64
The bathroom in the motel room was cramped, and Julia settled down on the tile floor next to the bathtub, giving Leni a bath.
It was late for one, but Leni’s schedule was messed up, and bathtime was a time they relaxed and talked about the day, so Julia thought it was a good time to try and find out whether Leni had inherited any of her psychic abilities.
Julia trailed her hand in the bathwater. “Nice and warm, right?”
Leni nodded, playing with a pine-scented soap in sudsy water. Her dark wet hair dripped onto her slick little shoulders.
“Let me ask you something, honey. When I was away, Nonna said you were worried about me.”
Leni nodded, holding the soap.
“Was there something you were worried about?”
“No.”
Julia sensed Leni was telling the truth, not being evasive. “Well, you don’t have to worry anymore. Everything is okay.”
Leni looked down, examining the soap.
“I also wanted to talk to you about that time on the phone, the last time we talked on the phone, do you remember?” Julia would never forget that phone call at McKenna’s farm, with Leni screaming, terrified for her. “You were with Nonna, and you called me? Remember?”
Leni nodded, then looked up, her dark-eyed gaze direct.
“Why did you tell Nonna you were worried about me, that time?”
“I was scary.”
Julia knew scary meant scared. “Why were you scared?”
“I don’t know.” Leni rubbed the soap with her palm.
“And what happened?”
“I told Nonna.”
“And that’s when she called me?”
“Yes.”
Julia wanted to try it another way, because she knew she got different answers sometimes, depending on the question. “So you called me because you were worried about me. Why were you worried?”
“Wild Child.”
Julia masked her concern. “Who’s Wild Child?”
“She’s my friend. She said in my ear.”
“She told you in your ear?”
“Yes, that’s her house.”
Julia thought it jibed with her theory that Wild Child was what Leni called the voice she heard, but it didn’t necessarily mean that Leni had any psychic abilities. “Leni, you know what, sometimes I hear something I don’t understand, or I feel like I know things, but I don’t know why.”
“You do?” Leni looked up, letting the soap float away, and Julia could see that her daughter was listening with her usual calm.
It charmed Julia that she could tell her anything, even something an adult would find outlandish, but Leni would receive the information without judgment.
It was probably an example of how children could be na?ve and trusting, but Julia thought it showed they could be wiser than adults.
“Yes, I do get those feelings, and sometimes that makes me feel scared, too. So what I want to say is if you think Wild Child tells you something you don’t understand, or if you’re scared, or if you think you know something, just tell me.”
“Okay.”
“And you should believe yourself.”
Leni blinked, eyeing her. “Can we get more pizza?”
“Of course.” Julia smiled.
“Well, is she psychic?” Gianluca asked, after Leni was asleep in the other bed. He was stretched out on their bed with his phone, back from his run in a T-shirt and gym shorts. A skinny black headband held his hair off his face, which was a European man thing that Julia found sexy.
“I couldn’t tell.”
“Right. Because she’s three.”
“We’ll just have to see how it goes.” Julia flopped onto the bed beside him, and Gianluca set down his phone, shifted toward her, and kissed her on the forehead.
“Do you wish she was?”
“I don’t know. Do you?”
Gianluca hesitated, then smiled. “I think we already have enough drama for one family, don’t you?”
Julia laughed, then gave him a kiss.