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Chapter Twenty-Eight
ARIA
Life is nothing but a constant show filled with surprises and shock. That is what I have learned over the last year. There was a time where I thought that nothing else would ever phase me, that I’d simply become cold, or rather the coldest version of myself. Part of me thinks that I am this callous woman, that the tragedies of life have turned me into this carless woman. Yet here I am, sitting in a padded chair, staring at my brother’s casket.
I look down to my hands, watching them shake with the rose in my hand. The florist must have forgotten to cut the thorns off of this one, but I don’t mind. The feeling of it digging into my skin is the only thing keeping me together right now, my eyes watching as blood coats my palm. Salvatore sits next to me, eyes trained in front of him. We’ve hardly been speaking as of late. So much has happened. I don’t even think we know each other anymore.
My heart beats heavy in my chest, and I try my hardest to breathe, to not allow pain to take over my life once again. I’m strong. I’m Aria Moretti, and I will not let this break me.
I feel a hand on my shoulder and jump in my seat, looking to my right, I see my husband staring at me. “We need to get going.” It comes out cold, and before I can even ask him where we’re off to, he rises from his chair and disappears out of my sight.
“Are you alright?” Marcel asks as I get up from my chair and place the rose on Andrei’s casket.
“I’m as good as I’m going to be,” I comment back, looking around at the tons of people who showed up to his funeral. I wonder who even knew my brother and who is just here for show.
“This isn’t easy for any of us, Aria.”
I know that it isn’t. I understand that this is a hard thing, that my brother sacrificed his life in order to save my daughter’s. I go to bed every night with nothing but guilt flooding my conscience, thinking that if he just wasn’t there...he’d still be alive.
“Must you take that tone with me?” I ask, not needing to hear the authoritativeness in his voice, or the speech that will follow if I don’t speak up.
“I actually have to. I’m no longer the son of Baptiste Funar, the one who will take over when he’s gone. He’s dead - Aria. I am the face of our Clan, and because of it you lose the loving brother chats. Now you get the stern ones with it.”
I roll my eyes. “You don’t have to remind me of who’s dead in our family.”
He looks around to the few people who turned at my comment. “Don’t get salty with me, sister. I was just checking in on how you’re doing. I’m sure you’ll be much happier once you get back to Seattle.”
“Yep. You have no fucking idea,” I mumble, walking away from him. I get in the town car that took us to the gravesite and instruct the driver to take me to the hospital. This day has only made me want to do one thing - visit my daughter.
When I arrive at the children’s hospital I am greeted by the same lovely physicians and nurses that have been helping my Sorina become stronger. Every day she improves, and every day she will grow closer to coming home.
I get off of the elevator and walk towards the NICU, passing security and approach the waiting area. After a nurse helps me put on my lovely gown I head to where my daughter is and find my husband sitting in the chair with her in his arms. The way he stares at her is the pure definition of love. “I wonder if you’ll ever forgive me for everything that I’ve done,” he says, looking up at me like he knows I’ve been here for a few moments.
I take in a deep breath and repeat to him what he had said to me so long ago, “I may be a monster, but I’m your beast. Let me slay your demons. I can promise you that no others will offer you something such as this. No one will ever fight for you as much as I vow to.” It is in this moment that I realize we haven’t grown distant, that we’re still the same people who love and care for each other so deeply that others would never be able to fathom. “I am your wife, and I will forgive you for almost anything you do to me. But what I will never forgive you for is hurting our daughter. Promise me you will never hurt her, Sal. She is the light of our life.”
He takes ahold of my hand and squeezes, “I may have hurt you, but I will make it my life’s mission to make up for it. I promise.”
I nod, bringing my lips down to his and kiss him like I understand. Because I do. Everything that Salvatore Moretti has said to me has always come true.
He may be a monster, but that doesn’t mean he’s inhuman.
He makes mistakes too, just like the rest of us.
