All the Way to Heaven

Chapter 48

I awoke before dawn with my heart still heavy. Exhausted, I'd fallen asleep quickly after my talk with Cosimo, but now, as I lay there in the dark, my thoughts kicked into overdrive and I found myself wishing I knew how to pray. I longed for the comfort of reaching out to someone bigger than I was, braver, and more capable, too. The way I did as a child when I'd call out to my daddy in the middle of the night and he'd come running, sweep me up into his soothing embrace, and croon softly to me that everything was going to be okay.

Instead, I lay there worrying about what the day might hold. How would things be between me and Cosimo? Would he once again act as though everything was fine, like nothing had run amok between us last night?

And why, oh why hadn't Paulo called me back? I reached for Isa's phone on the nightstand, hoping against hope to see the screen lit up with a message or a text, or even a missed call, but there was nothing. It was too early to phone him, but my fingers hovered over the send button anyway.

An hour later, the sun had turned the sky a murky coral, and I could not force myself to stay in bed a minute longer. I pulled on a bulky sweatshirt with the Midtown University logo on it, and a pair of black knit leggings, and then strapped my brace on before slipping my feet into my Toms. I left my wheelchair and took my crutches instead, making my way silently through the shadowy house to the kitchen, wondering if I could get away with making myself a cup of coffee.

To my surprise, someone else had the same idea. Franco was standing at the counter, the back of his hair rumpled like he'd just rolled out of bed, but already dressed in his work clothes. He turned and smiled warmly at me, but didn't question my presence there. It was too late for me to turn around and go back to my room, but it was the first time I'd been alone with the man since the showdown; in fact, it was the first time I'd ever been alone with the man, period.

"Please, would you like to have a seat? I am preparing to make coffee for Claudia." His voice was morning rough, but I smiled at the notion of the burly farmer taking a cup of coffee to his wife in bed. "Or did you plan to sit outside?" He must have seen me glancing out toward the terrace. He dipped a head toward my crutches. "I can bring you a cup when it is ready."

"I was going to go out and see if the mist was in the valley still." It was basically the truth. I just couldn't sit still this morning, my worry for Paulo chafing at my insides. "But I didn't think about how I'd carry my coffee cup." I tittered nervously. "That would be very kind of you."

Franco nodded. "You go sit. I will bring your coffee."

"Thank you," I murmured, feeling terribly needy.

"And Anica, beware. It is cold outside this morning."

I nodded and slipped out the door he held open for me, bracing myself for the temperature change.

Oh boy, he was right. Fall seemed to be finally catching up with itself. The air was heavy with moisture and there was a new fragrance on the morning breeze, something so familiar to me, it rocked me back a little, making me homesick for Southern California. We waited every fall for this smell, for the first rain of the season to douse the parched summer soil where we lived, the slightly acrid tang of raindrops sizzling on steaming asphalt.

Homesick tears stung my eyes, my worry for Paulo a throbbing ache in my chest.

A few minutes later, Franco brought a bright blue mug of black magic to me. Apparently, he'd noticed I drank it black like he did, and I accepted it gratefully, wrapping my chilled fingers around it. He didn't go right back in, but instead, stood near my chair, his face turned out over the valley like mine. "It is the best place in the world, Lazzaro land, Anica. Do you see all that God has given into my care for this time?" He said my name so I knew he was talking to me, but I had to listen carefully to hear his words, he spoke so quietly. "If it is all taken from me tomorrow, I will still bless his name."