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I’m quiet, processing all of this. “Where will you go?” I finally ask.
“I don’t know. But I need to find a way to take my rightful position. I can’t do that if I’m worried about you guys. Don’t tell him you helped me. All he needs to know is that I escaped. And one day, I’ll come back, kill him, and take what’s rightfully mine. What our dad wanted for me.” He grips his pendant tightly in his hand, pressing it to his forehead. “I’ll make you proud, Dad.”
Tears sting my eyes. Antonio and I were never that close, so it doesn’t feel right that I’m the one he’s saying goodbye to and not our other siblings, especially Cecilia. They were always the closest.
“At least say goodbye to Mom,” I tell him. “She’s in the hospital with Emilia. She had her baby,” I explain after he gives me a questioning look. “Mom would want to know you’re ok.”
“Ok,” he says.
Together, we walk into the hospital, and quickly, he’s pulled into surgery. Once he goes in, I find Mom and Emilia in the nursery wing of the hospital.
“Did you find him?” Mom asks, rushing to my side.
“I did. He’s alive and in surgery for a gunshot wound. He’ll talk to you once he gets out.”
Mom slumps in relief. “Thank god. Oh, thank god.” She pulls me into her arms. So many hugs from my mom within one day. If I didn’t feel so alive right now, I’d think I was dreaming. “Let’s go to the hallway.” She guides me from the room because Emilia is sleeping.
“Is Marco still on his way?”
“Yes. He keeps texting me every five minutes, asking how Emilia is doing.” Mom settles into a chair in the nearest waiting room. “I’m so happy Antonio is ok.”
“Me, too.”
Mom is silent for a moment, gazing around at the nurses and doctors passing by. “So, how is your marriage going? You didn’t get the chance to finish telling me. You said Leo hurt you?”
“He … it’s embarrassing.”
“I’m your mother. I can handle a lot.”
With a deep breath, I say, “He made this bet to … to seduce me. But then he tried kissing me, and Emilia caught us, and Marco made us marry. Things were going well for us, though, despite the rocky start. He took me on dates. Museum dates! It meant so much to me. Until the truth came out, and I realized he was lying to me all this time. It just hurts, Mom. It hurts.” It takes me a second to realize I’m crying.
Mom rubs my back. “Did you get to know him?”
“I thought I did.”
“Well, take it from someone who loved a complicated man, the reason it hurts so much is because you love him.”
I wipe at my tears, glancing over at her. “I don’t love him.”
“You don’t? I remember seeing you two dance at the wedding. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look more peaceful in your life.”
“I … I can’t love him, Mom. He lied to me.”
“You don’t think he changed? If he went out of his way to do nice things for you, you believe it was all a lie?”
“I have to.” I shift in my seat. These hard hospital chairs are not exactly conducive for sitting in for long periods of time. “Otherwise, it hurts even more.”
“Your father and I had a rocky start.”
“Really? You always seemed so in love.”
She sighs, rubbing her finger down her temple. “We grew to that, but it took time. I was only eighteen, and it was an arranged marriage. He was older, more established. I hated him at first, but we found love. When he died, it felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest. It hurt so much because I loved him so much. It felt like a betrayal, even if it wasn’t. It wasn’t like he meant to die. But I held a lot of resentment for him after he died, for leaving me alone. So, the reason you’re hurting right now is because you might love your own husband. Otherwise, you wouldn’t care as much.”
“I thought you blamed me for Dad’s death,” I whisper.
Mom turns to me with wide eyes. “Oh, Francesca.” She pulls me into her side. “No. I was mad for a moment, yes, but I let that go years ago. I don’t blame you for Dad’s death. Not at all.”
These were the words I’ve been waiting to hear for years. I can’t stop the tears from spilling out now.
