He’s never once said anything about taking me and Enzo with him if he does decide to go.
"Please wake up," I say, as if Luca might somehow hear me from his hospital bed floors away.
What if he doesn't? What if I'm left alone again, raising another child without their father? The universe couldn't be that cruel twice, could it?
I close my eyes and force the thought away.
No. Luca is strong.
Stubborn.
Too stubborn to die from a gunshot by the Bratva. His color is returning, his vitals stabilizing.
The doctor is optimistic.
I have to be too.
I splash more water on my face, willing away the nausea that comes in waves now.
Morning sickness. I remember it well from Enzo.
At least this time I know what to expect.
And Enzo will be thrilled.
He's already asked me more than once for a brother or sister.
Now he'll have one, another person to love.
I dry my face and straighten my shoulders. Whatever happens, I've done this before. I can do it again.
But God, I hope I don't have to.
My heart skips as I approach Luca's door and hear talking.
I pause outside his room, listening with joy as I hear his voice.
Relief floods through me and I’m eager to see him. To hold him. To tell him that I love him too.
“When I can stand again, I’m heading back home.”
I freeze with my hand on the door handle.
“This is your home,” Valentina says.
"My business needs me. I've been gone too long already."
My stomach drops. I press my palm against it instinctively, as though shielding our unborn child from his words.
I pause, wanting to hear more.
"You can't be serious. Your life is here now. Your son is here," Valentina argues.
"She's right," Alessandro says. "You've proven yourself. There's a place for you in New York. In the family."
"The family needs you,” Adriano adds.
My breath holds as I wait for Luca’s response. Surely, he can hear that they’ve accepted him back in the family. He has a place here.
