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Once we get the thing off the ground, hopefully we’ll move out of my father’s law office and open up a real space.
For the first time in a long time, I’m looking forward to something. I have a goal.
I needed something after Liam. I needed to throw myself into something to avoid calling him or just driving to his bar. I have to fight the urge over and over again to reach out to him. Even after all this time I still want him.
He never called me after his house was set on fire, and I don’t blame him. We’re not good together, especially not with the constant chaos surrounding our two families. I knew from the beginning that this thing wasn’t going to end with a happily ever after. Still, I miss him.
So I fill my days reading the cases of women seeking justice and I try to help them the best I can. As long as I’m doing something, helping someone, I’m able to push down the memories of Liam.
“We’re gonna need more funding.” Rhea adds.
The money from Papa is a lot, but it will probably only help one woman in reality. We need more money. “We can hold a fundraiser?”
Rhea’s face turns sour. She’s not the pretty mafia daughter that I try to be. She’s much more brazen and she hates dressing up and pretending to be nice.
“I can hold a fundraiser,” I correct myself. “And you can hide in the back.”
“Much better,” she laughs.
It’s the ringing of my phone that stops our conversation. I’ve been on high alert for the past week since Annie’s due date was quickly approaching. Annie, my new sister-in-law, found out she was pregnant right as my brother was sent to jail.
Gio was arrested for armed robbery, a charge that took six months for my father to get dropped. Since he got home less than a month ago he’s been all over Annie, not letting her leave his sight for more than two seconds.
As soon as he was released they had a courthouse wedding. Neither of them were dying to have the big wedding ordeal, even though my father was disappointed.
I love my new sister-in-law, but watching them together broke my control. It’s hard to be happy for others when I feel like my happiness was ripped from underneath me.
I push the thought of him back down and rush to the ringing phone, picking it up too close to its last ring. “Gio?”
“Fuck. She’s in labor. The baby is coming.” My brother sounds frantic on the other end. I imagine him at the hospital freaking out, it’s probably Annie who has to be the voice of reason.
“Calm down,” I tell him. “You need to chill out and help your wife. I’m on my way.” I hang up with him, grab my purse.
“It’s time!” I shout to Rhea and Edie.
It’s time to meet my niece.
There are enforcers on the maternity floor. Andrew among them as we wait for the baby to be born. Annie’s in labor for a whole twelve hours before the baby finally comes.
She looks like she’s been through hell and back, but still glowing when we see her afterward. My father’s eyes shine as Annie holds up the tiniest newborn for us to meet.
“Meet Gabriella Maria DelGado,” she smiles, I think there’s nothing purer than that moment of a mother holding her new baby.
Gabi’s middle name is after my mother, and I think we all pause for a moment. I wonder what she would think if she were here to see this moment. First, she’d probably beat Gio for getting Annie pregnant before they were married. But after that, I think she would love Annie and adore baby Gabriella.
Before I can even help it, a tear slides down my cheek.
“Gem,” Annie coos, “it’s alright.”
“I’m sorry.” I furiously wipe the tears away, too caught up in the moment to even realize they were coming.
I just can’t shake missing my mother, or Liam. Only one of them is alive.
It’s my father who wraps his arms around me. Our relationship has been rocky since Liam, to say the least. We were once inseparably close, I was the definition of a daddy’s girl. After Mom’s death, and then my betrayal with Liam we started to build walls between each other.
“I know, bambina.” He whispers. “I miss her too.” There’s a glassy quality to his eyes that lets me know he’s being honest, vulnerable.
I’m about to have a breakdown that’s been building in my system for almost a year now. I’ve been so focused on hiding away all my emotions, tucking myself perfectly into styled outfits and perfectly made masks that I haven’t taken a second to process my feelings.
