“It’s ...no, no, it’s not.I want to get a divorce and we can’t get one.”Tatiana sighed.“It sucks.I wish I could go back in time and not think about any of that.I wished I never heard what he said, or that we were not even listening, and none of this happened.”
Clarissa knew exactly what she meant.It had been a rough year.At least Liana and Mia had been able to find some solace with their partners and were both expecting children.One day, Clarissa wanted to be a mother, but first, she wanted to be a wife and fall in love.
Part of her wanted to fall in love with Lorenzo, but she also couldn’t help that he was supposed to be married to her sister.Before overhearing what he truly thought of her, she had been falling for him.How could she not fall for him?He’d been sweet, kind, caring, and loving.He’d been everything she had hoped for, and although the sex had been terrifying and dull, she figured it would all work out in the end.At least, that was what she hoped.
“Do you know what sucks?”Tatiana asked.
“What?”
“I was falling in love with him.”And her lip started to wobble.“Doesn’t that make me a fool?”
“No, it doesn’t make you a fool at all.”
Tatiana laughed, sat back, and took a deep breath.“I refuse to cry.I do not want to keep crying about this, but it hurts so much.”She grabbed a piece of tissue out of her bag and dabbed at her eyes.“I just want all of this to be over.”
Clarissa agreed.
Mia and Liana joined them, and she offered both women a smile.Mia was starting to look heavily pregnant, and Liana hadn’t long given birth to a baby boy.He was not there today, so she figured he was with his dad, Diego.
The moment they all arrived, they exchanged kisses on the cheek, and greetings.The waiter came, and Mia ordered herself an ice water.Clarissa went for a coffee, as did Tatiana, and Liana ordered herself a soda.
“So, how is everyone?”Liana asked.
There was a round of “good,” and Clarissa offered them all a smile and agreed.She knew how to put on a brave face and play the part.It was what her grandmother had taught her to do.Her parents hadn’t liked howunpredictableshe was, that was what they had called it.
“How is little Diego, and we’re talking about your little boy?”Tatiana asked.
They talked about Liana’s new baby.Mia complained and raved about how amazing and awful the pregnancy was.
When it came to Tatiana and Emilio, she just shut them all down.
Then, Mia looked toward her.“How are you and Lorenzo?”
Clarissa hated being the center of attention.She couldn’t help but tense up.“It’s ...the same ...ish.”
“Ish?”Mia asked, and Clarissa saw the other two women perk up, and they repeated the word “ish.”
“I don’t know how to explain it, but we’re talking and that is progress, right?”she asked.She felt her nerves start to build.She didn’t want to be talking about her relationship.
“Does that mean Lorenzo’s actually talking to you?”Mia asked.
Clarissa nodded.“And we’ve spent some time together.”
“This is good news,” Liana said.
“How is it?”Clarissa asked.
“Look, I hate to be the ...bearer of bad news for all of us.We know what we all heard, and it fucking sucked,” Liana said.“Trust me, I get it.I ran right to my dad and brother, and I wanted to end the relationship.He called me a freaking doormat.”She held her hands out.“But we’re not getting out of this unless we’re dead.We’re married women, and although we’re in modern day times, we all know the moment we get that divorce, none of us have anything to offer.None of us are virgins.We’ve been married to respectable Capos.Not all the men in the Colombo Mafia are like our men.Some of them are cruel.They hurt people.Sure, our men hurt us in their own ways, but they’ve not physically hurt us.”
“You’re telling us to just let it go?”Tatiana asked.
“No, not let it go, but maybe give them both a chance.Help me, Mia, come on, you forgave Giovanni just as I did Diego.”
Mia held her hands up.“It took a long road to get there.I didn’t just wake up and decide to forget about it.It took a lot of work, and he had to prove himself to me.”
Clarissa didn’t want to hear any more.“I need a drink.”
It was easy for them to say.They had gotten out of the other side.Liana had been called a doormat, and it was easy for her, because she was anything but that.Mia was referred to as being childish and immature, but she was not that.She embraced her fun side, so the insult didn’t freaking stick.
