know.”
“I understand,” Alexandra replied, nodding her head. She looked intently into Giano’s eyes as if they were having some sort of silent conversation. “Well, I must be going. I’m sorry to disturb your day.” Reaching out, she squeezed my hand then turned to walk away without a second glance back.
“Order your food, angel, and then I’m afraid we must be going,” Giano commanded, and I quickly followed direction, still unsure of what had just happened.
I hugged my friends’ good-bye after getting my pretzel. Giano carried my bags out, and then we silently made the ride home where he went directly to making dinner as I put my bags away.
Entering his space again, I paused when he gestured for me to take a seat. “Angel, we need to discuss today.”
I nodded my agreement with a thousand questions in my mind.
“That woman was Alexandra. She was my late wife’s best friend and Angelina’s Godmother.”
My mouth dropped open in shock as fear hit me hard. How bad had I messed up? Did she see through the façade?
“After the accident, I had private services. This upset those closest to us. However, I had my reasons. No one knows the truth about Angelina.” He paused as I watched the emotions of losing his wife and daughter hit him once again. “I acquired you, and with the help of some associates, I let the important people think Angelina had to have plastic surgery after the accident. That explained the need to homeschool to outsiders as well as gave us a cover should someone see us together.”
I fought to keep my tears at bay. Angelina died in the accident with her mother, but she wasn’t completely gone. Her loss was my gain. Her pain had become my opportunity—her life for my freedom.
The tears fell freely down my face once it hit me that she truly gave me her soul, the spirit of who she was.
“We have been fortunate until now that we haven’t been seen. Not that we have gone out a lot or to the places I went with my family, but I really thought we would’ve faced this before now. It was bound to happen.”
“Did I mess up?” I whispered my biggest fear.
Reaching out, he cupped my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “No, angel. I watched you and stepped in when the time was right. You have done well.”
“You watched me?”
“I’m never far away. Of course, I watched you.” He answered me so nonchalantly I felt stupid for questioning him.
I guessed it was smart for him to always be nearby, but again, I had to wonder how he worked if he was always watching me.
“We can’t be too safe, angel.”
“I understand.”
I truly did. I understood the dangers of people knowing who I really was. Giano had committed a crime in keeping me. He had committed a crime in giving me a new identity. My young mind didn’t understand fully how bad things really were, but I knew keeping me safe had come at a price, one Giano would pay if the truth were ever to be revealed.
After the events of the day, I was determined to not slip up. I would not be caught off guard again. I would protect my stranger the way he had protected me when he had opened his home to me.
Chapter Nine
One Year Later
I managed to make it to tenth grade without one failure as Angelina Nylene Diamante.
Embarrassment filled me as I entered the house. There was no avoiding it anymore. I could only hide out at Randi’s house for so long.
What would Giano think when he found out? He had picked me up from Randi’s, and other than a quick hello, I had feigned a headache to keep the ride quiet.
Once home, I knew I could only put off the inevitable conversation for so long. It was time to fess up and take whatever punishment came.
“Angel, are you okay? Is it your period?” Giano questioned me cautiously.
Last year, we had successfully navigated the change in life from girlhood to womanhood. It wasn’t smooth, but Giano had explained the changes in my body and what was to come as well as provided me with
“I understand,” Alexandra replied, nodding her head. She looked intently into Giano’s eyes as if they were having some sort of silent conversation. “Well, I must be going. I’m sorry to disturb your day.” Reaching out, she squeezed my hand then turned to walk away without a second glance back.
“Order your food, angel, and then I’m afraid we must be going,” Giano commanded, and I quickly followed direction, still unsure of what had just happened.
I hugged my friends’ good-bye after getting my pretzel. Giano carried my bags out, and then we silently made the ride home where he went directly to making dinner as I put my bags away.
Entering his space again, I paused when he gestured for me to take a seat. “Angel, we need to discuss today.”
I nodded my agreement with a thousand questions in my mind.
“That woman was Alexandra. She was my late wife’s best friend and Angelina’s Godmother.”
My mouth dropped open in shock as fear hit me hard. How bad had I messed up? Did she see through the façade?
“After the accident, I had private services. This upset those closest to us. However, I had my reasons. No one knows the truth about Angelina.” He paused as I watched the emotions of losing his wife and daughter hit him once again. “I acquired you, and with the help of some associates, I let the important people think Angelina had to have plastic surgery after the accident. That explained the need to homeschool to outsiders as well as gave us a cover should someone see us together.”
I fought to keep my tears at bay. Angelina died in the accident with her mother, but she wasn’t completely gone. Her loss was my gain. Her pain had become my opportunity—her life for my freedom.
The tears fell freely down my face once it hit me that she truly gave me her soul, the spirit of who she was.
“We have been fortunate until now that we haven’t been seen. Not that we have gone out a lot or to the places I went with my family, but I really thought we would’ve faced this before now. It was bound to happen.”
“Did I mess up?” I whispered my biggest fear.
Reaching out, he cupped my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “No, angel. I watched you and stepped in when the time was right. You have done well.”
“You watched me?”
“I’m never far away. Of course, I watched you.” He answered me so nonchalantly I felt stupid for questioning him.
I guessed it was smart for him to always be nearby, but again, I had to wonder how he worked if he was always watching me.
“We can’t be too safe, angel.”
“I understand.”
I truly did. I understood the dangers of people knowing who I really was. Giano had committed a crime in keeping me. He had committed a crime in giving me a new identity. My young mind didn’t understand fully how bad things really were, but I knew keeping me safe had come at a price, one Giano would pay if the truth were ever to be revealed.
After the events of the day, I was determined to not slip up. I would not be caught off guard again. I would protect my stranger the way he had protected me when he had opened his home to me.
Chapter Nine
One Year Later
I managed to make it to tenth grade without one failure as Angelina Nylene Diamante.
Embarrassment filled me as I entered the house. There was no avoiding it anymore. I could only hide out at Randi’s house for so long.
What would Giano think when he found out? He had picked me up from Randi’s, and other than a quick hello, I had feigned a headache to keep the ride quiet.
Once home, I knew I could only put off the inevitable conversation for so long. It was time to fess up and take whatever punishment came.
“Angel, are you okay? Is it your period?” Giano questioned me cautiously.
Last year, we had successfully navigated the change in life from girlhood to womanhood. It wasn’t smooth, but Giano had explained the changes in my body and what was to come as well as provided me with
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