alone at a table.
“Thanks. I’ve never had one so big, or so many decorations. Actually, Mom stopped even getting them when I was around 5. Said they were too messy and cost too much.” She sipped at her cold white wine and looked at him. He didn’t see self-pity in her gaze, just a truth she wanted to share. “After that, I couldn’t afford one, even a fake one, so we did without. Mom didn’t care about any of that, especially after she was excommunicated.”
Her eyes went round as if she’d gone further than she’d meant.
“Pardon? They still do that?” He hadn’t known it still happened.
“Oh yes, well, desecration and profaning the church will get that, don’t you know?” Her cheeks went pink so he didn’t press her for more information. He could just imagine what the woman had done. He’d learned enough about her now to know, he thought. Something rude, selfish, and with no other goal than attention in mind, no matter how that attention might impact her daughter. Poor Marie.
“Well, it sounds like you need more time in front of that tree of yours, then, Mrs. Mazza.” He grinned as he leaned in to whisper into her ear. “Want to head home?”
“I’d like that.” She turned just enough to smile into his eyes. “I’d like that a lot, Mr. Mazza.”
He called to have the car brought around and in no time at all, they were changed into pajamas and staring up at the lit tree in the dark living room. It was over 10 feet tall and covered in every kind of decoration she could find. There was even thin silvery tinsel hanging off the thing. It was like a kid’s dream, and Matteo knew that’s exactly what it was, the tree she’d dreamed about since she was a kid denied such frivolous things.
He held her as they drank Irish coffee and watched the lights change on the tree. She even had some old-fashioned ones that looked like candles with bubbles in the long glass light section.
“Thank you,” she said with a pleased sigh. “Thank you for giving me this, Matteo.”
“It’s my pleasure, Marie.” A bit too formal, maybe, but he was new to all of this being a good husband stuff. He didn’t want to be an asshole, after all, just in charge.
“I love that thing more than I thought I would. It’s amazing really.” She leaned back into his chest and sighed. That was all the thanks he needed - her content sigh. Maybe a brighter future was in store for him, after all. Once he got Celeste out of the way, that is.
13
“I want to learn to play the piano,” she said to Matteo the next afternoon. He’d put on some music as they relaxed together after lunch. It was classical music, Chopin he’d told her.
She rested between his thighs, her head on his stomach as she stared at the Christmas tree. The thought had only just occurred to her, she’d always wanted to be able to play an instrument, but there’d never been money for lessons. Her mother wouldn’t have allowed her to have lessons, anyway, even if those lessons were free. Marie might enjoy them, and Ruby wouldn’t have allowed her unwanted daughter even that small amount of satisfaction.
“You can do whatever you want, Marie. You can take piano lessons, go back to school, become an astronaut, whatever you desire, darling.” His voice was low as if he was almost asleep.
She liked these moments, cuddled together, just enjoying being close to one another. Affection had been one of the many things Marie had been starved of her entire life, so these moments were precious to her. “I doubt I could be an astronaut at my age. Maybe piano lessons are something too far out of reach too, but still, I’d like to try.”
“Then I’ll have it arranged.” He ran his fingers into her hair to massage her scalp. “After we get Christmas and the New Year out of the way, I’ll have someone come in to teach you.”
That meant he’d have to buy a piano. The thought made her smile. Things like that always did make her smile, though. He didn’t think anything about it, but to her, it was like her birthday and Christmas rolled into one every time he bought her something she’d done without her entire life, but had always wanted.
It was like the laptop he’d bought for her. He’d noticed she didn’t have one, so he bought her