The Castle of Gold [Bk 2]

ch.65 To forget

Harry and I sat with Danny and Gemma as we read through the tattered phone books. I looked closely at the book dad kept, but it wasn’t written in English. Or Italian. It was some kind of hieroglyphic code, the kind of phrases and words he used to use with his ‘brothers’.

“I can’t read this, Danny” I sighed, both in relief and frustration. I sort of didn’t want to call any of them because I didn’t know what to do or say if they answered or agreed to come. Plus, my Italian was rusty.

Danny took the book from my lap and squinted at it. Then he tilted it sideways and even upside down.

“Daddy-o” he laughed.

We all looked up at him in confusion.

“He wrote everything backwards. Look” Danny shook his head and grinned at dad's ingenuity.

I took the book and tried to read backwards. I stared to make out some of the names: Marco Lorenzo. I swallowed hard and dialed Uncle Marco’s number in. My heart sunk in my chest; what if they hated me and Danny? What if they blamed me for dad’s death?

I looked up at Harry, who was watching me expectantly. I was about to put the phone down when a rough, husky voice picked up on the other end.

“Ciao?” a man answered.

“Zio Marco?” I asked hesitantly.

“Chi è questo? » he asked who I was. I should have known: the Lorenzo brothers asked more questions than they answered.

“A-Angela Lorenzo”

He didn’t just put the phone down, he dropped it, almost broke it.

My throat almost closed in on me. As much as I wanted him and the rest of my family to be at the wedding, I hated them. I hated how they didn’t give two shits about my parents let alone me or Danny.

Just as I was putting the phone down, someone picked it up on the other end.

“Angela!?” a female voice asked eagerly, but quietly.

“Sì”

“Che è impossibile” I heard her shaking her head furiously. “Angela d-died. JD…died” she rambled in a quivering voice. “Unless you’re…” she swallowed hard.

“His daughter” I nodded.

“Sua figlia” she repeated in mesmerized horror.

I smiled at the ground. My dad may be gone, but I will always be his daughter, from his blood, his heart.

Harry rubbed my back soothingly.

“You sound so grown up, bella” the woman laughed softly. I knew it was my aunt Lisa Marie, well, unless Marco remarried in the last 20 some years.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about” I spoke laughed lightly.

I cleared my throat. Harry took my hand and squeezed it a moment.

“Mi sposo” I told herI was getting married.

Harry kissed his ring on my finger.

“Sposato?” she clarified.

“Sì” I nodded. “And I would like you and Zio Marco and the kids to come” I told her as confidently and steadily as I could.

“Angela” she sighed.

My heart fluttered in my chest.

“Lo non so se Marco- if he’s. If he would be willing after all these years…24 anni” she whispered the last bit.