After a few minutes Giovanna comes back into the room.
“Hey, Giancarlo, would you like to come with me to find some snacks?” Giovanna smiles at him.
He looks at him mom, who nods and smiles at him.
“Go with Giovanna. Please listen to her and behave.”
“Otay, Mama.” He kisses her cheek as Gia picks him up. “I wuv you.”
“I love you too.”
I take a seat on the chair next to her bed. I have so many questions but I don’t want to push her.
“I’m so sorry. I wish I hadn’t run from you. I was just so scared that you would get tired of me, and I let all those women get to me. They would say so many things when we’d be watching warmups and even on practice days. A couple months after I left, I found out I was pregnant. But I had already met someone, his name is Yakov Koslov, and I let him believe he was Giancarlo’s father.”
I sit quietly and listen to her. I want to scream at her for keeping him from me and letting another man be his father. But how can I do that knowing she won’t be here much longer? And did she say ‘Koslov’? God, I hope he’s not part of the bratva we’ve had problems with.
“So does Giancarlo call him ‘dad’?”
“No. It’s really weird, Giancarlo’s been talking since he was about ten months old. His first word was ‘mama.’ After I had him, Yasha kept trying to make him say ‘papa.’ But he’s never said it, not even now. He calls him ‘Yasha,’ and it drives him crazy.”
I can’t help but smile, it’s like he knows this ‘Yasha’ isn’t his daddy.
“I chose the wrong person, and I’m so sorry, Gianluca. I never should’ve left you, I should’ve trusted that we would be okay.” She sniffles. “And I was on my way to make things right. You need to know that Yasha is a bad guy. At first he was sweet and loving. But in the last year, he’s become violent towards me. And I worried for Carlo. I think he’s figured out that he’s not Carlo’s father. I overheard him talking to someone. He was saying how he was going to leave me and take Carlo with him.”
“Is Yasha on Carlo’s birth certificate?”
“No. I told him that I wouldn’t do it unless we got married. And he refused to marry me. So it’s only me on his birth certificate. If you can find my bag, it’s in there. I had two suitcases and a duffle bag with me.”
“Does he know you left him?”
“No. He went to work like he always does and I packed as fast as I could and left. He doesn’t know anything about you. Promise me you’ll take care of our son. I promise he’s yours. I know that Giovanna’s doing a DNA test. I’m glad she is, so that you won’t have any doubts. I just wish I was going to be around to watch him grow up. He’s a really good boy. He loves hugs and kisses. Snuggles are his favorite. He loves banana bread, I would bake a batch every week. It always reminded me of you and how much you loved my banana bread.”
“I remember it. It’s still my favorite, your recipe is the best I’ve ever had.”
I take her hand and kiss it.
“I promise I’ll take care of Carlo. And I’ll make sure he never forgets you.”
I wipe the tears that are falling from her eyes.
“I loved you, Gianluca. I know we weren’t together for a long time. But you always made me feel special. I wish I hadn’t left you.”
“It’s okay, we’re together now. And Giancarlo will never see Yasha again. I promise you that.”
“Thank you. I know you’re going to be a great daddy to him.” She sobs and it’s breaking my heart. “I don’t want Giancarlo to be here when it’s time. But I do want to spend some time with him.”
I nod and text Giovanna, asking her to bring him back. I also ask her to come and get him again in an hour.
“I’d like my parents to meet you, if that’s okay.”
“What if they hate me?”
“They won’t hate you. I’ll make sure they don’t.”
“Do you hate me?” she whispers.
“Not even a little bit.”
