CHAPTER 255
KATYA POV
The car door opened, and the morning sun rushed in all at once. Cool air brushed my skin, scented with flowers and stone and something sweet I couldn't name.
One of the men moved quickly, already unfolding Nonna's wheelchair with quiet efficiency.
She allowed the help without comment, settling into it with the same composed grace she carried everywhere. The moment her hands rested on the armrests, the world seemed to shift.
"NONNA!" The voice was loud. Bright. Bubbling with life. It came from the front of the house, echoing across the courtyard like a burst of sunlight.
I startled slightly, my head snapping up. A girl was running toward us. She couldn't have been much older than me—maybe two years at most—but she carried herself with an easy confidence that made her seem taller, larger somehow.
Her brown hair was pulled back loosely, strands escaping to frame her face as she moved.
