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Phoebe had been leaning back in her chair, trying to co to her But as soon as he got to the end of the last sentence she was on her feet instantly, walking around the table and putting her arms around his neck She didn’t hesitate She sat in his lap and put her forehead against his as the tears welled in her eyes

“Oh, your poor htened she was” She put her hand on Matteo’s chest His shirt was open at the neck and she could feel his warertips “And you, as a little boy, must have been terrified by it all”

He gulped His eyelids were heavy as he lifted his dark eyes to meet hers She didn’t think she’d ever seen such sorrow before “I found her,” he croaked “She was lying on her bed, with a few of the tablets scattered on the floor I just thought she was sleeping and I I was happy, because she’d been so upset before and she looked peaceful The note was lying on the bedside table but I couldn’t read it It wasn’t until I told the housekeeper that she was sleeping, but hadn’t woken up for Brianna, that everything seele tear slid down his cheek “I should have told the”

“No,” she said quickly “You were five You were a child You couldn’t possibly know or understand” She pressed her head against his “Oh, Matteo,” she breathed as she put a hand at either side of his face “And you’ve had this on your shoulders ever since?”

He blinked, with the briefest nod of his head

“Your brother and sister, they don’t know?”

His breathing was a little stuttered “They know my mother committed suicide” He shook his head “They don’t know the circumstances My father was never able to talk about it I found out the real truth much later I tracked down the housekeeper when I was an adult She told me exactly how my mother had been in the few days before She’d ranted to Rosa about wanting to hurt the baby—Brianna She’d told Rosa to take the baby away fro her heart Years on, it’s easier to see what happened But at the time? Any mental health condition was virtually not discussed”

Phoebe wiped the tear aith her finger “What about Brianna? Why are you worried for her?”

He closed his eyes for a second She could feel his whole body tremble “Because it can run in families If someone else in the family has had it” His voice tailed off

Phoebe felt her heart twist in her chest “You have to tell her You have to speak to her You’ve been carrying this for too long Your brother and sister are adults They have a right to knohat really happened”

He shook his head fiercely “I can’t tell her Her pregnancy has been difficult I can’t tell her anything that would put her under stress This babyher blood pressure They’ve already told her theythat would put her blood pressure up and put her, and her baby, at risk”

Phoebe pressed her lips together for a second “How long? How long have you kept this secret? You’re adults, Matteo You, your brother and sister are all adults You should have sat down and discussed this a long tio” She knew it seemed harsh when he’d just bared his soul to her, but she was struggling to get her head around all this Struggling to understand why the rown to care about—the ain—would have let hiet in this position

“It’s fa for family”

Soot it She did More than he knew

She kept her voice steady “Yes Yes, you would I understand—probably better than you know”

His expression changed “What do you mean?”

She licked her lips “Iery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy Part of the reason I took this job was the pay scale We have huge s easier for us I don’t wantthe bills the insurance company won’t She’s spent her life, and particularly the last few years, looking after aze steadily “That’s why I got on the plane”