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“Please, no need to drown yourself with regret. You’re here. Both of you.” I glance down at her belly.
“Let’s get you some water.” I turn to the filtered pitcher on the counter.
“Joaquin?”
“Yes?”
She hands me a dry kitchen towel as I give her water.
“I know. I know our grandparents loved each other.” Nadia admits.
My throat tightens up. All I can think about is my grandmother. Not in a ‘pity her’ way, but what she told my father.“I hope this Vitale is capable of making it last.”I know my grandfather was meant to be with my grandmother. That’s how things went. Because if he did end up with Delores, there would’ve been no me, and there would’ve been no Nadia.
But here we are, face to face.
“When did Nonna tell you?” I ask.
“The other day. When she took me to lunch.”
I nod, recalling her lunch date in town. “Okay. My dad told me when he stopped by the shop after the fourth.”
She gives me a slight nod as if she figured so.
“So…how does that make you feel?” I wonder.
“Weird. I can’t lie.”
“Same with me.”
“But… that’s not really what I want to talk about right now.”
My throat tightens up even more.
“I...my agent is offering me a once-in-a-lifetime work experience.”
These words hit heavy like rushed food in my intestines.
“And… it’s far away. Very far. Dubai.”
Her face is turning red, possibly mirroring the color of my own. She sips her water, and I wish I poured myself one, but I’m frozen. I need to hear where this is going.
“About the Khan family dynasty.”
Holy shit. That’s quite a privilege. I’m not sure where this is going, but an opportunity like that is historical.
“And it’s a lot of money; it would set me and the baby up forever.”
I can’t outdo what this will bring to Nadia and the baby. Absolutely not.
“I get why this has taken so long to talk about,” I mutter.
Her eyebrows furrow, and I fight to push back any heartbroken tears threatening to surface. I can’t do this to myself. I don’t want to show my vulnerability right now, as hers is much heavier. It almost feels like it won’t be fair, even though I am the one that’s about to be heartbroken.
“Well…Joaquin. I have to be with the true green.”
The true green?That’s right. Good ol’ capitalism. Why is she telling me this right now? And like this?
“Okay. So…does this mean you’ll video the baby’s delivery in Dubai? Like, what am—”
