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I swallow hard, and Antonio sits on the edge of the bath with his back toward me.
He does not even wince when I stick the sharp ends into his back and move them around until I feel the bullet. I clamp the ends onto it and pull it out; blood flows behind it. I press a clean gauze against the wound and wait for a moment, then lift it, apply disinfecting cream, and cover it again, sticking a bandage over it.
“It isn’t too bad; it didn’t go in deep.”
“Give me the bullet.” He says, holding his hand out. I drop the misshapen pieces of metal into his hand.
“It didn’t go in deep because it went through Kalo first.” He says, staring at it.
I pull his face up toward mine. “What happened, Antonio?”
He tells me everything; about how he went to see my father to find out if he could somehow help me and how my father told him where Kalo was. He told me about what happened and how Kalo died. I listen, in awe of everything that happened.
“I have to keep you safe, my angel,” he says, pulling me into his arms. I lean my entire body against him, relieved that he is coming back to me.
He picks me up and carries me to the bedroom, and we climb into bed, naked, holding each other.
“I’llkeep you safe, and I'llget revenge for Kalo’s death.”
I stroke this face and tell him that I'lldo anything for him. I’llhelp him with whatever he needs.
He falls asleep before me, and I stare at his face for a long time, thinking about what he told me.
He went to see my father, and my father helped him.
My father forgave him, even after he kidnapped him and had him beaten. My father did that for me. And Antonio did that for me. They both love me, even if sometimes I feel unlovable. They both love me.
I close my eyes.
Maybe I should call ah gung tomorrow. If I can resolve things with my father, then I can resolve things with him, too.
But for now, I'm so happy, even with everything that is going on. I have something so definite, so real, in my life. I have love.
I'm grateful beyond words.
Over the next few days, I'm very attentive to Antonio’s needs.
He is distant and struggling, but he does not push me away. He lets me help him, he lets me take care of him, he lets me love him.
This is what he does for me, and it's what I'llalways do for him.
One evening, Antonio comes through to the living room and says, “Get dressed. Let’s go for dinner. I think we both need to get out of here for a bit.”
“I would love that.”
He drives us to a restaurant with the most beautiful views near the waterfront. We are sitting near the window, but Antonio is not relaxed. And because he is not relaxed, I'm unable to relax.
Our plates have been delivered, and our food is sitting in front of us. Antonio has eaten a small amount, and so have I.
“What is bothering you?” I ask, running my hand over his leg beneath the table.
“We are being watched, I think. Two black suits to the left of the bar.”
I lean close to him, kissing him on his neck, and when I do this, I glance toward the bar to see the men he is referring to.
“I see.”
“I don’t like it. With everything that has happened, I should not have risked bringing you out here until I knew more.”
