Page 226 of John + Siena: The Complete Duet

“In the kitchen, Ma.”

John popped open the blister packaging for his pills. Leonard opted to have John’s prescriptions filled as a daily intake, and not a whole bottle that left John managing his meds for months.

Jordyn slipped into the kitchen, and offered her son a smile. It didn’t reach her eyes, but he wasn’t surprised.

Too much shit had happened over the last day.

“Come to fill me in?” John asked. “On Cella, and whatever?”

That’s the only reason his mother would be there. Their family had been taking care of shit, and dealing with the mess the Calabrese attack left behind. John had taken the day after the wedding to settle back into his rented Queens home. He reminded himself to thank his father for keeping up the rent, and having someone come in to clean the place.

He tossed his pills back with water.

“Yeah, I’m here to fill you in. Your father was going to come, but Gio showed up, and Tiffany needs someone to look after her.”

“Cella can’t look after the baby, or what?”

“Not in her state.”

“How is she?”

Jordyn cleared her throat before taking a seat at the table. “Heavily medicated tonight.”

John winced. “That bad, then.”

“That bad,” his mother echoed. “You know, when I first married your father, I thought we would have some day in our lives to enjoy … well, life. Things would slow down, and we would not be so on the go, so to speak. Not everything would be bullets, blood, and famiglia.”

He gave his mother a look. “Bit naive of you, don’t you think?”

Jordyn shrugged one shoulder. “I did not say that I don’t absolutely love our life because I do, John. I simply meant I hoped there would be a time when for once, Lucian and I could focus on being a family, and not the family.”

“Made man for life, Ma.”

“So it seems.”

“Tiffany is good, then?” he asked.

Jordyn nodded, and smiled a bit as John came to sit beside her at the table. “Yeah, she’s good. A couple of scratches from the glass, but nothing too bad. Nothing that can’t heal.”

“Unlike her father.”

His mother frowned. “Yes, unlike William.”

“If you need any help with the baby, or Cella, just let me—”

“Actually, that’s one thing I needed to chat with you about.”

John leaned back in the chair, and stared at his mother, waiting. “Go on.”

“Cella is … still very angry, John. She needs someone—something—to blame right now, and she’s shooting for the easiest targets she can find.”

“Me, you mean.”

Jordyn blew out a shaky breath. “She doesn’t mean the things she says, and she’s so confused with how she feels.”

“Of course.” John shrugged. “Her husband is dead—a violent death. She’s left with a young baby to take care of alone. Hell, she married a man unaffiliated to the mob, and even that wasn’t enough to keep her from being punished for this life. I get it, Ma, really. I’ll keep my distance, and let her grieve. I don’t need to be showing up and making her uncomfortable or anything. Don’t worry about it.”

“You don’t have—”