“Okay, okay...I won't tell her anything, I promise,” May retreated at his threat. “Now will you take us?”
Alessandro shook his head yet again. “No. I'm afraid I can't do that. Tattletales don't get to go to the zoo, but have to stay home and think about their nosy behavior.”
I rolled my eyes and met his playful gaze. Even when he was joking, Alessandro still somehow managed to come across as this condescending authoritative figure.
“Olivia, is he really not going to take us?” May asked, sounding worried.
“Of course he’s going to take us, sweetie.” I set her mind at ease. “That is, if he wants to live.”
Alessandro chuckled. “Is that a threat, cara?”
“Absolutely,” I retorted and held his amused gaze.
“Well, then it's your lucky day, piccolina,” he announced, dropping his cotton napkin on the table. “It appears I'm outvoted and don't have any choice in the matter. Your big sister seems to be in quite a dangerous mood today and I don't want to challenge her.”
“You’re scared of her?” May demanded innocently.
Alessandro's eyes locked with mine and he murmured in quite a serious tone. “Petrified.”
I recognized the shadowed traces of that rare distant vulnerability in Alessandro's expression as we gazed into each other's eyes, and something inside me probed to offer him a small smile as a sign of support and affection. Swallowing, he returned my smile and we reached a silent understanding without sharing a single word.
“Olivia,” May's voice disrupted the moment.
I glanced at her and smiled gently. “What is it, sweetie?”
Her features settled into a mischievous expression. “Can you also make Alessandro buy me an ice-cream?”
Both of us burst into incredulous laughter as May remained serious, waiting for an answer.
“I'm not sure,” I said, smiling. “I'll see what I can do for you if you behave yourself at the zoo.”
“Ha! It looks like your plan backfired at you, piccolina,” Alessandro remarked in a light voice and rose from his chair. “Come, you little manipulator, we should get going if we want to be there before closing time.”
Despite Alessandro's continuous remarks about rain, the weather turned out to be sunny and beautiful. We had a wonderful day at The Bronx Zoo. The more time I spent with May, the more I noticed she was slowly growing up to be a very smart and outspoken woman. I couldn't help thinking Alessandro's proximity made her pick up on some of his character traits. I wasn't entirely sure that was a good thing, but I appreciated the fact she was both self-confident and sweet when it came to dealing with new people and situations.
After we walked around for several hours, my feet hurt and grew swollen. I realized Alessandro might not have been entirely wrong about the physical exhaustion I'd end up feeling, but I didn't regret it one little bit. It was already late in the evening when we took May back home. Trisha thanked us for taking May to the zoo, and we had a short friendly chat. Despite everything that happened in the past, we acted cordial toward each other. Our relationship would probably never grow further than that. It was clear Trisha and I would never be as close as a mother and daughter should be, and I was okay with that. As long as she took care of May, I was willing to let go of the past and look toward the future.
Before we left, I hugged May tightly to myself and held her close for a few moments.
“I'm glad you came back, Olivia. I missed you a lot,” she whispered. “When will I see you again?”
I ignored the lump in my throat and forced myself to keep smiling. “Soon, sweetheart. Real soon, I promise.”
She nodded and kissed my cheek. “Thank you for making Alessandro take us to the zoo.”
“You're welcome,” I said, brushing away strands of blond hair that stuck to her forehead.
“Don't forget to thank her for forcing me into buying you two whole ice creams,” Alessandro commented from the kitchen.
I rolled my eyes and winked at May. “Just ignore him. Who is he to judge you when he ate three of them with a whole bunch of chocolate on top.”
Even Trisha laughed at that remark and we parted ways in a good atmosphere. Once we were in the car and on our way back home, we didn't speak much, but the silence didn't feel as uncomfortable as usual. Nevertheless, now that we were alone, my thoughts wandered back to the conversation I’d overheard