Chapter 27: Viviana
I've been back in my childhood bedroom for three days, and it feels like a prison.
The pale pink walls that once felt comforting now seem to mock me. The white furniture that Papa chose when I was twelve looks childish and ridiculous. Even my collection of books feels like artifacts from someone else's life.
Because I'm not the same person who left this room weeks ago.
That girl was sheltered, naive, and content to sneak out to clubs and call it rebellion. This woman has lived through attacks and fallen in love with a man who kills people for a living.
And now it appears this woman is carrying that man's child.
I stare at the pregnancy test in my shaking hands, the two pink lines as clear as accusations. Positive.
Undeniably, unmistakably positive.
I'm pregnant with Damon Lombardi's baby.
And obviously have been for weeks.
A soft knock on my door makes me quickly hide the test under my pillow.
"Viviana?" Mama asks from outside the door. "May I come in?"
"Of course."
She enters carrying a tea tray, her movements careful and deliberate. Mama has always been the peacemaker inour family, the one who smooths over Papa's rough edges and explains his decisions in ways that make them seem reasonable.
"I thought you might like some chamomile tea," she says, setting the tray on my nightstand. "It's calming."
"Thank you."
She sits on the edge of my bed, studying my face with the kind of maternal intuition that sees everything.
"You look pale, sweetheart. Are you feeling alright?"
"Just tired. It's been a difficult few days."
"I can imagine." She pours tea into two delicate cups. "Your father has been in meetings constantly since you came home."
"About me?"
"About the proposal." Mama's tone is carefully neutral. "Mr. Lombardi's request for your hand in marriage."
"What's Papa thinking? Will he agree?"
"He's weighing the options. This isn't a simple decision, Viviana. There are... complications."
"What do you mean?"
Mama sets down her teacup and looks at me directly. "The kind that involve honor, family reputation, and centuries-old traditions that most people have forgotten even still exist."
"Damon told me about the traditions. About what happens when..."
"When a man takes a virgin daughter without permission," Mama finishes. "Yes, your father explained the situation to me."
Heat floods my cheeks. "I'm sorry, Mama. I know I've brought shame to the family."
"Don’t say that. You haven't brought shame. You've brought a choice." She reaches over and takes my hand. "A very complicated choice that needs to be decided carefully. Marriage to Damon Lombardi would solve the honor issue, yes. But it would also create new problems. You'd be leaving our family to join theirs. Your children would be Lombardis first, Bonaccis second."
