“Is there a problem here?” Alessio’s voice alerts me to his presence behind me. I didn’t even hear him coming. I turn to face him as Gwen answers for the both of us.
“Yes, there’s a problem. This fucking nanny is trying to turn Nino against me!”
“Gwen.” Alessio narrows his eyes at her before turning to me in question. “What is the issue?”
“The issue is she’s a devious little snake, Alessio,” Gwen barks. “Did someone cut out her tongue, because she couldn’t learn to hold it? She needs to understand her place.”
“Enough!” Alessio roars, shocking all of us into stillness. I’ve never heard him raise his voice, but right now, it’s clear he’s not mincing words. “If you have an issue, you can take it up with me in private.”
Gwen considers it, her eyes drifting back to me. I think she knows there isn’t anything else she can say in this situation that will make her sound rational at this point, but she’s not ready to accept her defeat.
“Natalia, can you please assist Nino with his breakfast?” Alessio asks. “We’ll be in shortly.”
I nod and walk away, listening as I go, but they are both quiet until I’m out of earshot. There’s no way I can hide here with Angelina in the kitchen. When she sees me, she snickers, and it’s clear she heard the entire confrontation.
“That’s what you get,” she mutters under her breath.
Ignoring her, I head for the dining room to find Nino looking quite worried as he sits at the large table alone. His cheeks are stained with tears, and it breaks me to see them.
Hey. I kneel before him. What’s wrong, little prince?
“Did I get you in trouble?” he sniffles.
No. I shake my head and write him a text note. You don’t ever have to worry about that, okay? I’m sorry you had to hear that yelling. It must have been scary.
He winces. “She yells a lot. I don’t like it.”
It’s okay to say you don’t like it, I reassure him. And it’s okay to say no to a hug if you don’t want one. If you would rather give a high five or handshake or even a wave, you can do that. But if you don’t want to, you don’t have to. If someone else gets upset about that, it’s not your fault. It’s your body, and you’re the only one who can say what you do or don’t want. You did nothing wrong. You can still tell friends or family you love them with words if you prefer.
“But I don’t love her,” he whispers. “She always tells me I should come live with her when I don’t want to. She drinks wine for breakfast, and smears lipstick on my face when she kisses me.”
I offer him a sad smile, and there’s only one thing I can think to say. Have you talked to Alessio about this?
He shakes his head. “I don’t want to make him mad.”
Does Alessio get mad at you often? I ask, knowing that he doesn’t. I want to talk Nino through this to show him that his fears are bigger than reality. There’s a major disconnect between them, and neither of them knows how to bridge that gap.
He casts his eyes to the table and shrugs. “I don’t know. He doesn’t yell, but I think he could get mad.”
Why is that?
“He looks grumpy all the time.”
Despite my efforts to remain serious, I laugh silently. There’s no lie in what he’s telling me. Nino peeks up at me, a tiny smile curling his lips when he sees me laughing.
You know, I think some people just look that way. Most of the time it isn’t because of us. Sometimes, they might be busy or have a lot on their mind. They might even be sad, but they look angry to keep others away.
Why? Nino signs, his brows furrowed with concern.
Well, what do you do when you’re sad?
He considers it for a moment. “I like to draw.”
Do you ever tell anyone you’re sad?
He shakes his head, and I wish I hadn’t been right about that.
Why not?
“I don’t know,” he murmurs.
It can be scary to admit when you’re feeling a big emotion. It’s not always easy, and adults might hide it too. I think Alessio looks mad sometimes because he’s really sad. He doesn’t tell anyone either, but it’s good to say how you feel. You just told me. Did it make things better or worse?
“Better,” he says. “I like talking to you.”
That’s good. I want you to know you can talk to me any time about anything. I’ll always listen, okay?
Okay. He signs and then surprises me when he leans down and hugs me. It’s the first time he’s ever done that, and knowing that he doesn’t give hugs freely, it makes me feel … too much.