"I'm tired. Help me to bed."
Rosa stared at me in disbelief. "Ma'am, aren't you going to wait for the Don? He promised he'd make it back in time to take you to the orchard. The cherry blossoms along the old road."
I shook my head and began undressing without another word.
Ermanno wasn't coming back.
The next morning, the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Ermanno kneeling at the side of the bed, his face heavy with guilt.
"Gioia, I'm sorry. I lost track of time yesterday. I broke my promise..."
I stared at him for a long time, unblinking.
Who would have believed it? The Don who cut through Commission politics without flinching, who ordered men's fates decided with a nod, on his knees before me over a broken date.
A husband like that. Anyone would find it impossible to stay angry.
When I said nothing, he grabbed my hand and pressed it against his own body, urging me to hit him.
"If you're upset, take it out on me. Hit me until you feel better, all right?"
I shook my head, my voice flat. "I'm not upset. I just think it's a shame. The cherry blossoms in full bloom. I never got to see them."