"I am merely here to convey some news. She will, of course, continue with her vow ceremony as planned."
"Good." Mother Superior replies, watching me surreptitiously.
We walk through a tunnel comprising a series of low pointed arches, before reaching an open clearing. There are green spaces, and nuns are walking around, deep in conversation. Right in the middle of the clearing, there is a square stone outline encasing rows of well-tended flowers. In the center of the square, there is a replica statue of Michelangelo's Pietà, but in bronze. I am admiring the view, almost in awe at the tranquility of the place, when Mother Superior motions me to take a seat on the square outline.
"I will get Sister Assisi for you. Please stay here."
A little girl running around grabs my attention. She's dressed in a gray uniform-dress and wearing a white headdress. But as she comes closer to me, I can see that her eyes are a stunning green. I'm almost startled by the intensity, and the similarity to another pair of green eyes. Caught in the memories, I barely have time to react when she plants herself in front of me and regards me curiously.
"Who are you?" She gazes at me as if I'm a novel species.
"I'm Marcello." I give her half a smile and she reciprocates.
"I'm Claudia." She proudly proclaims. Just then, a loud voice calling her name echoes through the courtyard.
"Oh no!" She whispers, waving goodbye at me and dashing towards the source of the noise.
Somehow I wonder if Assisi was like that too. Playing and running around the courtyard. Maybe giving her away wasn't that bad of a decision. It was better than the alternative.
From the corner of my eye, I see Mother Superior coming towards me with a younger girl right behind her. The mark above her right eyebrow identifies her as Assisi.
"Mr. Lastra, Sister Assisi. You have one hour." Mother Superior says in a stern voice before retreating.
Both me and Assisi are staring at each other. Her eyes move over me and she blinks rapidly.
"Marcello?" She finally asks, and when I try to respond, I find my throat dry and hoarse.
"Assisi." I finally reply.
"It's really you." Her voice is full of wonder, and I can see what she intends to do the moment she takes a step toward me, and then another. I quickly put my hand up and try to keep some distance between us.
Assisi's face falls at the rejection, but she gives me a sad smile. I feel compelled to let her know it's not her fault.
"It's not that I don't want to... I just can't." I don't expand, and she doesn't ask. There is some tacit understanding in the way she regards me that I can only motion to the stone I'd been sitting on just moments before.
Assisi takes a seat as well, leaving some space between the two of us.
"I didn't think I'd see you again." She says brightly.
"And I didn't think you'd remember me."
"Of course I do. You're my brother." Her face is so warm, so full of... forgiveness.
"I'm sorry." I just add.
"Why are you here?"
"Valentino is dead." Assisi gasps at the news, her hand going to her mouth.
"Dead?" She repeats, and I nod. "How?"
"Suicide." Her eyes widen in horror.
"Suicide?" She whispers as if it's the worst way one could die. I guess it is... for the Catholics.
"He was diagnosed with a degenerative disorder. He was already dying... but slowly."
Tears gather at the corner of her eyes, and she uses some of the material from her headdress to wipe them away.
"I didn't know... He came to visit a few times, but he never spoke of that."
"I don't think he wanted to burden you."
"Maybe. How is Venezia?"
"She's... going to be fine. Maybe I'll even bring her to visit sometime." The moment she hears my words, her face changes completely.
"Really? You would do that?" There's so much awe and optimism in her voice that I can only nod.
"That would mean the world. Thank you!" She leans forward to hug me, almost out of instinct, but pulls back the last minute. Instead, she gives me a smile.
Assisi may have that mark on her face, but she emanates such radiance that you don't notice any flaw on her face.
For the first time, I think I made at least one right decision in sending her to Sacre Coeur.
We talk a little more and I tell her about my career as a lawyer and how I've been away from the family. She tells me about her mother figure and best friend, and how she is really happy where she is. The more I talk to her, the more I realize that she has no idea what our family does for a living. Mother Superior knows, going by the way she received me. But Assisi has no clue. And that makes me entirely too happy.
Mother Superior interrupts us, telling us that our time is over, and we say goodbye.
"I'll come again." I promise, but I can see in her eyes she doesn't believe me, even if she nods in agreement.
"God Bless you!" She comes over to me, still keeping some distance, and does the sign of the cross with her hands over my body.
"Thank you, Assisi."
"Sister Assisi has other duties." Mother Superior interjects, leading her away.
With one last glance, I leave.
Chapter Four
"CLAUDIA!" I PUT MY hands together in an O, trying to yell as loudly as I can. I know the nuns frown upon that, but I don't care.
That little troublemaker, though? I have no idea where she's run off today. I just hope she won't come across Mother Superior. That always seems to end with both Claudia and I being reprimanded for our behavior, mainly me, because I didn't raise my daughter properly. I mentally scoff at the notion. They should try giving birth first and having a child and then criticize my mothering skills.
It's not as if I'm not used to this. I mean, who am I kidding? I knew from the get-go what I was signing up for, but I compromised for Claudia's sake. That doesn't give these self-righteous nuns the right to berate my child. There have been so many instances over the years when other nuns would make snide remarks about Claudia and me for her to hear.
There had been that time when she'd asked me what whore meant because that's what other nuns refer to me. How can you explain that to a child? I'd made something up, of course, but Claudia is unusually perceptive. She'd realized by herself that it was a negative word.
I go towards the cloisters graph, thinking I'd find her there. She likes open spaces a lot. We have only one room, and I feel terrible when she gets cooped up inside, so I indulge her whenever I can.
Of course, I was right that she'd be in the graph.
I come to a stop and watch as she's running around, to the chagrin of the other nuns. I'm enjoying too much their discomfort to stop her now, but then she suddenly runs towards a foreign man. I frown. Who's that?
I go a little closer and see him smile down at her, his mouth forming some words that I can't understand.
That's it!
"Claudia!" I yell again, and this time my voice has an effect on her as she scrambles back and dashes towards me.
"Mamma," she says when she reaches me, a little bashful. She always is when she knows she might be in trouble.