Anna was happy again. This surprised her, as she had thought it impossible. Allister was now sitting down and spending even more time with her. He talked to her about things she didn't understand, but liked to hear anyway, and didn't ask her to leave when she had problems to solve, as he did when she was healthy. His son appeared three times. The look in his eyes was still cold, but there was no longer as much anger in them. His wife also came to visit him. More often than his son.
"You need to renew your closet, Anna. I've already decorated all your clothes." All's wife said one afternoon, after sitting down with a magazine in her hands, as she always did, and reading as if she wasn't in the room.
She ignored Anna's presence so naturally that Anna came to believe that she herself was some invisible friend of All's, so surprised was she by his wife's words that it took her a while to realize that it was her she was talking to.
"Excuse me?" That was all she could think to say, and she saw the woman lower the magazine and stare at her with her light brown eyes, as intense as her son's blue eyes, but they were lighter.
"If you want, I can help you with that. There's a store in the building opposite." Suzy saw Anna look frightened at Allister and amended, putting the magazine aside. "I'm not going to hurt you, young lady. Believe me, I have much better ideas than killing a girl who lies with my husband, taking her shopping. If I wanted revenge, I wouldn't use subtlety."
All touched Anna's face gently and smiled reassuringly.
"Suzy is arrogant, but if she says she won't hurt you, she won't."
"Thank you!" Suzy thanked her ironically and drew a laugh from Allister.
Anna felt sad. She realized that All loved his wife. They were much more than he always made them out to be. They shared a companionship and complicity that only existed between very close and similar people.
"I'll go, then. But it's good to let Mr. Lens know that my hesitation wasn't out of fear of what you might do to me, I think, perhaps, it was even kind of you, but I was just startled by your sudden decision to realize that I'm not just another piece of furniture in this room. "
Allister's wife smiled at Anna's boldness and thought of her courage. Courage that she had only ever found in a woman. She remained silent.
"Should I change?" Anna asked decisively.
"No, miss. You've got nothing better than what you're wearing." She said, looking disgustedly at the baggy blue shirt and short shorts Anna was wearing.
Suzy stood up and Anna followed her, but as soon as the security guard saw Anna, he stopped her and Suzy continued walking, oblivious, and it took her a few steps to realize that Anna was no longer behind her and turned around.
"What's your problem?" She asked the man, who although tall, wasn't as tall as the one who had hit Anna.
"She can't leave, Mrs. Lens."
"With me, she can."
"It's the boss's orders."
"Well, he authorized it!" Suzy was getting impatient.
"The other boss, Mrs. Lens."
"I'm his mother!"
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Lens... He left orders for us not to take orders from anyone other than him."
"The boss is his father, and he's not dead yet!" She shouted and turned towards the office door. "Where is he?"
"He went to lunch with a partner."
She glanced at the watch on her wrist, then turned her eyes back to Anna.
"Stay with All until I sort this out."
Anna didn't have to listen twice, and ran back into the bedroom.
"What's wrong?" All asked with a smile breaking out, which he struggled to hold back.
"One of those men in a black suit stopped me from leaving."
"E... What did Suzy say?"
"That I'd sort it out. She wasn't very happy. I guess that means you no longer have a say among them..."
"That's to be expected. Adam has been running this place like I never thought possible. He's going to take over the world." There was pride in All's voice.
"Is that the name of the dangerous twelve-year-old mafia boss?"
Allister laughed and put her finger to her lips, indicating that she should keep her voice down.
"He's not twelve!" He whispered with amusement.
Anna put her hand to her chest theatrically.
"Oh! Who would have thought it?"
"He's strong and dangerous, Anna." Suddenly Allister's voice was apprehensive.
"He won't have anyone able to stop him. Aren't you afraid of that?"
All lay back on his pillows and closed his eyes.
"I've arranged for him to have something more to think about than running a million-dollar empire with men in black suits, and I have an intuition that my plans go beyond what I can imagine. He's going to be stopped by something he's never imagined in his life."
"What?"
"For love."
"Really? Did you get him a mirror?"
All laughed.
"You're a very special person."
"Not as much as your wife, she's... Better than I imagined, and that makes me feel worse."
"How did you imagine my wife?"
"Ah! I don't know, but I'd rather she was a shrew... And ugly. If she wasn't beautiful, it would be easier..."
"I think so too..." All laughed.
"Why did you abandon her? What made you believe that life with her wasn't enough anymore? Because I know you love her."
"Yes... It wasn't supposed to be like this, things got out of hand when..." All was interrupted by excited voices in the hallway, very close to the bedroom door.
Anna realized that he didn't hear it first, he seemed to sense that something was happening. It was something very subtle, very quick, small seconds, but Anna could tell. All stopped talking just before the sound of altered voices reached them.