“Luciana. You’re not his prize, you’re a payment like I was. He will use you until he gets his son, then cast you aside, keeping you trapped like all the women in his world. Do you honestly want that?”
“I want him, Nonna.”
“Is there anything I could say to convince you to stay away from the man who shot you?” I can tell she’s as dumbfounded as she is disappointed.
I look down at my stomach, thinking of my daughter growing up as I did without her papa, especially knowing her father is the man I love. A man who wants us. Without hesitation, I immediately know my answer. “No.”
“This is going to break your nonno and Caterina’s hearts. Are you prepared for their reaction?”
“No, but I’m an adult and this is what I choose.” Where did this courage come from?
“Okay. I should go check on your nonno. That doctor may murder Aldo if I don’t go get him.” Nonna steps back from the hospital bed, I’m sure mentally preparing herself to walk out of the room.
I don’t have time to respond or even think of my response before Nonno and Dr. Rossi fight for their way in here. Dr. Rossi mentions something about men and murder and Nonno ignores her, screaming in Italian.
“Come with me, Luci, we’re leaving.” Nonno starts packing my things and Mamma stands, arms crossed in the doorway.
Dr. Rossi shoves Mamma aside, ready for any fight with Nonno. “She’s not going anywhere before I tell her she can leave. She’s my patient and you’re testing mine. Now get the fuck out, or I’ll force you out.” Nonno’s never been a man to give up an argument with anyone except Nonna, but something about Dr. Rossi’s energy makes him back down.
“Dr. Rossi, it’s okay, he can stay. Nonna, can you leave with Mamma?” She understands immediately what I mean and leans over to kiss me on my head before whispering something to Nonno and leaving.
“You’re going back to him.” Nonno’s words are blunt and cruel sounding as he states the obvious instead of asking me.
“I love him. I’m carrying his baby and I want us to be a family.”
“Luciana, think logically. He shot you and he meant to shoot me. Do you honestly want that man?”
I try to process the words and think of a logical answer, but love isn’t logical. “I’m sorry I’m disappointing you.”
Nonno stands, avoiding eye contact with me while he nods his head. “I’ll send Caterina in.” When he turns away from me, I worry it’ll be the last time we speak and for a second, I have to remind myself to breathe while my heart aches. I want to please my family, but I don’t know how I could unless I cut out Alessandro from my life.
Mamma appears in the doorway, matching tears streaming down both of our faces. While I can deal with Nonna’s disappointment and Nonno’s anger, Mamma’s tears are what officially break me.“Mamma, will you come over here?” I want to beg her, plead with her, to come over here. To be my mamma, even if it’s for the last time.
She shakes her head, avoiding eye contact with me, only looking at my belly as she’s frozen in the doorway. “I can’t, Luci. We’ve done everything for you and you’re shitting on it. How could you?”
I cover my face with my hands as I cry, afraid to move them after her nasty words. Once I get the courage to open my eyes, I notice she’s gone and Dr. Rossi now stands in the doorway.
“Alessandro will be back soon to take you home. I told him that you need to recover though and no fucking around. Deal?”
I can tell my face is turning a bright shade of pink at Dr. Rossi’s statement. “You may want to say that to Alessandro.”
“We had that conversation. If he does and I find out, he’ll wake up without a dick and trust me, I’d know how to do that without him finding out until later.” What’s crazy is I believe her.
“That’s something my friend El would say.”
“I’ve never met her, but by the way Marco bitches about her, I like her already. She knows how to put Marco in his place. Speaking of, do you know what’s going on between those two?”
“She’s with Andrea and trust me, she would never cheat on him.”
“Doesn’t mean they haven’t done something. Anyway, Alessandro will be back here soon with your discharge papers, then you two will head back to Philadelphia on a private plane. He doesn’t know yet, but Geno is about to land. He’s pissed at Alessandro and wants to make sure nothing else happens to you. Now let’s get you discharged.”
Alessandro and I get in the car after I’m discharged with no sight of my family. As Alessandro helps me into the car, I see a flash of someone in the distance who I would recognize anywhere.How is that possible? Alessandro said Elio didn’t exist anymore.While his hair is dyed darker and he has a healing bruise under his left eye, the man staring back at me is unmistakably Elio. He waves at me before walking away, I’m assuming to make sure I’m okay before we part ways forever.
The drive to the small airport is slow as Alessandro’s hand lays protectively on my knee like if he lets go, I’ll disappear. I think of everything that had happened in the last few months since I left Alessandro and how I’m back with him now, all three of us. The car stops at a small private airport as Alessandro puts the car in park and turns to me.
“Come, mio premio, let’s go home.”
Chapter 62
