Arianna’s POV
The beeping sound of the machine around me was the first thing my subconscious acknowledged as my eyes flutter open.
I was in a hospital. A real one this time.
My eyes went to the white light above me and a memory flash of what happened came propelling into my head.
I was in the shack waiting patiently for Gabriele and his men to show up as he had promised. I heard the first attack and I braced myself just like Agostino thought me. But then Brett came in gasping like a lunatic.
I fought him off for as long as I could, but the pain in my abdomen made it impossible for me to focus, the last thing I remembered before blacking out was the pricking pain of the needle.
Where did he take me- the thoughts died down in my head as my eyes settled on the one person my heart valued the most.
“Gabriele?” I called in a weak voice.
He snapped his eyes open. Then in slow motion, I watched how his face exploded into relief. He held my hands and peppered kisses all over them.
“Oh, Arianna, I am so sorry,” He whispered and I saw the tears glistening in his eyes.
I was confused. We won, didn’t we? Why was he apologizing?
“Gabriele, what is it?” I asked cupping his cheeks in my hands.
“We lost the baby…” He whispered and my eyes enlarged in shock. I was pregnant!
“The doctor did everything he could but that bastard had already killed it long before we got to you!” He covered his face with his hands and held mine away.
Now, I understand why my abdomen was hurting so much. I was hurt but I was grateful to be alive and to have someone who loved me so much, he walked through hell to get me back.
I sat up and uncovered his face.
“Baby, it is fine. We can always try again,” I whispered.
Our eyes locked in an intense glare that almost felt intimate. He hugged me and held on to me for so long, I felt my heart ease in comfort.
“How is everybody?” I whispered against his chest.
His heart skipped a beat and he went stiff. He said nothing for a couple of seconds and I understood that I had to be strong. Agostino always said as a fighter, one needed to be prepared to lose the people they held dear in battle.
“Mike didn’t make it,” he whispered then pulled apart.
My heart broke at the mention of Mike but the look in his eyes made me realize that there was more.
“Agostino -didn’t make it either,” Gabriele said in a broken voice.
My heart shattered and tears broke out of my glands before I could process it. Agostino…
“I am sorry… I couldn’t save him,” Gabriele cried. He held me in his arms and we both cried for the man that became more than just a godfather to him.
He was my tutor and my trainer and he had the heart of a sixteen-year-old. So full of life…
We comforted each other quietly as we both reminisce about the good times we spent together with Agostino.
The door soon burst open and a man that looked a lot like Gabriele stepped into the room.
“Am I interrupting something?” He asked with a grin on his face.
“No, no…” Gabriele said creating some space between us. “Come father, I want you to meet Arianna,” he said with a small smile on his face.
“Father?” I gasped in shock.
I remembered how Gabriele hated his father, it was a miracle they finally made up. But I wondered what brought them back together.
“He is one of the reasons I have you here with me today,” Gabriele explained as if he heard my thoughts.
I smiled at him and then moved my eyes to the man standing by the door.
“Won’t you come in?” I asked.
“Oh and I brought your grandparents too,” he said and my eyes furrowed -not for long though as the room was soon filled with happy chattering from my Nonna and Mr. Andino.
“When those men tried to kidnap me, I became James Bond and saved your nonna!” My grandfather said and the room erupted into laughter.
We were all still laughing about the jokes when I noticed that Gabriele was no longer paying attention. He was standing by the window looking out into the distance.
“Gabriele? What’s wrong?” I asked and silenced fell into the room as everyone turned to him.
He peeled his eyes off the window and came to me. He got to the bed but rather than sit with me, he went down on one knee and brought out a blue velvet box from his pockets.
“Gabriele!” I gasped and his father started whistling.
“Arianna, I tried to make research on the proper way of proposing to you but I got scared. Doing that sort of research will take forever… I don’t want to wait forever before making you my wife,” he whispered.
My tears welled up in my eyes again and this time it wasn’t for Agostino or Mike, they were tears of joy.
“Arianna Howard, can you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
My grandparents went into a frenzy as my nonna practically snatched my hand from my mouth to give to Gabriele.
“Yes, Gabriele! Yes, I will be your wife,” I whimpered.
He placed the ring on my finger and Basilio stepped in with a band. I was so overwhelmed, I held on tight to Gabriele. I couldn’t believe it was finally all over.
“Congratulations!” Sofia screamed as she joined us in the room.
Preparations started almost immediately and in just three weeks I found myself standing on the altar listening to the reverend pronounce us, husband and wife.
“I love you,” Gabriele whispered as we made our way to the reception hall. All our well-wishers were present. Even my old friends were invited.
Gabriele left the mafia completely and the Feds vindicated all of his property plus businesses.
We were heading out when someone called my name. I turned around and came face to face with none other than my parents.
Gabriele held me protectively as I glared at them.
“Who are they?” He whispered as his eyes watched them cautiously for any sudden movements.
“They are my parents. The ones who sold me…” I said.
I felt weak all of a sudden. Was I supposed to even hug them after everything they did to me? Or should be thankful that their stunt had brought Gabriele into my life? I didn’t know what to feel or think.
Gabriele’s body tensed as he made to move to them but I stopped him.
“Let me talk to them. Please,” I whispered.
He held my cheeks and looked into the determination in my eyes. Then he kissed me lightly on the lips.
“I’ll be outside if you need me,” he said.
I nodded and sniffled away my incoming tears of pain and deceit as I moved closer to them.
“Arianna, my child…” My mother said reaching for her hand to touch me.
“Don’t!” I said stopping her. “Don’t touch me and don’t call me your child…”
They were looking wretched and broke. But the mysterious cheating glint was still there. They would do it again if they got the chance.
Once bitten twice shy.
“Arianna, we are sorry for everything that we did. We regret it now and we want to take back our responsibility as your parents. Please take us back into your life,” my father said.
“Yes, Aria. We will be the best parents ever. All you have to do is accept us, please my dear… We are so alone -without you,” My mother said.
It sounded like a recorded song they had both practiced to sing to me. A couple of months ago, I would have fallen for this, but now, I was older and wiser.
“I appreciate your remorse but I want to know one thing, why did you do it? Why did you sell out?” My voice broke at this point because this was the only thing I could never find a proper answer to.
“Look at us, we are broke Audrey-” my mother nudged him on the side and he cleared his throat. “We are broke Arianna. We needed the money. We thought we could do an investment with it and get you back afterward…” He explained with an awkward laugh.
My grandparents were right. This man was no good. He dragged her into this.
“Your parents have more than enough to take care of you, why do you let him manipulate you?” I asked turning my attention to my mother.
She dropped her head to the floor and tucked her hair away. She had no answer for me.
“Those old fools wouldn’t give us a dime even if we crumbled at their feet!” The man hissed.
I shook my head sadly at him. There was no redemption for him and as long as she stayed with him, there would be none for her as well.
“I hope you realize your mistakes in life. As for me, you both are no longer my parents. I wish to never see you again,” With that, I walked out ignoring their pleading and begging.
Gabriele made sure they never got close to us ever again.
**
A YEAR LATER…
“Gabriele, it is the baby you are supposed to fix not the entire house! Why are you taking so long?” I yelled as I walked back into our mansion.
My silver heels clicked against the tiles as I took the stairs to go find my husband and son.
They were both giggling as I opened the door and I narrowed my eyes at them. “It isn’t funny! Gabriele, I have been standing out there for hours!”
He got up and straightened his tux before picking up our baby. “It has barely been thirty minutes mama,” he said.
“Tata mama!” My little angel repeated after his father excitedly.
“Agostino Andino! Do not follow your naughty father’s footsteps!” I said sternly but his toothless smile was too contaminated for me to keep my glare for long.
I broke into a smile and Gabriele came to place a kiss on my cheeks.
“Come on, we will be late and Basilio will have my head,” he said rushing to the door immediately.
I rolled my eyes and followed him. He had been playing with his child all along and forgot that we had a wedding to attend.
“Guess who is your special driver for today?” Niko said as we emerged from the house. “Hey little lord!” He said tickling Agostino’s chubby cheeks.
“Niko, you know you don’t have to do this. We have tens of drivers, come on,” I said to him.
We had offered him a job in one of our companies but he kept coming back to help out with small chores in the house.
“Arianna, let him do it, Double A here loves him!” Gabriele said as he mounted the car.
“Who is Double A?” I asked almost gagging at the horrible name.
“That’s what he calls your son when you are not home,” Niko snickered and I narrowed my eyes at Gabriele before joining them in the car.
“Give him to me!” I said grabbing my baby from his hands.
“Arianna, it’s a cool name and he likes it!” Gabriele said with laughter lacing his voice.
“Ku_ku ma_ma!” Agostino mumbled clapping his hands.
“No, it’s not ku_ku,” I said and placed a kiss on his nose. He giggled happily and started playing with the intricacy of my dress.
The car stopped in front of the church and Gabriele took the baby as we stepped down and joined the procession.
It was Basilio and Sofia’s wedding day. The two had become really close after the whole incident and it was no surprise that they ended up together.
Gabriele stayed close to me and as the reverend asked Basilio to kiss his bride, Gabriele also kissed the sides of my head.
“Thank you for coming into my life Arianna, I love you…”
“Booo_boo!” Little Agostino whined blowing raspberries at his father.
“Okay young man, I love you too…” We burst into smiles and continued watching the wedding, wishing the couples a long and happy married life.