I smile at my mom. Although she’s nosy and over the top sometimes, I aspire to be just like her.
“I see all Gallo women are strong,” Leo replies.
“But they love hard, Leo. Remember, for all of their bravado, there’s a kind soul and a soft heart underneath that tough exterior. Don’t mess this up, or you’ll have me to deal with.”
I guess this is progress. Although my father has threatened Leo again, it has nothing to do with his name and everything to do with how he treats me.
Someone should’ve set my father straight back in the day. He wouldn’t have been a dumb shit for so many years. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he has changed, and for once, no one will win the over-under.
18
Leo
“I’ll be fine,”I say to Daphne over the phone before I walk into my father’s home. “Don’t worry.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You’ve already had a gun pointed at you today.”
I laugh. “If I can survive your father, I can survive anything.”
“Your dad’s going to flip.”
“I know, but he’ll just have to deal with his shit. It has no place in my life. If he can’t, I’ll choose you over him and walk away forever.”
“I’d hate for that to happen.”
“You don’t know my father. It may be a blessing.” I step onto the front stoop and take a deep breath. “I’ve got to run. I’ll call you when I leave.”
“Good luck, Leo,” she says sweetly.
My father’s waiting for me in the dining room, reading the newspaper and drinking espresso like he does every afternoon.
As I step into the room, he pushes his thick black glasses higher on his nose and glances up from the paper. “I’m here,” he says with absolutely no warmth in his voice as he folds the paper in half and sets it off to the side. “What’s so important to take you away from your work?”
I pour myself a cup of espresso, letting him stew a bit. He’s watching me closely like he always does. My father’s an observer. He never says much, not unless it’s important to him. “You’re going to be a grandfather again,” I say casually, not really knowing how to start the conversation about Daphne Gallo.
“Is Alicia pregnant again?”
I laugh at how quick he rushes to judging my sisters, especially Alicia. She’s thirty-five and has three children by two different men, which in my father’s eyes, makes her a disgrace.
“No. Alicia’s not pregnant, Pop.” I lean back, holding the tiny espresso cup in one hand, hoping like hell this will go easier than I expect it to. “I’m having a baby.”
My father’s eyebrows rise, and it’s the first time he doesn’t look angry to hear he’s having another grandchild. “It’s about time.” He pushes his cup to the side and leans forward. “I’ve been waiting for you to carry on the family name.”
“Well, that’s the thing.” I pause and sip the rich, dark espresso and revel in the taste of the old country.
“Please don’t tell me you knocked up some gold-digging whore.” He pinches the bridge of his nose, imagining the worst thing he can think of, but he’s way off base.
“No.” I shake my head. “Nothing like that.”
He waves his hand over the table in circles. “Out with it, son.”
“The mother is Daphne Gallo.”
My father’s eyes widen. He doesn’t say a thing as he leans back, resting his elbow on the armrest of the chair, and he places his fingers against his lips.
“Say something.”
He takes his glasses off, placing them on the table in front of him. “Santino’s only daughter?”
