The Surface

Chapter 1

~Picture not mine~

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Nico chewed on his small hand as he looked up at the large house. He was in his mother's arms, letting her carry him as they walked up to the house. His sister was walking next to their father, her small hand gripping onto his large hand.

"Do you like it?" Hades asked, looking to Maria. They still spoke Italian, not having learned English yet.

Maria nodded but looked over her shoulder as if she could look back at their old house in Italy.

"Momma!" Nico put his hand in her face to get her attention. "Momma!'

Maria looked down at him. "Yes, my son?"

He looked into her eyes before letting out a burst of giggles. "Hi!"

She kissed his forehead before looking to her husband. "Shall we go in?"

Hades nodded. "Be careful on the front steps." He helped Maria up before helping Bianca up. "There you go, Bianca. Big steps."

"Big steps." she agreed.

Hades showed them around the house, everything brand new. The walls, the floors, the candle holders. Everything looked perfect. Yet to Nico and Maria, nothing looked like home.

"Do we live here now?" Bianca asked.

Hades nodded. "Yes."

"It's so big!" she declared. "We're rich!"

Nico started to sob, his small face turning red. "Too big! Scared!"

Maria rocked him close. "It's going to be okay. We're all going to look out for you."

Hades put a hand on his wife's shoulder, not seeming to notice his son's crying. "Do you like the house?"

She took a moment to nod. "Yes. It's nice. It just...is very large. And so far away from home."

"This is home, now." he looked down to Bianca. "Let's go put you to bed. I'll read you a story."

Bianca rushed upstairs, her father following far behind. Maria was left alone in the parlor, Nico in her arms. He still was crying his eyes out, his dark eyes sparkling with tears.

"Nico..." she rocked him close. "It's going to be okay. I've got you. It's going to be okay."

He leaned his head against his mother's chest, let himself relax at the sound of her heartbeat. His mother was there. That was all that mattered.