“Oh, Tera. We know that,” Lucy begins, then comes over and hugs me again. “Weknow. We can see it.”
“You’d have to be blind not to,” Mama Russo agrees.
“Does this mean you all forgive me?” Xander asks.
Lucy scoffs. “I want to be mad at you. Ishouldbe mad at you. But with a story like yours, how can I? You were true to Tera." Lucy looks around, then lands on Jesse. "All of you were. I respect that, even if it does sting I didn't know."
“I’m sorry, Cupcake. You know I’d have told you…”
“I know. I do. I get it—and I’ll get past the hurt, too. I promise,” Lucy tells her husband, giving him a hug this time.
“Looks like you fuckers dodged a bullet,” Linc teases.
“Lincoln Ramirez! You will watch your language,” Mama Russo chastises.
“Yes, ma’am,” he agrees, looking sheepish.
The entire room bursts into laughter.
“My big, tattooed, underground fighting brother cowers to this lovely Italian lady. Please tell me someone got that on film,” I joke.
Ethan smirks. “Oh, I got it. I knew he was just biding his time before he cursed and I knew Mama R was gonna get him for it.”
“You could’ve warned me,” Linc tells Ethan.
“Hell no! We didn’t get a warning,” Xander tells Linc.
“Yeah, whatever,” Lincoln mumbles, sounding much like the little boy who got scolded in school.
“Aww, poor baby,” I croon.
“Yeah, yeah,” he replies.
Lucy walks up and smiles at Xander and me.
“He’s my best friend,” she begins. “I hope you’ll be okay with that. I don’t think I could live in a world where he’s not my best friend.”
Tears glisten in her eyes, and she's so genuine, I start to tear up as well.
“Of course it’s okay. Xander told me everything—everything. I get it, and I want to thank you, Lucy. I want to thank you for being there for him. For making him smile and laugh even when life wasn't so easy," I tell her. "I certainly don't want that to stop. Xander laughing is the best sound in the world."
She laughs with me. “It certainly is.”
Jesse walks over to me and hugs me close. “Thank you, Tera. I know that wasn’t easy.”
“It was easier than I thought it would be,” I tell him honestly.
Jesse nods. “I’d give them anything they asked for.”
It’s my turn to nod. “Me too. How could we not, when they’ve given us the world?”
