“Well, I, for one, am happy you took the position. I think it’s your calling, Mia Pia. Oh, or do you prefer I call you Mariana?”
A breath whooshes out of me at the excitement in Sofia’s tone. The fact that she’s not mad warms my heart a little.
“Mariana is dead now. I’ll be Mia for the rest of my life.”
She gives a somber nod before letting loose a huge smile. “You’re amazing at this medical stuff. I feel for Dr. Fields though. She wasn’t meant to be in this life. She always looks so cagey when she’s helping the guys. You will be a much better fit for the family. Besides, you’re already family.”
She wraps her arm around me again, and I accept her warmth this time. Usually I’m the bubbly, positive girl, but for once, I’m glad Sofia’s taking the reins. She knows I need this break from the façade.
“Sofia, don’t encourage her. She’s going to get herself killed,” Izzy growls.
Sofia shoots Izzy a seething look. “Bash will protect her.”
“Yeah, he did such a great job last time.” The sarcastic bite in her tone causes Sofia to growl.
“It wasn’t his fault, and you know it. If this is something Mia wants to do, we should support her, not tear her down.”
“It never is his fault. It’s never any of their faults. Can’t you see that, Sof? No offense, Matt, but the organization is going to get us all killed sooner rather than later!”
She jumps up in a huff as she starts to storm off.
“Isabel.” She stops at the gravely tone of Sofia’s voice. “If it does get me killed, then it will be a beautiful death. I will have known true love and died by the side of the man I love. When it’s our time to go, it’s our time to go. Living life scared isn’t living life at all. I could get hit by a bus tomorrow and die, or I could die by a bullet. Either way, I will be dead. At least I will know I died being loved thoroughly. Can you say the same thing?”
As Sofia is talking, I watch Izzy’s shoulders tense. She looks over her shoulder and meets my eyes.
“I love you to death, Mia. It’s why I cannot support this decision. I cannot imagine a life without you in it, and I don’t want to. Do what you feel is best, but don’t expect me to be happy about it.” She turns and leaves the room without another word, and I hear her bedroom door slam, the loud sound making me jump.
“She’ll come around, Mia. Whatever happened with her and Gio has her scared of the family. They will protect you. I can guarantee it. Even if you say no, they will still protect you. You’re my sister. That makes you family no matter what.”
I sigh and shake my head. “I know that, Sof. She doesn’t understand me. No one really does. She just needs time to calm down. I dumped a lot on you today.”
She nods.
“How do you feel about this, Matt?” I can hear the hesitation in my own voice.
Matt has been sitting back watching our drama unfold in silence. Now, he thinks over his words before he speaks.
“As long as you’re safe and happy, then I’m happy for you. As for Izzy, she just needs time. She loves you so much, Mia. I’ve been through it with my sister. Loving someone doesn’t always mean you have to agree with them. Sometimes it means you need to give them room to fly, knowing they will come home one day. She’s struggling because you want to fly. You just need to show her that you will always come back to her.”
My eyes tear up as he speaks. I hope he’s right. “When did you become Yoda?”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “Yoda I’m not.”
We all laugh, the tension dissipated.
“You’re wise beyond your years, Matteo Sorento,” I tell him, grateful for his words.
“Growing up with a sister has become a beneficial part of my life. I used to curse her, but now I can see how she helped me immensely with dealing with you three,” he teases.
“I want you guys to get to know the real me. The parts I’ve kept hidden. Maybe when Izzy calms down?”
“Sounds like a plan, Mia Pia. Until then, can we eat? This Mexican food smells heavenly.”
Leave it to Sofia to always think of food.
As we open all the cartons of food, I look around the room. A weight has been on my chest for my entire adult life, yet now it’s gone. These people accept me for who I am, even if they don’t know who exactly that is yet.
Izzy will come around. I know it. She’s a stubborn one. Once she does, my family will be full.
