A long time later I hear footsteps behind me coming out of the bathroom. “Fay?” Daniel asks. “Are you…all right?” Silent, I shake my head no. “What can we do?” Jerome asks. “Nothing,” I murmur. And then I pause, considering it – considering if there’s anything I want. But I just come up blank. “
I’m still standing wide eyed, my mouth dropped open in shock, my little phone falling from my hands when Daniel and Jerome burst into my room. Jerome slams and locks the door behind him. “Get down!” Daniel shouts, dashing directly for my wardrobe. “What?” I gasp, a little stupidly – but I’m just s
Even if he doesn’t know yet, for sure, that it’s his baby? If Kent can get here. He will. So I too stare between the door and the wardrobe, looking for him. Waiting. Where is he? The silence in the room grows, as the three of us wait. And I thought that it would be better – that I’d get used to
“Ivan,” I breathe, shaking my head, my whole body trembling again. “Back up, Fay,” he says, lifting his chin towards me. “Let me in.” I do has he says, backing up until I’m almost at the bed. His gun still trained on Daniel and Jerome, still kneeling at Daniel’s feet, Ivan climbs through the windo
I glance at Daniel, frantic. Daniel looks back at me with the same expression, his face whiter than I’ve ever seen it. I whip my attention back to Ivan. “What,” I ask, my voice shaking. “What’s – what’s happening.” He just waves the gun at me, continuing to listen to something on his radio. Then,
“What?!” Ivan gasps, his gun falling to his side as he gapes at me, his eyes wide. Daniel groans and drops the pretense of holding his hands up, burying his face in them instead. “You’re pregnant!?” Ivan asks, aghast. “And YOU!” I say, pointing an accusing finger at him. “Are a cop, Ivan! So if w
But of course Kent would have taken it away, because Ivan was his enemy in more ways than one. But I – I hid it, so I could keep it… Even though Ivan…was playing me too. “Fay!” Daniel snaps. “What is he talking about!” And slowly I push myself away from the wall and stand up straight. Ivan doesn’
We’re at the police station for a long, long time before we get any hint of what’s going on. Since we’re not under arrest, I’m allowed to sit with Daniel in an uncomfortable grey chair in the lobby, with lots of cops’ eyes on us. We don’t say much, even though Daniel takes my hand and holds it tigh
My dad greets him with such genuine joy and excitement that it makes my heart swell with joy. They talk for a few minutes about Dominic’s day before dad gives him a little nudge back towards the gate where Kent and I are waiting. Dominic gives dad a kiss before running ahead again. My dad waves to
“Papa!” Dominic shouts, startling me out of my reverie as he drops my hand and darts down the road. I look up, a huge smile breaking out on my face again as I see Kent on the sidewalk just ahead. His back is to us as he speaks companionably with the butcher, a heavy bag of his purchases already hung
As I walk down the street towards the little Italian kindergarten, the whispers start around me, as they always do. I listen to all of them, a big German Shepherd padding quietly at my heels. “Is that her?” “Yes, that’s the one – I heard she was her husband’s mistress before he married her – tha
Both Kent and I laugh, but Don Bianci – across the baptismal font from us – snaps his eyes up, perhaps not liking the joke as much as we do. But I just ignore it, because dad’s right, frankly – and it’s too happy a day to care. After the final blessing everyone applauds Dominic – he likes that, bl
“Well, it didn’t seem to affect your first very badly,” Ivan says with a shrug, peering around Kent to where Daniel is laughing with an arm around Jerome’s shoulders. “So…maybe keep it up.” I smirk, squeezing Ivan’s hand once more before standing and moving to Kent’s side, tucking myself against h
“Hey, gorgeous,” Ivan says, his mouth turned up in a smirk as I cross the churchyard, beaming at him. “Look who’s talking,” I say, laughing and reaching for him when I come close enough. Ivan wraps me in a hug, dropping a kiss to my cheek as I hold Dominic a bit to the side so he doesn’t get squis
He laughs, smiling at me genuinely. “Do I make you nervous?” he asks, blunt. I laugh, unable to help it. “Has no one bothered to tell you, in all these years, that you’re a little terrifying, Don Bianci?” He grins and shakes his head at me. “Well, considering what you accomplished, young lady, I
Two months later, we’re all gathered together again. And it is only with frustration that I see Gio and Janeen standing so close together that their arms nearly brush, even though they’re still not together. I roll my eyes, dismissing the problem for a moment as I move my eyes down to Dominic and
It's an incredible night. Kent didn’t lie, not at all, about the food either. I’m shocked by the mountains of dishes that continue to follow each other, one after another, long into the night. After a few hours of it I just mournfully watch the waiters go by because I couldn’t eat another bite if I