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“Okay, I promise. But I swear to God, mob boss or not, if this husband of yours doesn’t treat you like the queen you are, then I’ll cut his balls off myself.”
“Trust me, when you do meet him, you’ll love him. He’s perfect, Reilly—well, except for the whole making me think he was dead part. But he had his reasons, and we need to act like we don’t know he’s still alive. We’re going to do the service and then go back to Sydney for a few weeks.”
“Holly, are you really sure about this? I mean, the mafia? People get like tortured and end up in jail and shit. This isn’t safe for you.”
“I can’t help it, Rye. He is my soulmate. I know it sounds stupid, but I need him. I needus. It’s hard to explain, but he completes me.”
“Okay, I’ll go along with this… for now.”
“Thank you. Come on, we have my husband’s funeral to plan.”
“You sound way happier about that than you should, Hol.”
“He made me think he was dead for three bloody days, Rye. I’m going to take pleasure in planning this funeral. It’ll be therapeutic.”
* * *
“Mrs. Valentino, are you sure about this? It’s a lot.”
“Father Thomas, my husband was a king. Are you saying that releasing a dove to symbolize each year he was on this earth is too much? I would think not.”
“It’s not just the doves, Mrs. Valentino. But an orchestra? Really? Theo didn’t even like the symphony.”
“Well, Theo’s not here to decide what happens at his funeral.I am. And I like the symphony. What do you think, Gloria?” I ask her.
“I think my son would want you to have whatever you wanted, darling.” She blots the corners of her eyes with a tissue.
“What I want is my husband back. Can you do that for me, Father Thomas? Tell your God that it’s not his time. I don’t want to be planning a funeral service. I don’t want to be a bloody widow before I’m thirty. I want a lifetime of memories with my husband, not just a few weeks. I want to be the mother of his children. I want to grow old with him and watch our grandchildren run around. I want him back!” I yell. This whole planning a funeral thing is harder than I thought. It’s surreal, even knowing that he’s alive and this is all pretend. It hurts, like looking into what my future may hold. Rising to my feet, I push my chair into the table. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. Please just arrange a simple service. Quiet, family only.” I walk out of the dining room and head for the garden.
I need to be alone. I need to clear my mind of the images of T’s lifeless body lying in a coffin. I find a spot near the pond and sit on the ground. The air is chilly. I should have brought a coat… I pull the burner out of my pocket and read his message again and again—it feels like my only lifeline at the moment. The only connection I have to my husband.
Five minutes later, a silhouette blocks the sun and someone sits next to me. I keep my gaze straight ahead, staring at the water as I break the silence. “You knew, and you didn’t tell me. You let me think the worst. You watched me fall apart. And still, nothing. Not a word.”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t tell you. He shouldn’t have told you either,” Neo says.
“I hate you right now. I hate that you knew this entire time. And I hate him for doing this. I hate him for not being here.”
“You don’t hate him, Holly. You couldn’t, even if you tried. We just have to get through this and then we can go back to normal.”
“What will normal look like, Neo? How many funerals am I going to have to attend? To plan? This life that you guys live, it’s not safe. I want him safe, and he’s out there. Alone.”
“Trust me, sweetheart, T’s never alone. You might not see them, but there are always at least ten men surrounding him. Backing him up. Sometimes he doesn’t even know they’re there. He’s my best friend, Holly. I’m not about to let anything happen to him.”
“So, I guess we’re just supposed to go along with this stupid plan? Fly to Sydney on Saturday and pretend that we’re grieving?”
“Will you really be pretending? You saw him just last night, and yet you’re out here, sulking like you haven’t seen him in years.”
“Shut up. I’m not sulking. I’m contemplating. It’s different.”
“Sure. So, are all the women in Australia as hot as you are? Because if so, I’m looking forward to this trip.”
“There’s at least one other woman who looks just like me, but she’s married. Her husband may not be a badass mafia guy, but I wouldn’t wanna be on his bad side either.” I laugh.
“I know exactly who your brother-in-law is, Holly, and what he’s capable of doing. Do you think I haven’t done my research on everyone involved in your life? I’m good at my job, and it’s my job to know shit.”
“Really? So, I guess you knoweverythingthen, huh? Like how people in Australia carry Vegemite on them at all times to prevent a drop bear attack?”
“Funny, but I happen to have a case of the stuff waiting for me at Helena’s. Theo made her order it after that first night, when you walked in and joked about Vegemite toast.”
