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“You haven’t got them helping Sebastian? Is Luca really that humiliated that he refuses to help Sebastian?” My heart rate spikes immediately, and my head begins pounding. “And he thinks I’ll stay in the same home as him?” I growl and grab a t-shirt off the floor and stuff it in the bag.
“It’s not that he's not coming around to it. I’m working on it.” Sophie takes my hand and squeezes it. She’s really trying to get me to come. “But you’ve gotta understand, there’s so much politics involved here. They already had him on thin ice, and, well, they’re still unsure of whether they’ll recognize him as a Don—”
“After four years?”
Sophie rolls her eyes. “I shouldn’t have opened the can of worms. But yes, essentially.”
“But he should’ve told Sebastian to be weary of that.”
“And Sebastian should’ve told Luca about the Russians before he heard it through Leandro.”
“I know,” I say, slumping down on the bed. “Stupid men and their stupid pride.” My tears threaten to break then. If grieving and being angry at a brother weren’t enough, being pregnant and having mood swings at the drop of a hat didn’t make things any better. Because as angry as I tried to stay at my brother, I couldn’t. I missed him. I’d missed him for a long time and always assumed there would be more time for us to repair our relationship. But now there wasn’t. “Stupid men—” I blather, but I lose the battle with the tears.
Sophie swoops in and pulls me into a hug.
I let go and grasp onto her. “My stupid brother, and his pride too. He should’ve told us. We could’ve helped.”
Sophie strokes my hair and just rocks me slowly. The image of Michael comes into my mind, and I can’t help but see myself like a gigantic grown up baby. I laugh. Sophie falters and pulls back. Her eyes think I’m crazy.
“I just pictured myself as a gigantic baby. As if you were comforting Michael.”
Sophie’s bottom lip pouts, and she chuckles, then pulls me back to hug it out. “It’s okay, Mimi. You of all people taught me that people can change and that we have to trust them. I’m sure your brother wanted to tell you these things, but, maybe he just struggled to get there? Sometimes breaking who we’ve been for the length of our lives is tough. But changing who we’ve been in the last few years, in the eyes of someone who has known you longer is even harder. I don’t think your brother ever meant to hurt you, or us for that matter.”
“Did you say that to Luca?” I ask, pulling back and wiping my nose on a sleeve.
“I did,” Sophie says. “Luca likes to think that he’s made himself this big old and wise don as of late, but it’s me he gets half of his wisdom from.”
That makes me smile, and I take a big, shaky breath. Letting it swirl down into my lungs and fill out my belly. “I’m pregnant,” I say.
Sophie’s eyes cannonball out of her face and she chokes on the air she’s breathing. “What!” she screams.
I grin and shake my head. “I found out the other week. Sebastian and I are pregnant.”
Sophie looks around the apartment and then does a double take on me. “Well, you’re definitely staying with us now—”
“No,” I say, putting up my hands.
“Yes!” Sophie tries pulling me off the bed to a standing position. “All this stress is horrible for a baby. “You’ll cause all these issues and you’ll—”
“Need I remind you whatyouwent through while pregnant?”
“Please don’t,” Sophie says, pursing her lips. “You know that what I went through was horrible for my pregnancy. Which is why I don’t wish it upon anyone else.” She tries pulling me along again.
“You can’t convince me otherwise, Soph.” I pull back, leaning back onto the bed.
“Well, then I’ll have to—” Sophie is spluttering along, trying to understand my insanity. “You can’t! You just can’t do this.”
“I have to Sophie,” I grab her hand now. “You of all people understand duty and honor and all that.” She grunts at me and frowns. “Low of you to use my father’s words against me.” She squints in fury at me.
I snort and pet her hand. “But you know I’m right. I’m not doing this to be a hero or be brave. I’m doing this for mom. She protected me when we were little.”
“And you could protect her better now,” Sophie says, folding her arms. She makes a face like she’s cross with me. Even turns away slightly. Then after a few beats, she turns back, grinning. “I can’t believe you’re pregnant though!”
We both giggle, and I feel relief wash through me. She finally understands.
“But how come you didn’t call me? I thought we were pregnancy-scare friends?”
I laugh. “Oh, believe me I was thinking of you the whole time.” I stand up and continue packing my things. “I even went to the same pharmacy, bought the same brand, and everything. “Sophie grins. “Longest two minutes of my life.”
