Sometimes, if I haven't written in a while, my style of writing gets a little off... Sorry!

The first day that he was under the care of Ida Spavento as an adopted child, Bo had insisted for him, his brother, Prosper, and their friend, Hornet, to sleep in the spare room in the attic upstairs. They had been sleeping there ever since.

"It's the most magnificent room in her whole entire house," Bo declared.

It was old, but magnificent indeed in its plainness. It wasn't the room itself that had captured Bo's attention. It was the bella luna. He could see her from the dirty, dusty windows, bright as anything. Sometimes he said she looked like a yellow, creamy custard. Other times she looked like a bright, and pearly white.

He had placed his mattress underneath her, gazing up at her until he fell asleep.

One night, Bo could not see the bella luna.

He only saw a sky thick with clouds. No stars, no bella luna.

Instead of watching the moon, he watched the snowflakes flutter down instead. He tried to count them. One, two, three. Hopeless. There were simply too many.

He closed his eyes. His mind was too busy and his body was too full with energy. He didn't think Prosper and Hornet were sleeping either; he couldn't hear their sleepy breathing.

"Prop?" he whispered loudly.

"What, Bo?" Prop muttered.

"What do you think Scipio is doing now?"

"Dunno. What do you want with him anyway?"

"What are you two talking about?" Hornet hissed from her mattress. "I'm trying to sleep!"

"Sorry!" Bo whispered loudly again. "We're just talking about Scipio."

"Scipio? What for? We haven't seen him in ages," said Hornet as she got out of her bed.

"I miss him," said Bo sadly as Hornet crept across the room and snuggled in with him under the blankets.

"Oh, Bo," said Hornet. "He has grown-up things to do. Nothing interesting."

"I think he's lonely," said Bo. "He doesn't have anyone to play with."

"No one to play with! He's an grown-up! Grown-ups don't play, silly," said Hornet as she tapped his nose affectionately. "And besides, he's a detective. It's one big game, being a detective."

Prosper said nothing as he stared at the two lumps in the bed across from him in the dark.

"I miss him, though," said Hornet, "even if he was an arrogant ninny at times. Don't you, Prosper?"

Prosper did. Scipio was his first, real friend. "Yes. I do."

"We haven't gotten to visit him forever!" cried Bo. "School stinks." He pouted.

"Let's go visit him and Victor," said Hornet as she nuzzled Bo. "It'll be a surprise. Tomorrow's Saturday, anyway."

"Yes, let's go!" Bo agreed. "Prop, you'll come, too?"

"Of course."

Lucia packed lunches into their knapsacks and the three children set off to visit Victor and Scipio.

Ida waved from her window and called out, "Arrivederci! Be back before dinner!"

"We will!" Bo yelled back.

They crossed the canal to the Piazza San Marco to buy sweets from the pasticceria with the pocket money that they had.

When they arrived at Victor and Scipio's office, they used the enormous brass knocker to hammer the door a few times.

It was Victor who answered the door. "My, what a pleasant surprise."

"Hi, Victor!" said Bo as he tackled him with a big hug.

"Oof," said Victor. "Well, then. You three best come inside now. It's quite chilly today." He looked up at the white-marble sky.

"We brought you and Scipio something to eat," said Hornet as she handed him the fancy box of sweets and walked into his office.

"Where's Scipio?" asked Prosper as he peered around their flat. Bo and Hornet flopped onto Scipio's couch.

Victor let out a big woosh of breath. "He's gone."

"Gone?" Hornet asked with worry. "Gone where?"

"He went to the Isola Segreta."

"What? When?" Hornet demanded. She stood up.

"He left two nights ago."

"Why would he ever go back there?" asked Prosper.

"He didn't say. The only thing he did say was that he needed to get some things done and a break from the detective work," said Victor as he pulled out a pastry from the box. "But don't worry. I made sure he took food, warm clothes and money."

"What's this Isola Segreta?" Bo asked.

"Hush, Bo! Not now," said Prosper.

"And you just let him go?" Hornet asked. "Why would you do that?"

"Look, it's hard to remember that Scipio's mind is like a child's when he looks so much like his father," Victor protested. "But I know why he went."

"Why?" Hornet asked exasperated.

"Because he doesn't want to be a grown-up anymore," said Prosper flatly.

"Prosper knows what he's talking about," Victor nodded approvingly. "I noticed lately Scipio seemed a bit down. Being an adult isn't what he thought it would be. And if your story about the merry-go-round of the Merciful Sisters was the reason why he's so old now, I bet you my tortoises that he went back to go fix it."

"I don't understand," Bo complained. He knew some sort of magic was involved with Scipio's transformation, but didn't know any of the details of Prosper and Scipio's trip to the Isola Segreta.

Prosper explained that the merry-go-round was on the Isola Segreta and how Scipio had ridden it to become a grown-up.

Bo sat in awe. "Let's help him! I don't like Scip as a grown-up, anyway."

"No," Prosper said firmly. "Absolutely not. Only trouble happens on that island. Plus, it gives me the creeps."

Hornet shook Prosper's arm. "We should check on Scipio to see if he's okay. I don't care if he looks like a grown-up, he's still just like one of us."

Hornet could talk him into anything. "Alright," Prosper sighed. "But we'll just have a look, and we'll get back before it gets dark, okay? And Bo, you're staying with Victor until we get back."

"No!" Bo protested. "I'm already eight! Why can't you let me have some fun for once, Prop?"

"The Isola Segreta is not a fun place. And it's not very safe for eight-year-olds," replied Prosper hastily. "Maybe next time." He tried to ruffle Bo's hair, but Bo ducked and turned away from his brother. He crossed his arms and pouted.

Prosper frowned and beckoned to Hornet. "Come on, let's go," he said quietly. "You'll take care of him, won't you, Victor?"

"Why of course. I'll take him out to ice cream or something. Wouldn't that be fun, Bo?" asked Victor as he sipped his coffee.

Bo glared at Victor.

"Come on," Hornet tugged at Prosper's arm. Prosper glanced at Bo, but then followed Hornet in search for their friend.