Page 25 of Mafia’s Dirty Secret

“Goodbye,” Marie called and sat back down. She stared at the now-empty kitchen that would usually make her sad. Today, it didn’t.

She might not have had complete sex with Matteo, but it came close. She knew what real pleasure was now, what it felt like to hold a man to your naked skin, and what it was like to sleep beside one. She didn’t really care if her mother was a grouch today, she’d had a wonderful night with him. And the promise of an even better night tonight.

She took a deep breath, smiled at the memories they’d made, and then stood up. She was fortified and ready to face her mother now. She walked into the room and saw her mother was still asleep. It seemed all those years of fighting with Marie all night had taken a toll on her. She’d never seen Ruby sleep so peacefully.

Marie decided to leave her to sleep and went to the kitchen to wash up the breakfast dishes. Once she’d finished that, she looked over the calendar and saw she had to pick up some more medicines for her mom today and get the electric bill paid. Back to reality, she thought but smirked her way through it. She didn’t care what she had to go through during the day, the nights were all hers now and promised to be worth every moment of grief and the headaches she might get.

15

What she hadn’t been prepared for, three mornings ago, was her mother contracting another UTI. She sent Matteo another text to tell him that she wouldn’t be able to see him tonight either, even with the nurse there. She couldn’t leave her mother when she was that ill.

His text back asked if it was normal for her mother to have so many infections. It wasn’t written with anger or suspicion; it was just concern. She wrote back that it could happen, and that she thought her mom would definitely end up in the hospital this time.

“I think it’s about time we call for an ambulance and have them take her in for treatment, Marie.” Regina came in, her face just as puffy from exhaustion as Marie’s was.

“It can take a while for the antibiotics to work with her for some reason, Regina. I’d hate to send her in and then they start working the next day.”

“Hmmm.” Regina sat down, took the cup of coffee Marie offered her, and sighed. “You should at least get out tonight. I can handle her.”

“I just, I don’t know. I’m worried she’ll try to hit you or something.” Marie cringed, ashamed to even have to say that.

“She wouldn’t be the first, Marie. She won’t be the last.” Regina looked at the bruise beneath Marie’s eye but didn’t ask how she got it. Instead, she smoothed down the bun she’d put her waist-length hair into.

Marie’s mind drifted back to earlier when Ruby had swung her fist at Marie’s face just as Marie bent over to change the absorbent pads beneath her mother. The fist had made contact briefly, just enough to bruise Marie’s face. Ruby was so out of it with the fever and infection she didn’t even know she’d done it.

The fever stayed just high enough to keep Ruby raving, but not high enough to be too dangerous. Marie had to agree with Regina, though, another night of this would be enough. Another one and Marie would call for an ambulance. That’s what she told herself anyway.

She knew that the hospital would only prescribe the same antibiotics to Ruby, and they might keep Ruby in to monitor her, but she only had a UTI. The way she acted wasn’t an emergency or reason to hospitalize her. It was just… how things were.

Marie had spent the last few nights at home with Regina and Ruby, even though Regina tried to send her out. Marie was terrified that Ruby would go crazy on Regina and hurt her. Marie knew Regina was tough, had experienced a lot over the years, but Marie didn’t want Ruby to be yet another patient that had hurt the kind woman. She’d feel so ashamed if that happened.

Marie got another text from Matteo. He hoped Ruby was better soon and asked what he could do to help.

“You’ve done enough, you sent me Regina, and that’s more than I could hope for.”

“I hope you get some rest tonight,” he sent back. “I miss you, but I know you need to be with your mother.”

“Thank you, I’ll call you in the morning,” she replied.

It was a simple exchange, and neither one mentioned the night they’d shared. Or what they hoped to share in the future. It was all on hold while Marie dealt with the situation. She appreciated that, more than she could tell him.

She went back to the room to find her mother glaring at Regina slyly. What was she up to?

“Marie, you don’t hold a candle to Regina. She doesn’t starve me as you do.” Ruby watched for Regina’s reaction, not Marie’s. She was trying to turn Regina against her then. Not a new situation for Marie. She’d often done it in the past if Marie managed to make a friend. Ruby always found a way to run the friend off.

“Mom, you know that’s not true.”

“Well, what can I say? You’re a liar.” Ruby threw a rolled-up paper towel at Marie’s face, and Marie batted it away.

“You know I’m not, Mom.” Marie helped Regina roll Ruby over and replace the absorbent pads beneath the bedridden woman. She pulled Ruby’s nightgown down to her hips, replaced her blankets, and gathered up the used pads and paper towels.

It all went into a bag, that went into a trash can with a lid on it. That would all go out in the morning, to the bin outside. A truck came around twice a week, and Marie would take the bin to the road the night before. It was one of the ways Marie worked to keep the house from getting too smelly.

“Do you want your pill now, Ruby?” Regina asked with nothing but kindness, despite the way Ruby treated Marie. Marie had to admire the other woman’s calm.

“Yes, I do. Anything that will take my mind off that miserable little sow I gave birth to.” Ruby all but spit at Marie as she left the room.

Marie had been embarrassed to let Regina witness how Ruby abused her at first, but now, she didn’t even blink.