Giovanni
“Hey, baby?” I carefully open the nursery door and peek inside.
Benito was asleep the last time I checked on them, and I wouldn’t want to disturb him because of some silly things.
But Alina looks up at me with a tired smile and nods, allowing me to step inside. Benito is in her arms, struggling to hold on to her breast and letting out loud smacking noises, milk rolling down his cheek. I instinctively step forward to wipe it, but Raisa is faster than me-and maybe I’m seeing things, but I feel like she wanted to beat me to it.
I never thought I’d have to race with my mother-in-law to care for my own son…but at the same time, isn’t it true for all families? At least, that’s what I’ve heard from Elena and Jacinta. Only give them a chance to complain about Katherine, and they’ll be at it till midnight.
“Do you need anything?” I ask before anything else, and Alina shakes her head.
“Thank you, honey. But Mom’s already brought me some chamomile tea.” She glances at the table by her side before giving me a pointed look. Chamomile tea is her least favorite.
“Yes, it’s good for your sleep and digestion,” Raisa says in a matter- of-fact tone, fixing Benito’s blanket for the third time, and I decide to ignore that. Neither Alina nor I have any strength to stand against her vigorous care.
In the meantime, Alina catches whispers and noises from the hallway, glances at the door, and looks up at me with a confused frown. “What’s going on there?”
Ah, right. I clear my throat and glance at Raisa, rubbing the back of my neck. “Your sisters are here.”
Elena and Irina were supposed to show up later, when Raisa would be gone, but I guess there was some kind of miscommunication. After five hours of sleep in two days, I can’t be surprised. And to be honest, I don’t really care about the awkwardness in their family-Raisa should learn how to grow up, really-but I don’t want to overwhelm Alina and Benito with too many people at once.
“Oh.” Alina blinks and looks at Raisa, whose face immediately turns into a cold mask, before shrugging and returning her attention to
Benito. There’s nothing we can do now, and I’m glad to see she doesn’t get stressed about it. “Sure. Let them in. It’s time to meet your aunties, huh?
Are you ready?”
I go out of the nursery and back into the hallway where Elena and Irina are discussing something in hushed voices. From what I manage to catch, it’s something about Addison, a neighborhood we’ve recently cleared of the remnants of Mexicans. I wonder if they know what our next goal is- but right now, it doesn’t concern me.
“Go ahead,” I say quietly and nod in the direction of the nursery when the two of them look up at me. “Just be careful.”
“I’ve raised two children, Gio. I know what I’m doing.” Elena quirks an eyebrow at me, patting my shoulder, but her tone is gentle, not mocking. She has raised two children-one and a half, technically; Mia is still a baby-so she understands what we’re going through.
I only chuckle under my breath and step away from the door, giving them access-and I can literally hear the moment Elena understands that Raisa is there. She pauses for a moment in the doorway, allowing the awkward silence to settle, before breaking it with a rather quiet and
surprised, “Mom?”
Another pause.
“Good morning, Elena.”
Thankfully, Irina doesn’t let them ruin the day and takes over with a cooing voice that I’ve never heard from her. “Oh, is it baby Benito? God, he’s so tiny.”
“Can you believe he was in my belly two weeks ago?” Alina asks with a tired chuckle-she sounds tired most of the time, even after taking a nap, and I have an inkling that I’m the same.
“I can’t believe it, actually. My little sister? No way,” Irina says, deadpan, and when I glance inside, I see her crouching by Alina’s side.
“How are you feeling?”
Elena finally joins them as well, although she wisely chooses to stay away from her mother. Alina looks happy, Irina makes a funny face at
Benito, Raisa looks like she just ate a lemon, and I decide to leave them to it. I feel like there’s some kind of family bonding happening that I’m not supposed to be a part of. Besides, I need my coffee.
I can’t help but space out to the sound of our coffee machine, staring out at the fresh summer sky. God, it’s already June. How much time has passed since I met Alina? How many things have changed? I can’t help but smile with warmth and rub my sleepy eyes, thinking about our first meeting, when I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket.
“Hey.”
“Morning,” Matteo’s voice says through the speaker, and I’ve never appreciated his calm attitude more than today. I’m not sure if I’d have the energy and patience to deal with Louis or Paolo right now. “Another day of being a dad, huh?”
I chuckle and pour the coffee into my cup, holding the phone with my shoulder. “It’s great to be alive, man. What’s up?”
“We’ve got more footage of Gerardo.”
I hum in surprise, take a sip, and walk to the living room. “Where?” “Chula Vista. Looks like the asshole is back in the US.”
“Not for long.” I look at the map of North America hanging on the
wall, surrounded by Alina’s photos from our trips last year. “He’s staying close to Tijuana, so he’s not done there yet.”
“What’s he doing in San Diego, then?”
“Probably recruiting someone who knows the American rules better.
I’m sure he’ll find plenty of people willing to work for good money in Chicago.”
Matteo huffs under his breath, and I can hear him leaning back in his chair. “That’s what Isabella said too. You guys are like twins.”
I laugh, and my gaze involuntarily darts to one of my favorite photos where Alina and Isabella are laughing on the beach. I remember that trip to Hawaii, and I remember that exact moment. They were trying to pose like a bird, but neither of them could hold it for long enough for me to take a “good photo”. I think this one is so much better.
“What can I say, she’s good at catching up with me.”
“Or maybe you’re good at slowing down for her?” Matteo says with a joking note, and I huff with a laugh.
“Fuck off.”
“Sure,” Matteo says with his usual unbothered voice. He shifts again, and I hear him tapping on his keyboard. “I’ll send you the footage, okay? Maybe you’ll recognize the place.”
I hum. “Okay, thanks for updating me.”
“No problem. And hey,” Matteo stops me before I can hang up.
“You’ll be there for Liss’ birthday, won’t you? I know you’re going through a lot, but we’d be happy to see you.”
“I’ll do my best, man, I promise,” I say with a half-apologetic smile.
I’ve never thought it could be that hard to simply get out of the apartment for an hour or two, but with a ten-day-old baby, it’s so easy to forget that the world outside even exists.
“Thanks, Gio. See you later.”
Matteo hangs up, and for a moment I stare at the phone with an involuntary smile. God, it still feels so surreal sometimes. I am a member of the Messina Clan? A year ago, I’d kick you for even asking me to say a kind word about them-and now look at me. Look at us, I guess, because Isabella is in the same boat with me.
Because both of us feel that we belong there.
It’s weird, isn’t it? How easy it was for us to take our former enemies’ side and get accepted into the clan. But unlike the Escarras, the Messinas care about family blood and respect each other. They recognized our knowledge of the Escarras and the skills we gained while working for them, so instead of holding grudges, Riccardo accepted us and let us pursue our revenge.
But after that day in Riccardo’s mansion, we haven’t seen Gerardo in Chicago, and only months later did we find out that he and his closest men had gone back to his city-Tijuana. The rumors say that he’s gathering forces to fight for Chicago again, and in the meantime, we are destroying everything he has left here. We’re taking over their territories one after the other, and without their leader, the Mexicans don’t have much choice:
submit or get killed.
But it’s not enough. I don’t really care about the rest of the gang- Gerardo Escarra is the only man I truly want dead. But the Messinas need time to come up with a plan that would get rid of the Escarras once and for all, and I need time to spend with my family.
No matter how much I want to get my revenge, right now all I care about is my wife and my newborn son. Everything else can wait.
I take another glance at the photos on the walls around me, and my heart swells with affection. I’d lived in this apartment for over a decade, but only after Alina appeared in my life did it become the home I’d never had. She filled my life with love and meaning, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her and build a big family together.
As soon as I think about it, my heart nudges me to go back to the nursery where the women of the Pushkov family are all gathered together. It seems that Elena and Raisa have finally accepted each other’s presence, no tension or cold in their eyes when they glance at each other. And Alina is in the middle of them, looking as happy as ever to be a part of it.
I linger in the doorway, watching them coo over Benito. As if sensing my presence, Alina looks up. Our eyes meet and she smiles at me, filling my heart with something so fierce and warm I feel it taking over my being.
I can’t hold it back, and as I hold her gaze, I mouth quietly, “I love you.”
Alina chuckles softly, glances at Benito, stroking his arm with her thumb, and looks back at me. Her cheeks are pink, her hair is soft and loose, her eyes are glowing with love, and I swear on my heart, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
“I love you too,” Alina mouths back at me, and that’s all I need to know what true happiness is.
***** THE END