Page 11 of Poison and Wine
Leo nodded. “We’ll fly you anywhere you want to go.
“I think it’ll be more of where I’m allowed to go.”
“Surely sisters get time off.
“They do. But I don’t know how much G-rated fun you guys will be into.”
With a snort, Leo replied, “Like we would take our baby sister clubbing even if you weren’t in a religious order.”
“You guys are no fun,” I teasingly replied.
“See you soon, Kitty Cat,” Rafe said while Leo and Gianni waved.
After blowing them a kiss, I hung up. Cradling the phone against my chest, I didn’t bother fighting the tears. I let them flow freely down my cheeks. My shoulders rose and fell with harsh sobs.
At that moment, I didn’t care about all the good I was doing through the order or my victory against my father. All I wanted was to be back home in New York, surrounded by brothers while eating one of Talia’s famous cakes.
“Caterina?” Sister Lucia questioned.
Sniffling, I swiped my eyes. “Yes?”
“There’s something that needs your attention in the kitchen.”
“Right. Of course.” Ducking my head so she wouldn’t see my tears, I rose off my chair and followed her down the hall.
When I got to the kitchen, I furrowed my brows at the darkness. “Oh no. Don’t tell me the electricity has gone on the fritz again,” I groaned.
The lights flashed on, and “Surprise!” erupted in the room. The waterworks started again at the sight of my three fellow sisters holding a small cake with a lit candle.
“Happy Birthday, Caterina,” Sister Lucia said with a smile.
A grin stretched across my face. “I can’t believe you guys did this.”
“It isn’t every day you turn twenty-one,” Sister Antonia replied in her diplomatic way. Since the day I’d arrived in the village, she’d felt like my long-lost grandmother. Especially considering she was just as strict and stern as my Nonna had been. One of her hands weathered with age motioned for me to blow out the candle. “Make a wish.”
The selfish part of me wanted to argue that as long as I lived in the order, there wasn’t anything to wish for. My life didn’t truly belong to me anymore. Of course, the rational side argued that I could wish for good health and happiness in my journey. But for the first time in a long time, something felt missing.
A strange emptiness had started plaguing me. I’d tried arguing that it was because I was turning twenty-one, which was a rite of passage. Back in the states, it would’ve meant a party with free-flowing alcohol. In another life, it would’ve meant closing in on my last year of college.
When Sister Antonia frowned at my hesitation, I forced a smile on my face. “I’m sorry. I was trying to decide what to wish for.”
“My child it’s as simple as asking for the Lord’s will to be done.”
When I leaned over the cake, I shut my eyes. As I blew air from my lips, I didn’t go with Sister Antonia’s words for fear that voicing a wish aloud might make it not come true. Instead, I wished for my true path to be fulfilled.
Chapter Three: Caterina
While it wasn’t quite the party I had teased my brothers about, I still had a wonderful time with my sisters. We ate leftover soup and drank aged wine while polishing off the cake. They’d each regaled me with stories of their own twenty-first birthdays all of which had been inside the order. We ended up chatting long past our usual nine p.m. bedtime.
When I finally trudged into my bedroom around ten, I eyed the mop and bucket beside my nightstand. I’d fully intended on finally cleaning my floors after a two-day hiatus. But as tired as I was, it wasn’t going to happen tonight. Especially since it was my birthday.
After grabbing a nightgown out of the drawer, I went into the bathroom and took a shower. When I got into bed, I fell into an exhausted sleep. The clanging of the midnight church bells startled me awake. Lying in the pitch dark, a prickly awareness filled me. It sent a cascade of shivers down my spine. Fighting my fear, I tried regulating my erratic breathing. There hadn’t been a specific noise to alert me. It was just a feeling.
Someone was in my room.
With a trembling hand, I snaked my arm out from under the covers. Fumbling for the cord on the nightstand, I flicked on the lamp. I momentarily fought for my eyes to adjust to the light. My gaze bounced around the room, which thankfully I found empty.
As a sigh of relief whooshed from my lips, I fought to swallow but my mouth had run dry. Flipping the sheet off of me, I padded across the floor and into the bathroom. I turned on the faucet and bent my head over the sink. Instead of bothering with a glass, I cupped my hands and brought the cool liquid to my lips. Once I’d taken in enough, I splashed water on my face.