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She nodded and looked at the door. I trailed her eyes and saw her bag sitting on the floor. I walked over and picked it up, then led her up the stairs to the guest room. I pushed the door open and gestured for her to enter the room. I walked in after her, placing her bag on the bed. I walked back to the door and folded my hands behind my back. “Just take your time. My room is down the hall. Please let me know if you need anything at all.”
When she stared at me as if in a daze, I turned and left the room, shutting the door behind me. I crossed the hallway to my bedroom and shut the door quietly. I sat on the edge of the bed and buried my head in my hands. “Well, that went well,” I said out loud.
I needed to speak to someone. Scratch that; I needed to talk to several people. I reached for my phone and started a group call with my brother and parents.
“Hey, Mike!” Thale’s voice boomed through the speaker. “You did not accidentally butt dial, did you? You've never initiated a call before, I believe. What’s up? Man?”
I wished Thale would be serious for once, but that ship had sailed a long time ago. My mother and father connected seconds later from Los Angeles.
“Hi, darling,” Mother said, beaming. Father waved, distracted by something in the background. ”
I took a deep breath. “Hey, Mom, Dad, Thale.” I ran my hand through my ruffled hair. “I have something important to discuss with you guys.”
Ivanna poked her head into Thale’s screen, a curious look on her face. My parents and Thale shared the same look, waiting expectantly for whatever I had to share.
“Thale, remember the woman I told you I met in Milan? Just before Enzo’s dad’s seventieth?” I asked.
“Yeah… the one who left you, but you found out was Enzo’s little sister?” Thale asked.
“Precisely.” There was no subtle way to deliver the news to them. “She turned up outside my room at The Gates about half an hour ago. She says she’s pregnant, and from all indications, it looks like it’s mine.”
Thale had the grace to cover his mouth as he laughed. I had expected that from him. I had not expected the calm expression on my parents’ faces.
“You are in so much trouble, man!” Thale said as soon as he regained his composure. “How the hell do you plan to tell Enzo about this? I don’t know if you remember, but you told him you did not know who she was. How did you go from strangers to co-parents?”
“I know, I know…” I replied, burying my frustration. “You think I have not thought about that? I only just found out and have not figured it out. It took me by surprise, and I really need your help.”
“How did you react when she told you?” Mother asked. “Please tell me you didn’t flinch.”
“You trained me better than that,” I scoffed. “I told her we could keep it if she wanted. She did not give me a response, though. I think she’s still as confused about the whole thing as I am.”
“That’s being expected,” Mother said. “I think you should tell Enzo about this whole thing. It could save you from a world of trouble.”
Thale jumped in before I could reply. “Mom, Mom, listen. Enzo is really overprotective of Alessia; this could turn into a messy situation.”
“Mom’s right, though,” I said. “I do not know how to handle Enzo, but I need to tell him somehow.”
“I think we should all wait and hear what Alessia feels about telling Enzo,” Father said, speaking for the first time in several minutes. “She’s probably more shaken by this than anyone else. Give her some time to get some rest, then ask her how she feels about telling Enzo.”
They had different ideas about how I should go ahead, but none of them made me feel better about myself. I ended the call and tossed my phone across the bed. Twenty-four hours ago, I wished to see Alessia again. My wish had been granted but with some extra baggage. Deep down, I felt fantastic that she was living close by again. The moments we shared in Milan were too special to be forgotten. I took little comfort from knowing she was so close to me again. It all felt surreal, but I had Alessia again.
I went down the stairs to prepare dinner. While I wished our reunion had happened on different terms, I could only make the best of a sticky situation. Alessia was probably sleeping right now, and I hoped to make her stay here as comfortable as it could be. I hummed quietly to myself, rubbing my hands together and trying to tie an apron around my waist.
13
Alessia
I woke up in a dark room feeling disoriented and groggy. I lay in bed for a while, attempting to get a sense of my surroundings. After a few days of sleep deprivation, I was grateful for the long rest.
It had been a turbulent few days, but I felt I had made the right decision to come to New York. Michael’s composure was reassuring, and I could borrow some of his quiet strength. He had shocked me speechless with his reaction. He wanted us to co-parent the child. It was not until he said it I realized it was exactly what I needed to hear.
However, I still did not know how he felt about having me around. While he seemed cold and dismissive, a small part of me insisted that our time together in Milan had been real. A bit of that had to exist in him, too. He could just be taking his dutiful responsibility. He seemed to be that type of man.
I tried not to think about what to do about Enzo and my father. I thought their friendship would end after revealing my pregnancy and the father's identity. I am the reason their decades-long friendship ended, and I felt guilty. Sadly, I was powerless to do anything about it.
I reached for my phone. I winced as my pupils constricted at the sudden light. It was a little past ten, which meant I had slept for a little over four hours. It definitely felt much longer. All I wanted to do was curl up in bed, preferring the solitary, cool, dark, quiet room to the chaos of the outside world.
A painful grumble came from my stomach to say otherwise. I had not had a bite the entire day. Between two long flights, a long drive to Tuscany, and an evening in New York traffic, I had not found the time to eat.
