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Sansone waits for us on the path to the home’s entrance. As we near, he lifts his arm and points to a side road. I take it, rounding the side of the house to find a guard directing me to pull into a detached garage rivaling the size of the house. Inside, someone else points me toward a car lift. By the time I park, I’m on the third level of a building filled with custom and rare collectible cars. My little Lexus pails compared to all the luxury vehicles in the stalls.
“Ms. Chase, this way.” The man from outside steers me toward the main residence. “We’ll carry your bags inside.”
From this angle, a greenhouse peeps out from the distance. There are more structures on this property than I can see at this angle, but I’m not pressed. I’ll likely visit the pool house before the fitness center, but that can also be wishful thinking.
Inside the house, we press on, passing rooms that haven’t seen fun, probably since Sansone bought the place. Jinx hugs her stuffed animal tighter. Ever since driving onto the property, she’s clung to the toy. I hope she’ll soon feel comfortable enough she won’t have to rely on it for all her emotional support.
Sansone meets us at the entrance of a lounge. A sunken floor dominates the space. Soft pillows and chairs beckon the silly side of me I never let free. Is the room as bouncy as it appears?
I step forward at the same time Sansone heads to Jinx.
“Some ground rules, Mr. DeLuca. One, you don’t initiate physical contact with Jinx. If she becomes comfortable with you, she will allow you to touch her.”
The momentum carrying Sansone fizzles out so fast he nearly stumbles over Jinx. “How will I know when she’s ready?” He steps away, giving his daughter a wide berth.
“She’ll make the first move by touching you somewhere innocent. And before you ask me why I don’t make her touch you, you need to gain her trust. First, show her why you’re worthy. Respect her boundaries, and maybe she’ll begin to trust you.”
“Anything else I should know?” He crouches before Jinx who hugs her stuffed bear close.
Ever since Mr. Murphy dropped it off, she refuses to be without the toy.
“Plenty. I’ll give you a rundown after Jinx’s bedtime. Speaking of which…” I glance around the lounge, which opens to another wing of the house. “Where will she sleep tonight? I’d like to make sure she’ll be comfortable when the time comes.”
“Want to see your room?” he asks Jinx.
She peeks at me before responding to Sansone with a nod. When he rises, she sidles beside me and takes my hand. His lips flatten, but he says nothing to draw attention to the small maneuver.
Sansone leads us to the third floor where three closed doors greet us. Unlike the first two floors, there is no wing branching out to the sides, offering additional living spaces.
“This is your room.” He opens the door and Jinx and I freeze in place.
Inside is a wonderland of everything a little girl could wish for. In one corner, life-size plushies sit waiting for Jinx to jump in and surround herself with their softness. Another corner houses a tiny library and rocking chair. The most prominent feature, dominating an entire wall is the princess castle bed. It’s something that will last well into Jinx’s teens. Along the bedsides are curving staircases leading to a second level filled with whimsical turrets and a tea set. From the balcony, sheer drapes hang above the bed.
I glance at Sansone who hasn’t moved since opening the door. Not even the typical rise and fall of his chest to show he’s breathing. Yet his keen stare picks up everything. Unfortunately, Jinx isn’t the type to outwardly react. She has yet to move from my side or enter the room.
“Let’s check it out,” I offer, leading her inside.
When she drops my hand to walk to the balcony on her bed, Sansone follows us inside. His movements are nothing like the lithe, graceful way he walks in the world. He’s stiff… dare I say, nervous?
No, I must be overthinking his reaction to Jinx being in his home, in a room that shows his thoughtfulness and consideration for a child he doesn’t know. It would be easy for me to dismiss the room as something he had a professionaldesign. Even so, the detailed fairy tale theme couldn’t happen without his making his wishes clear to the designer.
While Jinx quietly explores the room, introducing her stuffed bear to the other toys, I come to realize how far thinking Sansone is. Whereas a lot of children outgrow their bedroom furniture, everything he’s chosen will last, some into her college years.
I blink back tears, surprised by the sudden slam of emotion. Part of it stems from knowing as long as Jinx lives with Sansone, the people who are after me, won’t get to her. Not once Sansone proves he can parent for the long term. I curl my fingers into my palm, squeezing until my nails sink into the soft flesh. I need the bite of pain as a reminder that I can’t celebrate too soon.
Sansone hasn’t faced the challenges of single parenting, and I won’t abandon Jinx to uncertainty. She’s lived with it long enough under her mother’s roof. Neither will I actively undermine Sansone. I want this relationship between father and daughter to work, even if my heart twinges at the prospect of not watching her grow up and heal from her trauma.
“My staff should have already put away Jinx’s things,” Sansone says, coming to a stop beside me.
She heads to the closet where her clothes join the new wardrobe hanging on the rods and the items folded in the drawers.
“You did well.” I praise him while not facing him.
Not that he could read my face or the emotions eddying inside my body. Thank God for my shades, they are effective in blocking highly perceptive people from reading me. And at this moment, having Sansone gain insight into my thoughts or emotions would be detrimental to my task.
After Jinx’s room, Sansone shows us one wing of the house. There are more rooms than a single man needs, but for some people with money, they’ll spend it because they have it.Although my other life rakes in lucrative rewards, I don’t flaunt my wealth, preferring my modest living.
Sansone ends the tour in the formal dining room. “I was going to suggest eating here, but it feels stuffy and cold.”
