Gianna
Nine years after the wedding Alessio came home in the afternoon. He had reserved a table at our favorite restaurant for our ninth anniversary, a small place that served rustic French food. Mia had agreed to watch Simona and Daniele. Although it was more of a sleepover, considering they were nine and almost 12 years old. They no longer needed to be watched 24/7, even if they were up to no good most of the time. We had just finished a delicious liver pate with warm brioche and two glasses of Viognier, my favorite white wine, when I got brave.
“Don’t you still want more children?” I wanted to ask him in a calm, low voice, but instead I had blurted it out. Alessio slowly lowered his glass, tightening his eyebrows.
“Are you…?” I glanced at him, then raised my nearly empty wine glass.
“Really? Do you think I would drink two glasses of wine if I were pregnant?”
He chuckled.
“I haven’t thought about it.”
“Men,” I muttered, but I couldn’t help but smile.
“So what do you say?” I was strangely nervous about this. Alessio and I talked about almost everything except the kind of business he thought was too brutal for me, and Simona and Daniele’s secret that I still carried in the deepest part of my heart. Alessio put his hand on mine.
“Do you want another child?” Another child. Not a child, not your child. We had come a long way, and by now there was no doubt that Simona and Daniele were my children, too. “I don’t feel like our family is complete yet. I want to have a baby to cuddle again.” “They cry and throw up and poop, and once they don’t do that anymore, they throw the worst tantrums. Do you really want that?” I smiled.
“Yes.”
Alessio shook his head as if I was being unreasonable, but from his kind look I knew I had him with me. “So what?” “If you want another baby, you’ll have it.” “What about you? I don’t want you to give me a baby just to do me a favor.” Alessio leaned over the table. “Trust me, giving you a baby is not a thankless job for me.” I gave him a light slap on his forearm and he continued in an even lower voice. “I would love to have a baby with you.”
“We can start today,” I whispered and ran my high heel down his pant leg, smiling suggestively. In his tight-fitting suit, he looked irresistible. One corner of his mouth lifted.
“Are you sure you want to miss the Canard a l’orange and the Crepe Suzette?” Hearing Alessio speak French, even to praise a duck in orange sauce and pancakes, was almost too much for what little control I had left. I pressed my heel against his groin, causing a hiss to form in his throat. “Okay, food first, then sex.” He shook his head but couldn’t say anything because the waiter was heading toward us with our main course.
/ We spent Christmas at our beach house as we had done the previous two years. Despite the cold weather, we really enjoyed taking walks along the beach. It was a way for Alessio to get away from the burden of his responsibilities for a couple of days. When he was home, someone always wanted something from him. That was the problem if you were Underboss. Dad had always delegated most of the work. Alessio preferred to be in control.
Simona and Daniel decorated the Christmas tree while I made Christmas dinner for the family. Loulou turned next to me, hoping that a slice of bacon would fall to the floor. It was now a tradition for Alessio’s sisters and their families, as well as his parents, to come over to celebrate. My parents did not want to travel long distances in the winter, so we always visited them in Baltimore after Christmas. I had a special Christmas gift for Alessio that I would give him once we were alone. A gift box filled with a cute little onesie with the words.
“Hi, Daddy,” earplugs, Advil and carpet cleaner as a joke for that time Simona ripped off her diaper and pooped on our living room carpet after eating red beet. It was a memorable moment that the carpet did not survive. Apparently the beet was harder to get out of the fabric than the blood.
I couldn’t wait to see his reaction. When I wasn’t drinking wine during dinner, Mia would give me a knowing look, and Alessio seemed to notice quickly, too. What worried me most was Mansueto’s anxious expression. He had kept his promise and had not mentioned the paternity test again, but his silence did not mean it was not still on his mind. His health had deteriorated rapidly in recent months. He needed a wheelchair and had lost a lot of weight. Having an heir, one who was related to him in blood, could be one of the last things he wanted to accomplish in his life.
Alessio
Even before Gianna gave me the Christmas present, I knew she was pregnant, and not just because she didn’t drink wine. She had been acting differently in the last two weeks. Imperceptible changes. From time to time she would touch her breasts as if they hurt. She had also not felt well in the morning. I never asked because I wanted to give her time to come to terms. Of course, everyone else noticed during dinner, too. Gianna always had a glass of white wine with her food. Before my father and mother left, she took me aside. I knew what was coming.
“You should consider taking a paternity test now. Your unborn child deserves it.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I whispered harshly. Daniel and Simona were saying goodbye to their cousins and too far away to hear anything.
“If it’s a boy, he could be your true heir.” “This discussion is over.”
“I’m old. I don’t know how much time I have left…”
“And that’s why you shouldn’t destroy our relationship now.” Father nodded, then motioned for Mother to get him out of the house. Gianna looked at me worriedly. I turned a tight smile to her. She didn’t need to know. When I later opened Gianna’s box in our bedroom, I felt a little dizzy, even though I knew what it would reveal. I was in my 40s. After Gaia’s death, I was sure I would never become a father again, and now here I was.
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered when I said nothing for a few seconds.
I wrapped her in a gentle embrace, kissing her sweet mouth.
“That was quick.” Pride resonated in my voice. Gianna rolled her eyes.
“We have trained so hard over the years, your swimmers are practically ready for Olympic gold.” Even after all these years, Gianna’s quick wit often caught me off guard. “Sometimes I don’t know what to do with you.” She tightened her lips. “Kiss me?” I did, then pulled back.
“Shall we tell Simona and Daniele tomorrow?” Gianna hesitated. “I’m sure they will be happy.” They had accepted Gianna as their mother. Daniele hardly mentioned Gaia, and Simona remembered nothing about her.
Concern flashed across Gianna’s face, and I realized that she was not worried about our children not accepting a child, until my thoughtless words.
“That’s not why you hesitated.”
“No, I just thought we should wait a few more weeks. I don’t want anything to happen.” He scanned my eyes.
“They will be happy, won’t they?”
“Of course. Then they have someone else to torture.” Those two were like cats and dogs sometimes, especially now that they were grown up and Daniel was trying to look cool.