The Troubleshooter

4- When Lili met Nico

Lili POV - Age 8

"Papa! Papa!" I cry running so fast I think my legs might fall off. "Papa!!! Matty took Sally!" I sob "make him give her back!"

"Matteo!" My Papa calls, pulling me onto his knee.

The sound of feet approaches before Matty runs into the room closely followed by Marco, both of them covered in mud.

"Yes Papa?" He asks innocently.

"Did you take your sister's doll?" Pa asks.

Matt shoots me a scathing look before he replies.

"We were just playing Pa. We gave her doll a spa day" he insists.

"Go and get the doll Matteo" Pa orders him "and be quick."

Matt lets out a huff running out of the room with Marco ready to follow.

"It's not a two person job Marco, wait here I need to speak with you both." Pa tells him. A few moments later Matt returns looking sheepish. And hands me an extremely dirty Sally.

Taking one look at the doll Pa frowns at Matt.

"Spa treatment?" He asks Matt.

"Mud bath," Matt shrugs, making Marco snigger behind his hand.

"I'm curious how you would feel if your playstation took a spa treatment?" Pa threatens.

"Pa! No!" Matt objects.

"Then you need to think of a solution." Pa waits while Matt screws up his face in thought.

"I, I will get Sally a friend using my allowance?" Matt asks.

"Well my little tesoro, do we accept Matt's offer?" Pa asks me. I think for a second and then nod in agreement. "Then it's settled and we will hear no more about it." Pa says pointedly.

"Now since you are all here, we are having some visitors for the summer. A friend of your Mama, and her Son Nicolo. I want you all to be on your best behaviour. Understand?"

"Yes Papa" we reply in unison.

"Good, now Lili. I think Sally needs a bath so she looks her best for our visitors ok?" He suggests.

"Paaa," I groan. "I'm not a baby" I remind him.

"Of course you're not," he chuckles wiping a tear from my cheek. "Still go rinse her off."

I take Sally to the laundry room filling the sink with suds. It's not a bubble bath. Just soapy water I remind myself. I'm just as grown up as Matty and Marco.

They're only ten and twelve but they act like it's a world away from being eight. If they were that grown up I wouldn't be washing mud off of Sally right now.

The mud is thick in Sally's hair so I try to reach the scrubbing brush from the window ledge to help comb it out. Soaking the front of my dress as I lean over the sink.

"Do you need help?" An unfamiliar voice asks from behind me. I turn to face a gangly blonde boy with bright blue eyes.

"What are you doing in here?" I ask, forgetting my manners.

"Mrs Canossa told me to go and find Marco and Matt. She said through the door in the kitchen." He says looking at the door over his shoulder. "Are you playing with dolls?" He smiles, walking forward to look in the sink.

"No!" I argue defensively. "I'm cleaning it. Matt played with her and got her muddy" I explain.

"Oh, I was going to say we could play together" he says shyly, passing the scrubbing brush to me before he leaves.