“Where you stalking her?” I asked him and he grinned.
Salvatore moved to another wall, flicked a switch and the panel opened to reveal a wallpaper-sized glass-encased photo.
“Fuck,” the word slipped out on a ragged whisper, my eyes wide with shock. “You kept it.”
“It was the one thing I took with me. Our father made sure he kept it when we were taken from the car. I had it blown up and now and then when I’m lonely I sit here and talk to you.”
“And all this time I thought you’d come here to find solace in my photos” Ria’s laugh was soft as she stood beside us and stared at the photo. “But it was you brother who gave you comfort.”
It was a photo of the two of us in our Star Wars costumes, a kind neighbor had made for us that last Halloween together. She’d taken the photo and snuck it to us when Monster wasn’t at home.
“Welcome home, little brother,” Salvatore’s eyes were glazed just like mine before he pulled me into an embrace.
“Thank you, for keeping a little bit of us.” I hugged him back.
If anyone had to ask me what I needed in my left right now. Simple answer. Nothing.
73
Gianna (27 Years)
Later that night after a lengthy dinner, my new family moved into the living room. Salvatore and Zayne were deep in conversation about their lives and while I watched Rowan and Maddox invent their own sign language between brothers, I loved being distracted by the occasional laugh from their fathers. Two brothers who fell in love with the same woman fucked her alone and together, yet didn’t know the other existed.
If someone told me this morning that come evening Salvatoreil diavolowould be making foreign sounds other than barks and growls, I would’ve laughed in their face. Because a man like him would never make beautiful chuckling sounds until a man like Zayne entered his world, challenging to boot, yet sweet enough to make his brother smile.
Serendipity has a weird way of sneaking into people’s lives, catching them unawares, and giving what they truly deserve, just not when it’s expected.
Julian walked in, drawing my gaze away from the kids. All through dinner, he’d sat opposite me, his face all flushed and contemplative. I’d wondered what was going on with him and planned to talk to him until he disappeared right after the meal ended.
Now, he stood a few feet away from me, all nervous again. Rising from the couch, I neared him. “Is everything all right? You look kind of flustered.”
He stared at me for a minute then drawing a deep inhale, he withdrew an envelope from his inside jacket pocket. “Your mom asked that I give you this when I thought the time was right.”
I frowned, looking at the envelope. “My mom? It’s been ages since her death, Julian. Why now?”
“Please, sweetheart.” The earnest look in his eyes had me biting my lower lip for a moment. “I’ve never asked anything of you before, have I?” He rubbed my arm lightly. I shook my head. “Then please, read it. As I said, she asked me to give it to you when I thought the time was right. This is the perfect time.”
