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“They refused? Why?”
Signora Rizzo shrugged and bobbed her head from side to side as if contemplating how much she should say. Giving in, she answered, “I called the bank to see if I could smooth things over, but they said that she’s lived here for too short a time and that she’s only been employed for two weeks. On top of that, the bank understands that her employment only continues for as long as your work continues. They consider her too much of a risk. In addition to that, buying your place was going to be a financial stretch for her anyway.” Signora Rizzo squared her shoulders. “So, Signora Romano, would you like to buy the apartment? It has been your home for over ten years, after all.”
“No, no… It has been my home base, not my home. It is simply the place that I come back to. It is not the place I live. I live wherever the work takes me, and the wo
rk seldom takes me here. I am due in Dubai right now.”
“And yet, you’ve continued to hold on to this apartment for ten years…”
“But it was always temporary. It’s a rental, nothing more,” Gianpierre said, throwing down his hands in emphasis. “I have too many opportunities pulling me away to other countries. I cannot be tied down to Sicily right now. It’s not time yet.”
“Se, Signore. Se,” Signora Rizzo said in acceptance of his words.
Gianpierre’s voice and stance softened. “What will become of Luciana and the little girl? Did Luciana get approved for enough to find another place she will like?”
Signora Rizzo pursed her lips and shook her head. Tsking, she said, “No, Signore. The bank would not approve her for any loan. She is too new, and her work history here is too short.” She shook her head some more. “It is so sad. The little girl has terrible nightmares, and Luciana sometimes finds her searching the house in the middle of the night. When she asks the little girl what she is looking for, the little girl tells her she saw her Matri in her dreams and she’s looking for her. It’s why Luciana wants to find them a new home. She’s hoping it will help the little girl recover from watching her mother die.”
“She saw her Matri die?” Gianpierre’s mind reeled. He imagined himself experiencing something so tragic when he had been her age, but it was unfathomable.
“Se, se. Little Natalia was in the car with her when they were hit by a huge truck. It twisted the car and then…” She tsked some more as she stared out into the heavy rain.
“How long was she in the car with her after her Matri died?” He didn’t want to know the answer, but his mind demanded the terrible truth.
Signora Rizzo lifted her haunted eyes to meet his. “An hour, maybe. She was trapped. They had to cut the car open. It took time for the equipment to reach them.”
Gianpierre put his face in his hand and leaned back against the pillar. His problems were becoming smaller and smaller in comparison to the rest of the world’s, but this was one problem that he could do something about.
Dropping his hand, he said, “And you have already told Luciana that she has been denied a loan by the bank?”
“Se, Signore.”
“Call on her tonight and tell her that you’ve gotten word from the bank that there was a mistake and that they will be approving her loan. Tell her it is enough to cover the purchase of my home—my apartment,” he corrected, unwilling to refer to a place where he lived at most two months a year as his home.
“Signore?”
“I will call the bank tomorrow and will tell them that I will back the loan, but Luciana is not to know that.”
Signora Rizzo smiled brightly and gave Gianpierre an approving pat on the arm. “Se, Signore!”
5
Luciana
“Se, Signore. I’ll hold,” Luciana said with her cell phone pressed to her ear. She nudged her sunglasses up her nose. She didn’t need them on such an overcast day, but she’d spent the last hour fighting tears. Signora Rizzo had visited her at home last night to tell her that the bank had approved the loan after all, but when Luciana had called the bank as soon as it had opened this morning to confirm that it was true, the bank had told her no. She was still denied the loan—any loan. Now she was back to square one of trying to figure out how to provide Natalia with a home that she could find happiness in.
“Signorina Vivaldi, I am sorry to make you wait. I am Signore Glordano, the bank presidenti,” said the reassuring, patient voice of what sounded like an older gentleman.
Luciana tried to hide a sniffle. “It’s no problem, Signore.” She couldn’t imagine what else they had to tell her. How many times did she need to be told that they didn’t deem her a good financial risk?
“There has been a mistake.”
“It’s okay. They’ve already told me that I don’t qualify for a loan.”
“But that is the mistake. You have been approved for the original loan amount that you requested.”
“What?” Luciana couldn’t believe her ears.
“My sincerest apologies, Signorina. There was a mistake, but your line of credit has now been approved.”
