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“Oh my God. How does Jared feel about that?”
“You know Jared. He doesn’t have an opinion about anything.”
“That’s nasty.”
“But true.”
My throat is tight with longing when I ask, “How’s the baby?”
“He’s a handful.” He laughs. “He gives Mattie and Jared a run for their money. That’s one of the reasons why Mom moved in, to give them a hand. It was hard in the beginning, especially when Mattie was suffering from postnatal depression.”
Concern makes me uneasy. “Is she all right?”
“She’s doing better now.”
I look at my husband even as I pose the question at Ryan. “Can you send me a photo?”
Angelo nods.
“Sure,” Ryan says. “What is your new number? Can you send it to me?”
I clear my throat. “You can send it to this phone.”
Ryan’s stifled anger is palpable in the beat of silence that follows.
I don’t sound convincing when I add, “The reception is iffy here.”
“Sure,” he says in a wry tone. “I’ll send our messages to Angelo’s phone.”
My husband holds out his palm in silent instruction.
Not ready to say goodbye, I grip the phone harder. “How’s Colin?”
Angelo clenches his jaw. The violence that darkens his eyes almost makes me falter, but who knows when I’ll have another chance to speak to my family?
Ryan hesitates. “He and May got back together.”
“That’s great,” I say, genuinely happy for them.
“They, um…” Ryan coughs. “They got engaged.”
“Wow.” I can’t help but think about Colin and my disastrous attempt at a wedding and what a big mistake that would’ve been. “Tell them I say congratulations.”
“Sabella,” my husband growls under his breath.
“Tell everyone I love them.” At the narrowing of Angelo’s eyes, I say, “I have to go. It was good to hear your voice.”
“It was good to hear yours too,” Ryan says. “Take care of yourself, Bella.” He adds with a clear message to my husband, “Don’t wait so long before you call again. We worry when we don’t hear from you.”
“Okay,” I say, even if I have no idea if I’ll be able to keep the promise.
Angelo takes the phone and ends the call before slipping the phone in his pocket. His features are set into harsh lines as he picks up his mug. I suppose it’s hard for him to make concessions for the people who murdered his family. It’s tough for me too. But sometimes, I choose to forget. Especially when I’m in my husband’s bed and crying out his surname when I come.
He pushes to his feet, pulling my attention back to him. “I have to go. I already missed my first meeting.”
Blinking, I watch him in a daze as he starts clearing the table. I don’t tell him to leave it, that it’s okay, that I can do it. Because it’s not okay. None of it is. Not knowing when I’ll see my family again leaves an ache in my chest. I’m too apprehensive to ask. I’m too scared it’s a question of if and not when.
When the kitchen is tidy, he walks to the table and stops next to my chair. For a moment, he only looks at me. I can’t read him. I have no way of telling what’s going through his mind. I only know the call with Ryan upset both of us, albeit for different reasons.
