmer for an explanation, and he motioned for her to sit down in the empty chair next to Hannah. “And your … friend?”
Holly whipped around, not realizing Dante had followed her all the way inside. What was he still doing in here? She wanted to tell him to go away, but Dante planted himself in an empty chair and Holly simply didn’t have the energy to argue. Hannah was hurt, and there would be hell to pay. Besides, Dante had this intimidating aura, with his hulking frame and the inscrutable look on his face. Maybe she could use that to her advantage.
“All right then.” Principal Palmer cleared his throat. “During recess, Ms. Abrams found Hannah on top of Jenny Atkinson. Ms. Abrams was able to pull the two children apart before either was seriously hurt.”
“But why?” she asked. “Who started it?”
“Jenny said that Hannah struck first. She’d been playing with her friends when Hannah came and grabbed her hair and then pulled her to the ground.”
“Hannah would never do that! And look at that scratch!” She pointed to Hannah’s cheek.
“Yes, well but in this case, it’s a matter of ‘you should see the other guy.’ Jenny is still in the infirmary with a black eye and a bleeding nose.”
Holly gasped. “Hannah …”
Hannah remained silent and crossed her arms over her chest, a petulant look on her face.
“Ms. Taylor,” Principal Palmer began, “now, we’ve been very patient with Hannah. We understand her … circumstances, we really do. Even her refusal to talk is something we can overlook, since you’ve been committed to her education and willing to work with a behavioral and speech therapist. But the fact of the matter is, according to our nurse, Hannah is physically normal. She just refuses to speak. She needs help, and we can’t give that to her here.”
Dread filled the pit of her stomach. “What are you saying?”
“I’m afraid we’re going to have to ask Hannah to leave.”
“You can’t! That’s not right. I bet they’re teasing and bullying her. Those other students should be the ones disciplined.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but my hands are tied. I spoke with Jenny Atkinson’s mom; she’s afraid for her daughter’s safety.”
“Excuse me?” Holly exclaimed. “Hannah is seven years old! She can’t hurt anybody.”
“But she already has. And once Mrs. Atkinson files a complaint, all the other parents will question why I’m letting Hannah stay. I’m sorry, Ms. Taylor. Perhaps you can find a special school for her. In any case, it’s almost the Christmas holiday. She can start fresh in January.”
“This is preposterous,” Holly said, getting to her feet. “You’re kicking her out? For fighting? We don’t even know the whole story!”
“Well, perhaps if your niece could tell us, then we could appeal her case,” Principal Palmer said, leaning back in his chair and linking his fingers over his stomach.
Holly turned to Hannah. “Tell us the truth, sweetie. What happened? Did Jenny provoke you? Did she start it?”
But Hannah remained silent as a stone, her eyes dropping to the ground.
Holly let out a defeated sigh. She was so angry … at the school, at Principal Palmer, at Jenny Atkinson and her mother. But, most of all, she was angry at the cards life had dealt her. “Let’s go home.” She extended her hand to Hannah. The little girl looked up at her, blue eyes so much like Sean’s. Oh Sean, she said in a silent prayer. I wish you were here.
Hannah took her hand and got up from the chair. Without another word, they left the office and began to walk out of the school.
As they made their way outside, Hannah suddenly stopped and tugged on her hand.
“What is it?” she asked, trying not to sound irritated.
Hannah tugged on her hand again and looked to the left. They were stopped in front of the girl’s bathroom.
“You have to go?”
Nod.
“Do you need my help?”
She shook her head.
“Okay sweetie, go ahead. I’ll wait here.”
Hannah let go of her hand and then disappeared into the girl’s bathroom.
“How are you feeling?”
Holly nearly started. She was so focused on Hannah, she had forgotten about Dante. And he’d been there the entire time. “I probably owe you an explanation,” she said with a sigh.
“You don’t owe me anything,” he said softly.
She looked up at him, searching his face for … what, she wasn’t sure. But what she did find surprised her. He looked at her with concern, his mismatched eyes staring right back at her. “It’s fine. I mean …” She took a deep breath. “Hannah is not my daughter. She’s my brother’s kid,” she began. “Three months ago, he and his wife … died. I was living in LA at that time, and I went to Seattle to go the funeral and I took Hannah back to live with me. Then a month after that, I got the job offer from Sharice and we came here.”
“Don’t you have any other relatives? Your parents?”
She shook her head. “Mom died when I was born. And Dad passed away of a heart attack later.” She paused. “I was fourteen. Sean, my brother, he was older and had just gotten out of the Police Academy. He didn’t let me go into foster care or to our other relatives, though. He took me in, looked after me until I was eighteen and I got the scholarship to go to Paris. Hannah was born a year later.”
“She doesn’t talk? Does she have a condition?”
“She wasn’t born that way. She just stopped speaking since the night—” She paused when the door to the bathroom opened and Hannah stepped outside. “All done?”
Hannah nodded, then turned to Dante with a quizzical look on her face.
“Hannah, this is Dante. He’s a … friend of mine.”
“Hello, Hannah,” Dante said, bending his knees so he was eye level with her. He stuck his hand out. “I’m Dante. I work across the street from your Aunt Holly.”
Hannah stared at his hand, then up at Holly. She nodded, so Hannah took Dante’s hand. Then, she cocked her head to one side and pointed to Dante’s eyes.
His face lit up. “Yes. They’re different colors.” He leaned in closer so she could see. “It’s called heterochromia, and almost everyone in my family has it. My sister has it, and so do her kids. I think you have pretty eyes too, Hannah. Just like your aunt’s.”
Holly felt a blush creeping up her face. Did Dante really just compliment her? She ignored that giddy feeling in her stomach. “Well, we should get going. We can find a cab or take the subway.”
“Nuh-uh.” He shook his head. “I said I’d take you guys home. I meant it. Besides,” he nodded out at the window, “look. No way you’re getting a cab in this weather.”
Holly turned her head. Outside, the skies were bright no more. Instead, they were a pale gray and snowflakes were falling fast and thick.
“C’mon, let’s go before it gets worse.”
***
The ride back to Holly’s apartment was quick. They lived roughly twenty blocks away, one subway stop from the school, which was why she didn’t expect Dante to drive them back. And, really, he didn’t have to. He didn’t have any reason to, but he did anyway.
Though she protested, she was glad Dante was here. Why his presence was so soothing right now, she didn’t know. Why he even cared this much was a mystery to her, too. She was nobody to him. For crying out loud, they’d only met a week ago. Had it been only a week? Looking back at the events of the past seven days, it was like a lifetime ago to her. Their little fight seemed silly, after all this.
“You can stop over there,” she said, pointing to the building to the right. It was a three-story brownstone, and she and Holly lived on the top floor.
“Are you going to be all right?” Dante said as he turned to her.
“I’ll be fine,” she said with a shrug. “I’ll figure something out. Uhm …” She swallowed her pride, something she didn’t often do. “Thank you. For the ride.”
“My pleasure,” Dante replied, giving her a smile.
She ignored the butterflies in her stomach, then opened the door and slid out. She reached for the knob on Hannah’s side. “Let’s go, Hannah,” she called.
But the little girl stayed inside, not moving.
“Hannah, do you need help with your seatbelt?”
No answer.
With a sigh, she bent down and stuck her head inside. “Hannah? Sweetie, what’s the matter?”
The little girl’s face was drawn into a frown and she crossed her arms over her chest. She tightened her arms around herself and stuck her lower lip out.
Holly let out a frustrated sigh and crawled into the backseat. She reached for the belt buckle, but Hannah covered it with her hands. “Hannah!” she admonished.
“What’s the matter?” Dante asked, turning his head to look at them
“I don’t know …” Holly bit her lip. What had gotten into her niece? “Okay, sweetie, what do you want? Do you want a treat? A toy?”
She shook her head, then pointed at Dante and then the apartment building.
“I don’t understand. Please, sweetie, just one word. Tell me what you want.” Holly’s voice trembled, but she refused to cry. Not in front of Hannah and certainly not in front of Dante.
Hannah shook her head again, then repeated the motion. Dante. The building.
Dante unbuckled his seatbelt and then got out of the driver’s seat. He opened the other passenger door and slid in next to Hannah.
“Hannah, hon,” he began, his voice gentle. “Did you want me to bring you upstairs?”
She nodded.
“No way,” Holly protested. “Hannah, Dante has to go.”
But Dante had already unbuckled Hannah’s seat and had the little girl in his arms.
“Argghh!” She curled her hands into fists and smashed them into the Jaguar’s plush leather seats. What the heck was going on with Hannah? She normally didn’t like strangers. Sliding out of the backseat, she closed the door and jogged up to Dante and Hannah, who were already waiting for her. She unlocked the front door and went up the stairs first, leading Dante to their apartment.
“Okay, Hannah,” Holly said as she opened the door. “Time to say goodbye. Dante is very busy and has to get going.”
But Hannah tightened her grip around Dante’s neck.
He shot her a sheepish look. “Maybe she wants me to stay.”
“S-stay?” she stammered. No, Dante can’t stay! He wouldn’t want to. She squared her shoulders and put on her best authoritative voice. “Young lady, you are being ridiculous. Dante can’t stay. He has things going on and has to go visit with his family. Now, come with me. We’re going to take a nap.” She encircled her arms around Hannah and pulled, but the little girl let out a moan of protest. Now she was really angry. “Hannah! Let go!”
“Shhh,” Dante said, running a soothing hand down Hannah’s back. “I can stay for a bit.”
“But … Nonna Gianna’s waiting for you. She came all the way here.”
“I’ll send her a text message. It’ll be fine; she’s with my sister and her kids. I can stay until Hannah’s settled.”
“What?” No way. Dante Muccino was not going to come into her apartment. “You can’t—”
“I don’t think I have a choice,” he said with a grin, as Hannah’s octopus-like limbs wrapped around him. He strode past Holly and into the apartment. “Do you want to show me your room, hon?” Hannah’s arm shot out and pointed to her door. “Do you have some cool toys?” Hannah nodded and then Dante walked them toward the room. He opened the door and strode in, leaving the door open. As Hannah slid down, she grabbed his hand and tugged him to the corner where she kept her dollhouse.
Holly would have felt irritation if envy and jealousy weren’t creeping in. Hannah never warmed up to strangers. When she came to take guardianship of Hannah, she herself was a virtual stranger to the little girl. While she was growing up, Holly had only seen Hannah a handful of times, so it was understandable that she was standoffish at first. She thought she was at least making some progress. But one smile from Dante Muccino, and Hannah was his best friend.
With an irritated grunt, she yanked the zipper of her coat down, shoved it and her boots into the closet. She groaned as she turned and looked at the living room. They weren’t exactly prepared for guests and it was obvious she didn’t have time to clean. There were clothes and toys scattered all over the living room. The throw pillows were askew and coloring books covered the coffee table. And she was pretty sure there were some dishes in the sink she hadn’t put away yet. Ugh.
Holly glanced over at Dante and Hannah, then proceeded to straighten up the living room. As she was putting away the coloring books, she started when she heard Dante’s voice.
“I think she wants to watch a movie,” he said.
Hannah was sitting on the couch, pointing to the TV. She was holding a DVD of her favorite Princess movie.
“Do you want to watch Princess Arya, sweetheart?” Holly asked.
Hannah nodded and gave her a smile, the first one she’d seen in a while, and Holly nearly wept in relief. Truth be told, her anger and resentment hid her worry. That scratch down Hannah’s cheek wasn’t looking too bad, but Holly couldn’t help but feel guilty. Her niece had been hurt, and she wasn’t there to protect her. Her smile, though, made some of the heavy weight pressing on her chest lift off.
“Okay, sweetie, if that’s what you want.” She took the DVD, popped it into the machine, then turned the TV on. The opening credits began to play, and she strode back to Hannah. “Why don’t you watch the movie with Dante, and I can—”
Hannah leapt up to her, grabbing her by the hand and tugging her down with such force she fell on the couch. “Oommph!” She lay on the couch, sprawled down. “Hannah …”
“C’mon, just sit and watch with us,” Dante said. “She just wants to spend time with you.”
With a defeated sigh, she settled down next to Hannah, who, again, smiled and then cuddled up next to her. She ruffled Hannah’s hair and pulled a throw over them as they watched the movie.
As the movie played, Holly only half watched it. She’d seen it a million times at this point, though she really loved the songs. But that wasn’t the reason why she couldn’t pay attention to the film.
Dante Muccino’s presence distracted her. He was four feet away from her, Hannah in between them, but, still, she couldn’t help but glance at him every now and then. The glow from the TV screen illuminated his features. Her eyes traced his profile, from his aquiline nose to high cheekbones to that strong chin. And those unusual eyes. God, his lashes were so thick, it was unfair. And those lips. They seemed so full and—
He suddenly turned, then flashed her a knowing smile. She turned away quickly, embarrassed she’d been caught staring. Hopefully he wouldn’t think anything of it.
Soon, the end credits rolled. Finally. It was also nearing dinner time, and Holly was once again filled with dread. Getting Hannah to eat was another struggle, and she didn’t know how parents did it. “Okay, sweetheart, movie’s over. It’s time for dinner, and Dante needs to go soon.”
Hannah frowned and put on a pout.
“Just a few more minutes, okay? I’m gonna go heat up some chicken. Would you like that?”
Hannah turned away from her and looked at Dante instead.
Holly put her hands up in frustration and turned around, walking toward the kitchen in defeat. She was taking the leftover roast chicken from the fridge and about to close the door when she felt a presence nearby. She nearly dropped the container on the floor.
“Jesus,” she said, placing her free hand on her chest as her heart raced a mile a minute. Dante was standing in the entryway, leaning against the frame, a smile on his face. How did he move so quietly?
“Everything all right? You seemed a little … off back there?”
“Is it that obvious?” she asked. “I just … and this is frustrating for me as a chef, but Hannah’s my toughest customer yet. She doesn’t eat anything I make her.” There, she said it. “She’ll have a nibble here or there. Cereal or toast in the morning and lunch at school. But when she’s here, she won’t eat. I just … I worry she’s not getting the nutrients she needs. What if she’s malnourished and I don’t know? Her growth could be stunted, and she might not develop the way she’s supposed to and—” A quiet gasp escaped her lips as Dante closed the distance between them and placed his hands on her upper arms. She hoped he didn’t see her shiver when the touch sent tingles over her skin.
“Hey, hey … it’s okay.” He peered down at her with those unusual eyes. “What have you been giving her?”
“Everything. Anything. I’ve made her coq au vain, tarte flambee, steak diane. I even tried making ratatouille that looked like the one from that Disney movie. She stared at it, but didn’t eat a bite.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “She’s a kid, not The New York Times food critic.”
“Those are healthy, classical French mea—What are you doing?”
Dante had turned to her fridge, opened the door, and was now rooting around inside. “Don’t you have hot dogs in here? Chicken nuggets?”
“Why would I have that in my fridge? That’s junk food.”
“Ah-hah!” Dante held up a container of chicken breast. “It doesn’t have to be junk food; it has to be kid food,” he said. “Now, why don’t you go out there and I’ll fix us up some dinner.”
“Excuse me?” Irritation prickled at her. “You are not cooking in my—” A crash from the living room interrupted her.
“Go,” he urged. “I’ll take care of things here.”
She wanted to protest, really, but she didn’t have the energy. Heading out to the living room, she saw that Hannah had knocked over a box of markers and they had spilled all over the floor. “Hey sweetie, let’s get this cleaned up, then wash our hands. Dante’s making us dinner.”
Hannah helped her put the markers away, and then they went to the bathroom to wash their hands. They cleared the messy dining room table, and then began to set the table using the china they kept in the cabinet. Dante said he still needed about thirty minutes, so Holly put on the TV and sat on the couch watching cartoons with Hannah.
Finally, Dante came out of the kitchen with a large serving bowl. Holly had to admit it smelled delicious and her stomach gurgled when the smell of cheese hit her nose.
“All right ladies, I’ve got mac and cheese here and the chicken will be right out,” he announced, placing the bowl on the table. He disappeared into the kitchen and came back with the chicken. He motioned for Hannah and Holly to sit and then served them some of the food before taking his seat.
“This looks delicious,” Holly said. And she meant it. He had somehow found enough ingredients in her kitchen to make homemade chicken fingers and mac and cheese. She took a bite, let out an involuntary moan, and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she saw Dante staring at her and she swallowed hard.
Dante turned to Hannah. “Hannah, what’s wrong? Don’t you like the food?”
Holly sighed. “I told you. She’s just picky.”
Hannah stared down at the plate.
“You know who’d be disappointed if you didn’t eat your meal?” Dante began. “Princess Arya.”
Hannah gave him a suspicious look.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you? I know Princess Arya. She’s a friend of mine.”
Hannah turned to Holly and then Dante with a skeptical look on her face.
“Dante, it’s okay,” Holly said. “She’s just not into food.”
“No, I mean, really, I know her.” He chuckled and grabbed his phone. “Not the animated Princess Arya, but the girl who did her voice and sang all those songs.”
“You know Evie King?” Holly asked.
“Yeah, she eats at Muccino’s all the time. She’s uh, kinda like extended family, actually.” Dante scrolled through his pictures, and his eyes lit up when he found what he was looking for. “See?”
Holly squinted at the screen. It was a selfie of Dante and a pretty young woman with brown hair. The next picture showed her at a booth inside Muccino’s, sitting next to a handsome bearded man and a little boy as she blew out a candle on a cake. That was definitely Evie King. She’d tried to get tickets to one of her shows, hoping to bring Hannah to meet her at the backstage door, but tickets had been sold out for months after she won some award a while back.
“Hannah, look!” Holly said, scrolling to the previous photo and pushing the phone toward her niece. “It’s Dante and Princess Arya.”
The little girl’s nose scrunched up, then her eyes went wide as she recognized her idol on the small screen. She looked at Dante with an amazed expression.
“See? I told you she was my friend. Do you want me to call her and tell her you aren’t eating all this food I made for you? She’d be really disappointed, I think. She loves eating my food.”
Hannah shook her head, picked up her fork, and stabbed a bit of the macaroni. She put it in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. Then she did something Holly hadn’t seen in a long time. Hannah began to eat, taking bites of the chicken and macaroni and cheese.
Holly glanced over at Dante, a wry expression on her face. “Ah, so that’s how you make them eat. Threats.”
“I think it was more of a persuasive argument,” he said, giving her a wink. “But potato, potahtoh.”
Holly laughed. “Right.”