Trustfall

Chapter 11 - A circle of brothers

He gulps, and looks up at me, "I don't really notice that she's gone."

"What?" How can he not notice, the woman who cared- or should care for him, maybe Gabriella hasn't been as good a mother as she had been when she was here.

"She was never really home, always working, as long as I remember."

"Who took care of Alessia, and you when you were younger, did she just leave you at home?" The Gabriella I knew would never let kids stay at home alone.

"Our stepfathers."

"More than one?" I raise my eyebrow.

"Alessia told me we have had four in total."

Stepfathers, always alone with my children, it must have gone wrong. "How did they treat you?" I ask straight forward, there is no reason to wrap it in, sometimes it's best just to ask straight forward.

"I didn't really have any relationship with them, they kept them to themselves, so did Alessia and I... " He takes a deep shaky breath. "I always think it's so unfair for Alessia, she is always there for me, while she had no one," he finishes, I see the tears pricking in his eyes.

"If you want to do something for your sister, why don't you help me arrange her surprise party," I smirk, and his face turns into a huge grin.

"That will be awesome!" he says, and his soft voice is gone, replaced by his natural happy one.

I caress his cheek the same moment a knock sounds at my door, I shout a quick 'come in' and Robin jumps down from the counter and we walk inside my bedroom where Matteo is standing in the door.

"What's up?" I ask him.

"Something is wrong with Alessia's dress, you should go to her room," he says annoyed, I don't know why he keep acting like that towards her, I know he loves her but something about her is bothering him, and he won't tell me, but I guess him telling me that she needs my help is a step in the right direction to the time where he will confess his love for his little sister. "In the meantime, I will help Robin get ready."
"I am ready."

"You miss something, come with me," he says and waves his little brother over, while I walk past them towards Alessia's room.

I knock and a woman's voice sounds from the other side, "come in." Inside are the two women I asked to buy the clothes for Alessia and Robin today, but Alessia is nowhere to be seen.

"Is everything okay in here?" I ask.

"Alessia is trying on the second dress we bought her. Alessia, do you have the dress on?" the dirty blond-haired woman asks towards the closed bathroom door.

"Yes," a faint voice sounds from the bathroom.

"Why don't you come out, sweetheart?" I ask her.

"No." I frown.

"Why not?"
"I don't like it, I'm sorry."

"We only have those two dresses, you need to pick one of them," the same lady as before says, I take a better look at her, she's wearing a white button-down shirt with a pink cotton vest over along with black jeans, how dare she tell my daughter what to do.

"But it's too short, I'm sorry," I hear the sobs coming miles away, I can't have that. I can handle the screams, begs, and cries before I shoot someone, but I think that a knife in my heart will hurt less than hearing my daughter's cries.

"Don't say sorry sweetheart it's not your fault," I say, and turn to the ladies but before I get to open my mouth the same lady speaks while the brunette lady stays quiet.