She didn’t sound frightened.
I frowned. I didn’t have one, since I’d never actually gone abroad. But that was not a conversation I was going to dredge up right this second.
“What’s up?” I answered, avoiding her question.
“Well, if you can give me the number—the ID number,” she said excitedly. “I’ll get you booked for the flight and the resort. I have the itinerary pulled up on the laptop right now!”
I blinked and looked at the phone.
“Ela, what is going on?” I repeated slowly.
Liam, holding a bottle that the baby was eagerly sucking down, arched an eyebrow in my direction.
My sister laughed. “Mom is booking us a vacation.”
I scrubbed my hand over my forehead. Had my mother lost her mind? Papa was never going to allow that.
“What is she thinking?” I whispered, as though he were listening to the conversation. “She can’t go around saying that. Papa will fly off the handle!”
“Oh, we’re gonna leave right after his funeral. Can you come with us? Will Liam spare you?” Carmela jabbered.
“Tell her it’ll be like her honeymoon,” Mama shouted from the background.
The phone slipped from my fingers.
“We’ve never actually been on a honeymoon,” Liam contemplated, tasting the words on his lips. “Tell them you can go, if it’s like a honeymoon.”
I stared at him. A honeymoon….
“Gabby!” the voice from the phone on the table shouted. “Where are you? Yeah, you can’t leave us here alone!”
Liam bounced Luca, who started to fuss.
My brain was scrambled. The crying didn’t help.
Too much.
It was all too much.
“I think he needs to be burped,” I squeaked.
Liam looked at the baby, looked at me. “And how, pray tell, do I do that?”
I opened my mouth, but the only sound that came out was a hollow croak.
Papa was dead?
Luca wailed louder. But suddenly, a warm hand squeezed my shoulder.
“Breathe, little bird,” the beast murmured. “You’ve got to remember to breathe.”
A long, ragged breath filled my lungs.
One thing at a time.“Put him upright on your shoulder and pat his back.”
As I spoke, I pressed my cheek briefly against Liam’s bare hand. His calm presence steadied me. It gave me the strength to pick up the phone.
“Start from the beginning,” I demanded, cutting off Carmela as she jabbered excitedly into the phone about all that the resort had to offer. “What funeral?”
