Mostri tra le tenebre

Flavia whined softly and slipped from her bed, Marcello sound asleep.

Her younger brother was afraid of spiders, whereas though she was afraid of the dark.

It was such a ridiculous fear to have, but once her mother blew out the candle, she didn't have the heart to ask her to re-light it for the night so she could scare away the shadows that hovered near her bed.

With silent footsteps and quick jumps over the creaky floor boards, Flavia made it to her mother and father's room, only to find the door open a crack already.

No sound came from within, so the tiny six year old pushed the door open a little wider and slipped inside, this time moving slowly so as not to wake her parents.

When she made it to the bed, she held her father's hand and slowly, carefully moved her thumb over the warm skin, waking him gently.

She had tried to awaken him in a normal manner, by shaking his shoulder, but he had bolted up right with wild eyes that went on guard and his left hand trying to activate something that wasn't there.

She never asked what he had been trying to use after that, nor woke him that way again.

"Mmm... Flavia? Piccola, why are you up so late?" He whispered, rolling onto his left side to look at his daughter.

When he caught her frightened expression in the light from the full moon, he sat up and lifted her into his lap, allowing her to bury her face in his chest.

She mumbled into his shirt, words undefinable, indecipherable, hard to understand because of how soft they were.

"Bambina, I can not understand a word you speak." When her face was revealed to him, she spoke, trying not to wake her mother.

"Babbo, I am scared of the ombra in my room. I did not wish to ask mamma to leave the candle a light to frighten them away!" She placed both hands on her father's fuzzy cheeks and helped him lower his head closer so she could whisper softer. "I think there are mostri hiding in them."

Ezio smiled gently and started to play with her hair, braiding the strands the way he only knew and that she loved, daughter relaxing against him now, eyes half shut. "Shh... Do not fear them, piccola. Babbo will help scare the mostri away."

"Prometti?"

"Promesso, piccola."

Ezio loved seeing his children smile, Flavia especially. It reminded him of when he and Sofia where young, beginning to court.

"Come, let us frighten away the mostri away so you may sleep tonight."

Flavia nodded, silent now as Ezio lowered her to the floor and he rose off the bed, Sofia rolling into the warm spot left behind, awake and smiling unbeknownst to child and parent.

She allowed them to head out of the bedroom, knowing that even though it was late, the villa was safe from harm.

Ezio and Flavia slowly made their way outside with the help of a single candle, careful not to let the wick near the garden when they arrived, elder setting the wax light on a barrel next to the plot dedicated to Sofia's small gardening hobby.

"Piccola, mamma taught you which one was menta, sì?"

"Sì, babbo!"

"Molto bene! Let us pick some to scare away those monsters, okay?"

"Okay!"

Together, they went to work, Ezio collecting four leaves as Flavia had, careful to gather the freshest leaves near the top and middle of the stem.

"Time to go inside, Flavia."

She yawned, trying to hide it with her hand and scrubbed at her eyes, Ezio lifting her into his arms, stooping a bit to blow out the candle they had used to get outdoors, and taking the small amount of leaves from her.

"Babbo, I am tired..."

The scruffy faced and white haired Ezio nodded. "I know, bambina. I will tuck you into bed again, okay?"

"Mmkay..." The little girl mumbled, half asleep in his arms already as they walked back inside the house.

When he reached the children's room, Ezio gently settled Flavia into bed and placed a leaf of mint under her pillow, followed by two under the bed, one on the window ledge to bathe in the moonlight, and the other four in each corner of the room.

When he was finished with his work, Ezio sat on the edge of his eldest child's bed and kissed her forehead, carefully removing the braids in her hair so he wouldn't wake her. "Buona notte, mio piccolo fiore. Papà ti ama, Flavia."

He rose carefully so he wouldn't wake the six year old and stepped out of the room, returning to his own bed and the awake Sofia.

"Mia cara... Why are you up so late?" He asked, frowning as he slipped back into bed with his wife.

"I had heard our little fiore complain of monsters in the shadows, Ezio. I wish Flavia had asked me to keep the candle lit for her..."

The elder gave her a gentle look and wrapped her in a warm embrace, kissing her head. "Sofia, amore mio, my love... Do not worry yourself over this. Flavia is resting peacefully now, and I helped frighten away all the mostri in the children's room."

Snuggling closer to her husband, Sofia laid a kiss upon his neck, smiling against his skin. "Grazie, Ezio. It is good to know Flavia will be able to sleep soundly tonight."

"Sì, mia cara. Now, perhaps we should sleep as well? Certainly, there are things that must be done for the rising day?"

Sofia chuckled softly and kissed his nose this time, laying down herself and letting Ezio join her so they could cuddle and spoon as they slept. "Did you two take some of the menta I had grown this time?"

With a sheepish smile, Ezio nodded. "Flavia loves the smell, Sofia. She was nearly asleep on her feet when we gathered some up."

The now lighter haired woman nodded. "Perhaps I should help her start a small plot of mint for nights like these? Do you think she would enjoy it, mio caro?"

Her husband hummed softly in thought. "I think she would. She and I would not have to attack your poor impianto di menta any more."

"Bene, Ezio. Now, it is time for us to sleep. You promised to come help find fresh flowers for the dining table."

"Sì, mia cara." He murmured, finally giving Sofia her own kiss in return for all of hers.

Snuggled close to Ezio, safe in his embrace and knowing both their children were resting peacefully as well, Sofia drifted off into sleep with Ezio following after her.