I don't ask for details. I don't want to know what Bruno does in warehouses in the middle of the night.
I wrap my hands around the coffee cup. Let the warmth seep into my fingers.
"Tell me again," I say. "About what happened to him."
Giulia sighs. She's told me this story twice already. But she doesn't refuse.
"He was supposed to marry a woman named Lucrezia Feretti. An arrangement between families. Bruno didn't want it. Agreed to the marriage because it was expected. Because he was asked to."
I think about my own arranged marriage. The duty I accepted without question.
Giulia continues. "The Russians hit during the ceremony. Bratva."
"They killed Riccardo."
"Instantly. Bruno was shot too." Giulia's voice stays steady. Matter-of-fact. But her eyes are sad. "He was in a coma for six months. When he woke up, his brother was dead. His legs didn't work. Pietro had taken over as Don. Everything Bruno had for his entire life was gone."
I set down my coffee.
"His siblings tried to help him," I say. "Didn't they?"
"They tried." Giulia shakes her head. "But every time Bruno looked at them, he saw what he'd lost. Every memory they shared reminded him of who he used to be."
"So he pushed them away."
"He pushed everyone away. It was easier than facing what he'd become."
"He's in pain," I say. "Not just physical. Everything hurts. Every moment of every day."
"Yes."
"And no one can help him because everyone who loves him is connected to his old life. To the person he was before."
"Yes."
I turn to face Giulia.
"But I'm not."
"No," she says slowly. "You're not."
"I didn't know him before. I have no memories of Bruno walking. No expectations of who he should be. I only know who he is now."
"That's true."
"So maybe I can help him."
Giulia is quiet for a long moment.
"Maybe," she says finally. "Or maybe he'll destroy you trying to push you away like he's pushed everyone else."
"Maybe."
He's not kind. He's angry and bitter and sometimes cruel. But he's also honest. And underneath all that armor, he's just a man who lost everything and doesn't know how to live with what's left.
Giulia stands. Smooths her skirt.
"I think Bruno Sartori might have finally met someone stubborn enough to save him from himself."