A Love Restored

“How are you holding up?” Gabriel asked from a corner of the kitchen.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

A few days had passed since my doctor’s appointment. I was feeling a lot better. Julian and I had been texting every day, and we had spoken on the phone once. It felt like the beginning of a relationship – all whispered conversations and good morning texts. I liked it. It made me feel fun and Trivolous. It made me get butterflies in my stomach.

All this had uplifted my spirits quite a bit. For starters. I had made it outside my room and had resumed normal interaction with people. The only thing was, given the fact that Nice and I were not speaking, I was only just realizing that I had basically no friends. The only people I was speaking to were my dad, my brother, and Julian

Nien had always been such a huge part of my life. A huge part of me. He had filled my life, completely, and I had never felt the need or the desire to have other friends. Sure, I had acquaintances from school, but no one substantial

I felt like a part of me missing, knowing I couldn’t reach out to Nico like I used to do before. Knowing that each time someone knocked on my door, it surely wasn’t him. There was a hole in my chest that somehow hurt worse than when I had broken up with Julian. Maybe friendship breakups did hart

But I didn’t have it in me to go to hins, speak to him, or anything. Not just y yet…

“Good,” | answered Gabriel truthfully, I was making dinner for the three of us. My dad had been very worried, I wanted to assure him that I was going to be fine. Besides, 1 had planned a mini sex reveal surprise for them both. I’d made a small cake that was pink on the inside to tell them I was having a girl I knew both of them would be ecstatic.

Gabriel was always going on and on about getting a niece.

“I heard you talking to Capo Bastone on the phone yesterday.” He urged. I rolled my eyes. Eavesdropping much?

“We’re just trying to work things out”

It was enough explanation. Truth was, I didn’t have much I could say about it. We were just figuring things mut. Taking things slow. And for the first time in my life, with anything that involved Julian, this was the only time I felt like we were doing the right thing.

Just then, we heard Dad come in. Gabriel helped me set the table, and we all sat down to eat. Dad told us a story about someone at work. The veggies were too salty and the meat was slightly overcooked, but no one said anything.

After we were done eating. I asked them to keep sitting. “I made cake!” I announced.

“What’s the occasion?” My Dad asked.

I shrugged, “Just felt like it”

I brought out the cake. I had frosted it in white all over, and shaved some chocolate on top. It looked pretty mid, but that wasn’t the point. I placed it front of Dad. “Why

don’t you cut it?

He looked at Gabriel. “Is it my birthday? Is this June?”

Irulled my eyes, “Come on!”

Dad raised his hands in mock surrender, then took a knife from me, and began to cut the cake

the cake. He cut a slice, then looked up at me, “How is it pink?”

I looked at him, waiting for him to realise. I think Gabriel already had. He jumped out of his seat, almost squealing, and pulled me into a crushing hog. “Holy Jesus, Ginny!” He exclaimed..

try girl.-

Dad looked at the two of us, still confused. I sighed. “Dad! I’m having a baby

He blinked once, as if in disbelief. “Really?”

1 nodded.

12

o pull me into a hug. He stroked my

hair

ir gently, then chuckled to himself. “My

Dad stood up, and Gabriel pulled away from me, only for my father to pull baby gul is having a baby girl.”

That made me giggle, too. It also felt a little bittersweet. I had never been too close with my father. Since Mom died, he had kind of closed in on himself. He had always been nice to me, of course, and we loved each other, but it wasn’t the kind of close parental relationship I had seen others have Like Nico with his parents. The only parental relationship I had had was with Bethany, in a way, after my Mom.

So at moments like this, when my Dad would show real fatherly emotion, I was filled with love and joy and sadness.

“I’ve named her.” Gabriel announced out of nowhere.

“Yeah?”

“It can be Gabby, or Gabriella, or Riela, or Bree,”

Those are all variations of your name, Gabe.” I said, laughing.

“Okay, and?”

I shook my head,

“Ginny, did you tell Capo Bastone?”

I nodded. “He went with me e to the doctor.”

“We can just say his name now, you know? Just Dante.” Gabriel pointed out

1 swallowed

1. d. He was right. But it still left a bitter taste in my mouth. Every time someone mentioned the loss of Julian’s position, I was reminded that I

was the reason.

“Maybe he’ll be reinstated.”

Dad was the one to speak this time. Gabriel began to stuff his face with my cake as we talked. “I don’t think so. He disrespected the family by cutting out his tattoo and giving away his position, I don’t think Don will appreciate it.”

“They’re family, though,” Gabe said. His mouth was filled with pink cake and I could see the half–chewed food in it as he spoke. I made a disgusted face, and he began to chew even more aggressively.

“Family doesn’t t matter in this,” Dad said. “Its not like they’ll disown him. He just won’t be Made anymore.” He looked at me. “Everyone is talking about it, you know?”

I knew they were. It wasn’t very often a Rivera gave up his position. For a girl. Who was marrying his nephew. While pregnant with his baby. Yeah, it was scandalous alright..

I was at the center of it all. I had made a mess of too much, done too many things wrong,

I needed to make things right.

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