“Oh, my god,” she choked out. “It’s all my fault.”
I could see the crushing guilt settle on her, the heavy knowledge of what had happened to her family.
“Mom.” My voice shook as I longed to reach out to her, to hold her close just as she used to comfort me as a child whenever I had a bad dream.
Just then, the door swung open, and in strode my father, with Valarie right behind him. My father’s complexion drained of color as he gazed at Mom.
Valarie gasped, her breath catching as tears streamed down her cheeks. She clutched the doorframe, her body shaking as she tried to steady herself.
“Bellissima.”
“Bellissima,” my father murmured as he stood unblinking.
His knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor. “You’re alive.” His voice cracked, tears streaming down his face. “How can this be?”
I wiped my tears with the back of my hand at witnessing a mafia king break apart for the woman he loved. The woman he thought was dead. The sight of him, so vulnerable, left me breathless.
“Al—” Mom’s voice caught in her throat, as if too shocked to continue.
My father released a heart-wrenching cry that I felt in my soul.
Suddenly, Mom was sprinting toward him, throwing herself into his open arms. He caught her effortlessly, wrapping her in a fierce embrace, burying his face in the crook of her neck, whispering words in Italian while he cried.
As they pulled apart, he cradled her face in his hands, gazing into her eyes.
A smile broke free from his lips. “It’s really you,” he breathed.
Mom let out a soft, watery laugh. “Yes, it’s really me. And it’s really you,” she replied, placing her hand on one side of his face, her thumb brushing away his tears. His gaze never left hers.
“Oh, how much I missed you all these years. Not a day went by that I didn’t think of you. I love you so much,” she cried.
He exhaled a shaky breath. “Ti amo, mia bellissima.” Still holding her face, he leaned in and captured her lips in a kiss.
I turned away, feeling a swell of emotion in my chest, my gaze falling on Valarie, who stood frozen.
“Valarie?” I called softly, pulling my parents apart from their passionate reunion.
“Oh, Valarie,” Mom cried out and pulled away from Dad, even though he held her a heartbeat longer.
Mom approached Valarie, her arms open wide, and my aunt threw herself into my mother’s embrace, sobs wracking her body. “Oh, my god,” she cried, her shoulders shaking violently.
My father’s face lit up like fireworks as he walked toward me. He enveloped me in a hug and held me as if it was grounding him. “I have my family,” he said.
Family.
A promise of new beginnings and a hopeful future.
NICO
After Lo fell asleep and Luca and Matteo finally left me alone, Ileft the room to go see my girl.
Gripping the handrails, I dragged my battered body down the corridor, my IV pole trailing behind me like an anchor. As I passed the nurse’s station, I cursed under my breath. A nurse with vibrant, rainbow-streaked hair glanced up from her desk, an immediate frown marring her face.
“Mr. Moretti, you shouldn’t be out of bed,” she admonished.
“I’m fine,” I shot back, clenching my jaw.
She closed the chart she was looking over and stepped around the desk, now just inches away from me.
