Learning to Love

Chapter 3

Dante wheeled himself towards the living room. He couldn't sleep and had managed to convince his nurse to get rest. He knew Luca was watching him but he was glad he remained in the shadows. Out of nowhere, a small girl appeared and he almost rammed into her.

"Damn it!!" he yelled.

Immediately the small girl started mumbling incoherently amidst tears.

Immediately, Dante's anger dissolved.

"Hey, it's okay." He raised his hand to console her and she immediately covered her face as if she expected him to hit her.

"Please don't hit me, I'm sorry," she mumbled. Dante was too shocked to say anything. When she raised her eyes to look at him, his heart skipped a beat. Her eyes looked familiar. He couldn't remember interacting with any kids before so he wondered why she looked familiar.

"I am sorry miss. I don't hit ladies." He answered.

She looked at him. Her eyes shone with doubt and mistrust. He looked at her keenly and didn't miss a bruise on her face.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Elena," she answered.

"Well miss Elena, I don't believe in hitting women, or kids, "he said to her.

"Ok," her answer indicated she didn't believe him.

"How about we go find breakfast together? And you tell me about yourself? I could use a friend. Please," She nodded and followed him quietly.

Past the living room, they went to the kitchen. Lucky for Dante, Cameron was already preparing breakfast and her presence made the little girl seem a bit at ease.

"Hi Miss Cameron," she said timidly.

"Hi Elena. How did you sleep?" she asked.

"I slept well.. " She started biting her nails nervously. Before Dante could say anything, Cameron spoke.

"Is something wrong Elena?"

"I'd like to see my mummy please," With that she started crying. Dante's natural instinct was to reach for her and comfort her but she shrank away.

Cameron reached out to her and she allowed it Dante looked at Cameron quizzically. She shrugged indicating she didn't know what was going on.

For once since Dante had his accident, he had something he wanted to find out. This is the first thing that aroused his curiosity Instead of eating his breakfast, he wheeled himself towards the living room.

"Luca a word please," . Even if he couldn't see the man, he knew he was there hovering like a mother hen.

"Spill,".

Luca gave him an innocent look.

"If you don't , I'll tell everyone that you're a big baby who believes in true love," Dante threatened him. Luca was a big tough guy, but when it came to matters of heart,he believed in Hallmark type of love stories.

"Fine!. We found them at edge of the lavender fields. She was with a boy and a woman. I am assuming the woman is the mother and the boy is the brother. The other two seem to have had a bad beating. The boy has a broken arm. They're both up but in a very weak state."

"Could it be the father?" Dante asked.

"It could explain why the little girl keeps shrinking every time my arms move," he added.

"Most likely it is," Luca answered. He observed his friend keenly. For once in three years, he seemed interested in something.

"I am not falling in love with you, why are you looking at me like that?" Dante asked. This made Luca stare even more. It had been a long time since he heard his friend c***k a joke. Whoever this girl was, she was a miracle and they'd have to find a reason to keep her in the mansion.

"That girls' eyes seem familiar, broken and sad," Dante commented and Luca couldn't argue with him. Both were raised in loving homes so the concept of abuse was strange to them. They heard about it but they had never interacted with it.

The approaching steps of Dante's grandmother had Luca get up.

"Why are you leaving? " Dante asked him.

"Nothing.. But i have this feeling if i ever cross your grandmother, she'd beat me into pulp." His reply had Dante hollering.

Both Isabella and Luca exchanged looks. Today, Dante looked alive. That blank look seemed to have faded a bit.

"You know I heard you Luca," Isabella teased.

"A quick word?" She asked him after saying good morning to Luca.

"What the hell did you give Dante?" She asked soon as they stepped out Dante's earshot.

"What?" Luca replied not understanding her implication.

"Don't play dumb with me you man. Dante looks alive and he is laughing?" She furiously asked.

For a tough woman, she looked adorable furious. Luca knew when not to mess with her.

"He met Elena. Something about her having familiar eyes and him being a knight to rescue her from whoever was hurting her. I thought i was imagining him looking alive," he explained.

When Isabella didn't say anything, Luca didn't know what to make of it.

"Are you okay Nana?" he asked her.

A sad smile played at her lips. She loved it when the boys called her Nana.

"You know," she replied quietly, "That girl's eyes remind me of my daughter. I can assure you that she is my blood. I can feel it in me. If i didn't raise Dante's mother, I'd say maybe she had a kid who had a kid. But we both know that's not true. The other option is that my husband cheated on me and had a kid," She continued.

A tear fell out of her eyes. Luca didn't believe Dean would have cheated on her. He worshipped the ground she walked on and Luca always dreamed of finding love like that.

He reached out and hugged her.

"Why don't we put extra effort into this and find out? No jumping into conclusions?"

"Thank you Luca." With that, Luca left to meet his security team and Isabella went back to the house

"Who is dying?" Dante asked her immediately she sat down.

"Why? " She shot back.

"Luca was hugging you," He replied.

Isabella chuckled. She had missed this version of him.

"I am not dying Dante. Maybe you could tell me if you feel like you're dying."

Dante threw his hands up and laughed.

This made Isabella shed even more tears. Today, she had heard him laugh. a hearty laugh. It was everything she had been hoping for. She had also stared into eyes that looked like her daughter's.

He noticed her tears and quickly moved towards her. "Are you okay?" Concern was all over his face.

"I am. It's just good to hear you laugh. And it's not a hollow laugh." This made Dante reach out to hug her.

"That girl Nana, her eyes..."His answer faded.

"I see it baby.. I see it. Why don't we visit the mum and the boy? We might find something out. Let me get the girl. I need Cameron to shop for her too." Isabella got up to get Elena and give instructions leaving Dante in deep thoughts.