Gaia did not trust the boy her father had let into their house. Giovanni was a good hearted, wealthy man who was renowned in Rome for his generosity of wealth and service. Too often her father let people into their lives who wanted nothing more than to use him for his money, his talent as a stone mason or his influence within the community. Her father might not have seen it, but the sudden appearance of the young man in combination with his insistence of concealing his face alarmed Gaia.

One morning before her father woke, she decided to break air of Italian hospitality she had been working hard to keep up ever since the boy had arrived. Gaia made a pot of tea and brought it down to the boy, who insisted on staying in the basement rather than in one of her sisters' rooms higher up in the house. Balancing the tray on her hip, she knocked gently in case the boy was asleep. Erik opened the door the slightest crack as if unsure of who was attempting to invade his privacy, a move Gaia found strange considering it was only she and her father in the house.

"I brought tea," she offered, showing him the tray. "I left it black but brought a lemon and milk and sugar, in case you wanted them."

"That was kind of you," Erik remarked, opening the door to let her in. The bed was so neat Gaia wasn't sure it had been slept in at all, and on the desk were metallic parts that made Gaia freeze.

"You've been in my room!" She accused, putting the tray of tea down and glaring at the boy hard. "I knew there was something wrong with you, you're a regular snoop and a thief!"

Erik's eyes widened at the accusation, and his voice was pleading and innocent. "I haven't been in your room, I swear it! What would make you think-"

"You mean to tell me those aren't my gears?" Gaia demanded, moving boldly to the desk to inspect the metallic parts. "Where did you get them then?"

"Why do you have gears?" Erik asked, suddenly curious. He hadn't dared even venture upstairs let alone into any of the rooms but the basement

Gaia gaped some when she realized these were truly not taken from her room. In her haste she had revealed a secret she had been successfully keeping for going on two years.

"…If I tell you, you must swear not to tell Pap," Erik nodded without hesitation, and Gaia frowned some thoughtfully. If her father knew what she was doing it would surely break his heart… "I've been building watches and music boxes. I sell them and save the money."

"What are you saving it for?" The boy pressed, sounding so genuinely interested Gaia couldn't help but answer him.

"I don't want to live in Rome anymore… I'm saving to move north into the country. I want to buy a vineyard, maybe run a little bed and breakfast. Something quiet and far from city life. Please, you can't tell Papà," Gaia reminded him firmly.

Erik nodded. "You have my word," he promised. "But why would it be so bad if he knew? He seems like such a reasonable man."

"He's old, and his health is leaving him as he ages. I love him dearly, but I don't want him to know how much I hate it here. He might think I don't want to care for him anymore, and I do. He needs me to."

"That's why you won't marry. You don't want to tie yourself here after your father dies?"

Gaia sat in the chair at the desk with a frown. Her initial distrust of the boy vanished in the light of their conversation; she had never talked to anybody about this before, not even her sisters. It was too easy to just sit and talk now that she was being asked. "Sort of. I also just… don't like any of these men. I suppose my standards are too high. They're perfectly handsome and I'm sure they'll make some pretty little tart extremely happy someday. But I don't love them, and I don't want to marry without love."

Erik nodded his understanding. "I've heard that the French and the Italians have very similar views on love. I wouldn't say your standards are too high if love is your only standard," he told her, quietly.

The girl frowned. "Thank you, I guess. Look, I've been meaning to talk to you-"

"I've been meaning to talk to you, too," Erik interrupted, clearly very nervous. "Your father has asked me to serve as his apprentice. That would mean my stay here would be a lot longer than I anticipated. I don't feel like it's only my decision to make; your father is okay with me staying, but this is your household also. I get the feeling you don't like me very much, so I wanted to make sure accepting his offer wouldn't offend you or make you uncomfortable. If you want me to leave, I will leave at once."

The boy's sincerity shocked Gaia; she had not expected him to display such nervousness and sincerity. Gaia chewed the inside of her lip thoughtfully before speaking. "Are you trying to take my father's money, Erik?" She asked him bluntly, and once again Erik's eyes widened at the accusation.

"No, not at all!" He insisted with a deep frown.

"Then what are you hiding? You're so private! You won't even tell us your surname, and you hide your face like someone who doesn't want his identity known. If you're as honest as you seem what is it you're hiding from?"

"I'm not hiding from anyone, Gaia, not how you think," Erik promised with surprising sincerity. "Your father treats me with more humanity than anyone I've ever come across, but he isn't paying me a thing. I only want to learn from him. Nobody's ever given me a chance like this before; I don't like staying in one place, but it's an opportunity I don't want to pass up."

After a long moment, Gaia nodded. "Okay. I don't mind if you stay. But if I so much as get a feeling you're up to something- which reminds me. Why do you have watch parts down here? And if you didn't steal them where did you get them from?"

Erik gaped for a moment. "I… did steal them. Just not from you. I've never been into your room, I swear on my life. I'm something of a magician. I had an idea for a new illusion I wanted to try, it requires small geers."

"You stole them? From who?"

"I pick pocketed a handful of watches," he explained, opening a drawer to show her a pile of gutted watches.

"Erik you can't just take things that aren't yours! Put the watches back together."

"But-"

"Put them back together and leave them by my door so I can bring them to the police. Hopefully they'll be able to find their rightful owners," Gaia told him firmly. "I can make whatever you need, leave a list of what you'd like with the watches."

Erik frowned, but nodded. He felt worse about taking something from the daughter of his new master than he did from complete strangers, especially when he knew she was selling her work. "Thank you, Erik," she offered, upon seeing his frown, and he nodded again. "Look, I'm not slapping your hands," Gaia frowned, folding her arms. "You're free to do whatever you want, I just don't want Papà associated with a thief."

"I understand, Gaia. I aim to make him proud," Erik told her quietly. "Would you let me pay you for the watch parts?"

Gaia raised a brow at the boy. "Do you have the money to?"

"Not right now, but I can earn it," he promised, but it was clear Gaia didn't believe him.

"Why don't we just say you owe me? I'll call on you if I need a favor," she suggested, worried he might resort to pick pocketing again just to pay her. Erik seemed to find this idea agreeable as the frown left his lips and he nodded.

"Okay. Thank you, Gaia."

The young woman smiled her welcome and turned to leave the room. Erik watched her go, curiously. These Italians were so different than the rest of the world, he thought. They were not looking to extort him; on the contrary, Gaia had been worried he was extorting them. They wanted nothing from him, not even Giovanni who was offering him room and board on top of an apprenticeship in an art form Erik adored. Every day Erik became increasingly glad he had not run when the opportunity presented itself.