CHAPTER 7
Galen opened his eyes, looking around in confusion at the unfamiliar surroundings. Thick, plush rugs covered most of the hardwood floor, polished to a glass-like shine; the closed curtains were heavy and blocked out all light; the dresser had many drawers; and the bed was large and comfortable.
Everything was much better than what he had back home, only comparable to how things were before his mother passed away.
Back then, the faces of his favorite cartoon characters smiled at him from the posters on his room’s walls.
There were many children’s books with funny illustrations on the bookcase, and toys were neatly arranged on the shelves.
Galen squeezed his eyes shut, trying to push the happy memories from his mind or at least hide them in its farthest corner.
The more he thought about the happy past—when the only person who cared about him was still alive—the sadder he felt about his life now, which was gloomy and devoid of any sign of affection.
Galen’s large, well-lit room was given to his cousin Leonard, along with his toy cars, trucks, tools, and the Lego sets he loved so much.
Most of the stuffed animals went to his other cousin, Charity, and the rest were donated to “Christian children in need,” his aunt told him when he asked.
Those born of sin, like him, deserved no privileges, she explained in a bitter, venomous voice.
Getting out of bed, Galen let out a long, heavy sigh.
As hopeless and joyless as it was, his life in the small, dark basement room of the house that once belonged to his mother was all he knew.
The people living there made it clear in every possible way that they didn’t love him at all, but at least they were honest.
Unlike Mister Dad of the Year, who didn’t care about my existence for thirteen years, four months, and three days, and now he's pretending to care, Galen thought bitterly. He doesn’t even know what I need for school or what size my clothes and shoes are, yet he keeps bragging about buying me everything I need.
Well, let’s see who tells that moron all these things, because I surely won’t.
With this thought in mind, Galen decided to get out of bed and explore the room, then continue with a tour of the house, which looked imposing from the outside.
The boy was sure it had many rooms. He was already buzzing with excitement and anticipation, thinking about the secrets waiting to be discovered.
A strange noise from outside made Galen freeze, his feet dangling over the edge of the bed, close to the floor but not touching it.
The boy listened carefully and soon distinguished another sound, a faint growl.
The first noise he heard, like claws scratching against a board, grew louder and more insistent, paralyzing the teen.
There’s a wild animal outside trying to get to me, Galen thought, shivers running down his spine. The horrible man kept it in a cage and mistreated it. Now it escaped, ate him, and I’m next. Hopefully, it’s not so hungry anymore that it will leave or fall asleep soon.
To Galen’s surprise, the growl softened into a whine, making him wonder if whatever animal was on the other side of the door was hurt and asking for help.
Summoning all the courage he had, the kid got out of bed, went to the door, cracked it open, peeked outside, and the sight before him made him gasp.
A very large cat with black, long fur, pointed ears, a bushy tail, and a mane that gave it a lion-like appearance stood in the doorway, as if trying to get inside. When Galen saw it, the cat began to purr loudly and moved closer to him, rubbing its sides and head against his legs.
A few feet behind it, another smaller, completely white cat was putting down the little kitten it had been carrying in its mouth and started licking the small gray ball of fur, letting out some chirping sounds from time to time.
After a while, the white cat stopped, picked up the kitten by the scruff, and headed toward the big black one.
“Hey, Snow White, girl, here you are!” A young man appeared in the corridor, speaking in a soft, almost sing-song voice. “And here’s the little rascal Basile and I were looking for all over downstairs.”
Galen cleared his throat. “Um… hi,” he shyly waved to the young man. “Is the black one yours, too? It’s not that I don’t like it or anything, but it’s the biggest cat I’ve ever seen.”
“Hello there, and sorry I didn’t notice you earlier.
My name’s Ivy, in case you were wondering.
” The warm smile and friendly voice made the kid relax instantly.
“The big black boy over there, who tries so hard to get your attention, is Sansone, Poisoned Ivy’s cat, and the delicate cat momma here is Snow White.
Together with their four still unnamed kitties, they are the resident felines. ”
“I’m Galen Wade.” The boy extended a hand, then frowned. “Aren’t you the one from earlier who came to check on the horrible, lying man when the social worker brought me? Anyway, nice to meet you.”
Ivy laughed, and it sounded like a little crystal bell. “No, that’s Ives. I was… busy with something else. And no, Ottavio is a caring man, even a sweet one, unless he’s been betrayed or lied to, or if people mistreat those who, for one reason or another, are important to him.”
“Whatever you say.” Galen shrugged, then crouched and started petting Sansone, who gave him a slightly disappointed look. “I know, and I’m sorry,” the kid said, smiling apologetically. “I ignored someone sweet and cute like you and wasted my time talking about that… mean man.”
“Actually, that look was for calling Ottavio names.” Ivy’s voice was completely different from the playful one he used when introducing himself and the family of cats.
“You know, these small felines know more about people than most psychologists and psychiatrists ever will. They don’t trust someone who is bad, and I want to tell you that Ottavio is Sansone’s favorite human, second only to Poisoned Ivy. ”
“Cats can be wrong sometimes, too, right?” Galen kept petting Sansone, who turned around and bumped his head against him. “See? He agrees with me,” he said proudly.
“Or he wants you to follow him downstairs to meet his other three kitties,” Ivy grinned. “Or, if you’d rather get to know the babies first… Basile is also downstairs, and he can’t wait to meet you.”
“More kitties, yay!” Galen stood up and pumped his fist in the air, causing the young man to smile. “What babies? Who is Basile? And where is he now?” The questions came rapidly, flowing like a flood, with the kid showing no effort to hide his curiosity.
“The babies are mine and my husband’s,” Ivy answered, a delicate shade of pink coloring his cheeks.
“They’re four-month-old triplets, two boys and a girl, the cutest in the world,” the man continued with a tender smile.
“Basile… well, he’s many things: a great doctor, a very talented cook, the most loyal, devoted bodyguard, and an occasional babysitter.
To answer your last question, it depends: if the babies are awake, he’s watching them; if they’re asleep, he’s in the kitchen cooking something delicious or baking pastries. ”
“Whoa!” Galen exclaimed, gasping in awe as he headed for the staircase. “Now you’ve made me curious.” The boy began to descend the stairs, then stopped and looked at the young man, who, with a kitten in his arms, was right behind him. “The…master of the house…is he downstairs, too?”
“Yes, Ottavio is in his office,” Ivy answered cautiously.
“He has to handle some very important issues and is probably on the phone with his cousin Baldassare, who gives him legal advice on... things, or with Elyan, his husband, who is a computer expert. That’s the code name for a hacker around here,” he winked.
“Yeah, sure, work,” Galen drawled, his voice tinged with bitterness. “You know, Mom worked a lot, both at the office and from home, but she still made time for me. He already showed he couldn’t care less about me by breaking the promise he made when the social worker was here.”
“If you’re talking about buying your clothes and everything you need for school, I was the one who convinced Ottavio to change his mind,” Ivy replied hesitantly.
“While you hate him for what he did or didn’t do and wouldn’t work with him, you don’t have anything against me, so the two of us will order everything tomorrow.
My friends Hugo and Cosimo will come over, too; they’re the ultimate shopping experts. ”
“You’re right. I had planned not to help him with the sizes or the list of what I need for school,” Galen grinned sheepishly.
“I think I’ll enjoy doing it with you and your friends much more than with…
Ottavio.” There was a hint of resentment in the boy’s voice when he mentioned his father’s name.
“Whoa, this place is huge,” he exclaimed once he reached the bottom of the stairs. “Where to now?”
“This way,” Ivy gently guided the boy into the living room. “Look, they’re awake!” A happy smile lit his face as he pointed to the babies, who were watching Basile’s fingers draw lines in the air. “Hello, cutie pies. Look who’s here to meet you. Say hi to your older brother.”
“Hi, babies,” Galen waved both his hands at the little ones, to their great delight.
“Ivy was right. You are the sweetest and cutest in the whole universe,” the kid cooed.
“And the liveliest,” he added, watching with amusement as the baby girl and one of her brothers extended their little hands, trying to catch the shadows his fingers cast over the foldable, portable cribs.
“Oh, here are your little furry friends,” Ivy said, shaking his head at the sight of the three tiny kittens sleeping on the thick carpet next to the baby girl’s crib. “Your mom and dad turned the house upside down looking for you rascals.”
“With all due respect, Signor Ivy, the fourth kitty was sleeping here, too, but Snow White wanted to show her off to Signorino Galen, so she took her upstairs,” Basile interjected respectfully. He stood, hand extended. “Basile Antonucci, at your service, Signorino.”
“Um… what does this word mean?” Galen frowned in confusion. “The last one, Sig… is that a nickname or something? Bob used to call me a bag of bones.”
“By San Gennaro’s blood, I could never do that! How could I disrespect the son and heir of Don Ottavio Sforza? Signorino means young master in Italian; it’s an honorific for the firstborn of the family.”
Galen nodded without replying; instead, he entertained the babies by making funny faces and waving different stuffed animals at them to get their attention. When one of the little ones showed interest in a toy or another baby, he brought it closer so the baby could grab it.
Back when his aunt and uncle announced the arrival of a new family member, Galen was genuinely happy, though he didn’t show it.
Unlike his cousins, who already scrunched their noses in disgust at the thought of taking care of the baby, changing their diaper, or even spending time with them, he couldn’t wait to do all these things.
As he played with the babies, Galen couldn’t stop thinking about Ottavio, who claimed he’d been so busy over the last thirteen years that he couldn’t spare five minutes to call his mom and ask how he was doing, yet still found time to fall in love, get married, and adopt a set of baby triplets.
Do you want to make up for back then? Guess what?
I’m not going to make it easy for you, liar.