She flattens her lips, but her overall emotion doesn't change.
Reaching in her purse, she grabs two separate envelopes. I accept them but wait for an explanation.
"One is my resignation and the other is a list of recommendations for my replacement."
I frown because I know how much she loves what she does.
"Are you moving or something?"
She cracks a careful smile and pushes a loose strand behind her ear.
"Moving on. It took a picture for me to finally understand you."
I lean on the door since it's obvious she has no plans of coming inside.
"Meaning?"
Alicia shakes her head like I'm dense and taps a few things on her phone to show me the post I shared.
"I was furious when I saw this. I knew you hunted her down. I even felt like you left me to do it. I yelled at my friends when they joked about me leading you to her." She shakes her head at the memory. "But when I calmed down and looked at both of these pictures again, I realized that you've never looked at me the way you're looking at her." She points at my face in the picture where Elissa is laughing "There's the spark I tried to get out of you. It never happened. Then, the understanding set. I shouldn't have to work that hard to create it. Our season is over, and there's no reason for us to crowd each other. I need to find my spark, and you need to go be crazy with her."
Optioning to let that last dig go, I chuckle and grab her hand.
"Thank you. I'm sure you'll find it. You're beautiful and smart. We just weren't right for each other. I wish you all the happiness you can find. I mean that."
With a smirk, she squeezes my hand, then lets go. "Goodbye, Luca."
I watch her walk away, then close the door when she disappears.
That was interesting.
Chapter 24
Elissa
My bed feels three times bigger without Luca in it, but I don’t have time to dwell on that because my phone is ringing again. Bracing myself, I pray it’s not my mom. She has been on my ass since she found out I’m pregnant.
“I got tired of waiting,” Luca tells me the moment I answer.
“Good morning to you, too, Mr. Girelli.”
“You saying my last name correctly makes me want to fuck your mouth.”
“Aren’t we sexually aggressive this morning?”
“You know it’s afternoon for me.”
“I’m just glad it’s you calling this time.”
“What do you mean?”
“My mom has been driving me crazy since you opened your big mouth.”
“I couldn’t lie. You left the paperwork from the doctor in plain sight.”
“Only because my brain was fried since you answered the door for my parents in nothing but a towel!”
I may have yelled my rebuttal, but a smile is stuck on my face.
My parents' faces were priceless and tickled me inside. Luca had swung open the door with the authority of someone who owns everything inside. While shock was the most prevalent thing on both of their faces, my mom's eyes lit with appreciation for what she was seeing. My dad wasn’t impressed. His frown had gotten deeper the longer Luca remained in that towel.
“Who in the hell are you?” My dad had demanded
“That’s Luca, her boyfriend. I told you she had a boyfriend. You were pretending to listen again, honey.”
Marvin Donnovan’s eyes narrowed at my mom. “Is this why we came, Lisa?”
“To meet our daughter’s boyfriend? You bet,” she confirmed.
Luca extended his hand as if he weren't practically naked. He didn't leave to change until my dad caved and shook it.
His frown turned to me the moment Luca was out of sight. I shrugged.
"Different cultures, Dad," I said like it explained everything.
I'd made coffee for my parents and myself and joined them at the kitchen table. Luca—- now dressed business casual—swiped the coffee from me after I'd taken one glorious sip, and then, continued to commit coffee treason by pouring it out. I’d just found a coffee that didn’t kill my taste buds.
"Hey!" I'd protested but the look he gave me said, 'fuck your coffee.'
He poured me some green smoothie superfood bullshit and joined us at the table where my parents were still staring at him like he was a controlling psychopath.
"Elissa knows she can only have twelve ounces or less a day," he explained with a nod to the positive pregnancy test results next to my mom's elbow.
I'd kicked him under the table, but he didn't care. I watched mortified as she picked up and studied the document.
"You're pregnant!" she screeched excitedly as she clutched her chest.
My dad paled a little which is hard to do with his rich brown shade.
"When's the wedding?" My dad asked while giving Luca a scowl that had intimidated plenty of exes before him.
Luca rubbed his beard. "Yeah, it doesn't quite work like that anymore. She'd have to want to marry me. I can't force her. Just know either way the baby will be a Girelli and well taken care of for the rest of his or her life."
My mom's expression fought between disapproval of the lack of tradition and appreciation of Luca's respect for my rights.
My dad's face displayed his vexation. "All I hear is you trying to find a loophole."
"Not at all, Sir. I'm saying you and I can't make a decision for her."
I think it's a man thing. Luca's uncle had said something similar, but the push back with my dad was Luca's way of telling my dad he's not in control of my life anymore.
It was weird, but I guess it made sense. If Luca and I are moving forward, my dad won't have much input on what we do. Neither will his uncle.
“Where did you go, Elissa?” Luca’s question pulls me back in the present.
“Thinking of ways to get you back for pouring out my coffee in front of my parents. I should have chopped you in the throat. I have a reputation to uphold.”
“You could have tried. I’m too fast and your reach isn’t that far.”
“You talk about my height then initiate a video call?” I taunt when I answer.
Luca’s warm hazel eyes eat up my face.
“I want to see you.” It’s hard for me to pretend to be mad when he’s looking at me with love and desire. “I see you’re wearing my flannel, although you complained about its price.”
“Because what kind of crazy man sends a woman a thousand-dollar shirt in the mail?”
“It got there fine. I wasn’t worried about it like that. I’d buy a new one if I needed to.” His gaze falls to my covered breasts. “Let me see them.”
The change in his tone sends my hormones flying. I’ve already been missing him and not being able to touch him is frustrating.
“I don’t know, Luca. I already miss you, if you get me hot and bothered, I might cry.”
“Wow. Those hormones are something else,” he points out with a chuckle.
“Why are you laughing at my confession.”
“I’m not. I’m laughing at knowing you would’ve never said anything that revealing if you weren’t pregnant.” His face is serious again. “I miss you, too. I have some work to do, but I’ll start looking for ways to move next week.”
“How would you move? Your entire business along with the vineyard and family are there.”
“I know, but I don’t need to do my part at the vineyard. It would require moving the corporate office.”
“And the people you employ?”
“I know. That’s why I said next week. I’m too busy to focus on the details right now.”
I sit at the table, prop up the phone, and begin opening my mail. One of the notices surprises me.
“What’s wrong?”
“Looks like I’ll be searching for somewhere to live. My lease is up, but I didn’t think much about it. I just figured I’d renew. This letter is letting me know that the owner wants to sell it. I don’t love it here enough to buy it.”
“Well, house h
unt. Tell me what you decide. I’ll support you in either decision.”
He makes that sound so easy.
“Uh-huh. Send me some moving money, and I’ll go find a house safe for growing kids with a backyard, in a great school district, and a peaceful neighborhood.”
He’s typing on his computer and not paying attention. “Okay.”
I roll my eyes as I drink my water. “Okay, what?”
“It’s done. Need anything else?”
“What’s done?”
Luca’s eyes snap back to the screen like I’m crazy. “Is this what you call ‘pregnancy brain?’ The money. I sent it to your Paypal.”
“Bullshit,” I murmur as I check my account. “Six-thousand dollars!”
“Find us somewhere to live and send me pictures.”
“So, we live together now?”
“Don’t play with me, Elissa.”
I hold up my hands while chuckling. “Look who’s hormonal now.”
“Whatever. Now, show me your tits. I want to lay on one while sucking the other.”
“You have issues, Sir.”
Luca’s smile drops as he looks into the distance.
“I have to call you back.”
The video disconnects before I can respond.
Chapter 25
Luca
Salvatore Girelli is standing at the door of my office giving me a cautious smile. Despite everything, I’d have to say he’s a handsome fellow. Although, my opinion could be biased because I look just like him. I’m just younger and missing gray hair coursing through my waves. He dips his hands in his pockets and watches his leather shoes slide across my office floor.
“You’re here early,” I point out as I reach for my checkbook. I wasn’t expecting you two for another month.” He doesn’t respond at first; he just gives me a pained look. “What adventure had you two spending faster than normal.”
“None,” he responds as he comes to sit in the seat across from me. “We were in Bora Bora. The beach was pristine, and the water was beautiful…” he crosses his legs and continues the story. “I was sitting out looking across water so clear; I could see the animals swimming.” He twists his wedding ring and looks off to the side. “But, I felt nothing, well, nothing like peace and tranquility.” My dad’s eyes snap back to mine with several emotions swimming in them. “Instead, I felt like I was missing the biggest adventure of my life.”
“Well, they’re not flying to Mars yet, but what amount are you thinking?”
“Put the checkbook away, Son.”
I sit back in my chair and study him. My confusion about his visit is even higher.
“You two didn’t go on a crime spree and are now in trouble, right?”
“That hurts.” Salvatore shakes his head when my eyebrows shoot up. “It doesn’t hurt that you said it. It hurts that we have put you in a position to believe it’s possible.”
My dad is being weird and I don’t have time to decipher his cryptic speech. I need to work then find a plan that will allow me to live in Canada and save my employee’s jobs. It’s time to put my dual citizenship to use. First, I need to speed this along.
“I’m confused. Why are you here, and what’s the great adventure?”
“Being your father. You’re our greatest achievement and we didn’t treat you that way.”
Hearing what I’ve wanted to hear as long as I can remember triggers a shitload of emotions but anger leads.
“What in the hell are you talking about? What’s with the sudden interest? Are you dying?”
“No. I’ve always been interested in you,” he insists.
“You have a messed up way of showing it.”
“I like everything you post.”
“Following me on social media doesn’t make you a loving parent.”
“Son, I know I fucked up. We fucked up. It’s not an excuse but we were young when we had you and focused on everything we didn’t get a chance to do. We made it our goal to do those things. I saw your interest in the company and your attachment to your aunt and uncle so we felt you’d want to say back more than go with us.”
“You never gave me a choice. You made it easier for yourself,” I correct him.
“I’m sure it was true at the time, and you may not give a damn my opinion, but I’m proud of you and all you did for our wine. It’s far more successful than it was in my hands. Your mom and I are dreamers. You’ve always been more grounded. It made us fun when you were younger, but we failed you in your formative years.”
How can something hurt and heal at the same time? I’d never thought I’d see the day where at least one of them would realize that they sucked as parents. Keeping my emotions at bay, I ask the question I need for it all to make sense.
“What changed? Why now?”
My dad looks at me with tears clouding his hazel eyes. “I didn’t realize you weren’t happy until I saw you happy.”
He shows me a picture of a ‘selfie’ Elissa took of us in Canada. I’m hugging her and smiling like my life is perfect.
“I’ve never seen this smile. Something clicked as I went back digging as deep as I could into your older photos. Your smiles were hollow, and your eyes were empty.” Is that what Zio was talking about? “Then I felt damn guilty. You told me without telling me that your first loves didn’t love you enough.”
Inhaling deeply, I choke back the emotions that have my chest aching. This has been an emotional month. I can’t help him with his guilt. All I wanted was for my parents to give a damn. His guilt isn’t my fault.
He wipes his eyes and nods as if understanding my silence. “The guilt is mine. I’m not here for that. I’m here to tell you that I love you, and I’m sorry. I may have missed a lot, but if you allow it, I’ll be around for the rest. We cannot undo what we’ve done, but we can make the future better.”
The absence of my mother still has me holding on to that last drop of suspicion.
“Did you two break up?”
My dad laughs through his tears. “No. She’s waiting to speak with you next. We figured you deserved to hear it twice. Separate apologies from your dumbass parents.”
This unexpected heart-to-heart is killing my ability to hold it together. He has to hear my side as well.
“I was scared to fall in love. I thought I’d be like you two and run off without a second thought about my family or responsibilities. I also believed that I didn’t have the capacity to love more than one person. The idea of finding a wife and having children terrified me,” I sniff as I lose the battle with my composure. “I just knew I was broken.”
Salvatore pulls me into the kind of hug I used to crave, and I feel like a child over again. Part of me thinks I’m dreaming and my brain is playing a cruel joke. He squeezes me tighter before he lets go to look me in the eyes.
“I hope it’s not too late. We really do love you. You’d be surprised how many strangers over the world have heard a Luca story. We don’t expect you to trust us overnight, but we’re moving back and will make sure we earn it.”
My shock must be apparent. He laughs as he grabs my face and wipes my cheeks with his thumbs. I’m an inch taller than him, but he still manages to pull me close until our foreheads touch. Grabbing my shoulders, he pulls back and gets my attention before speaking again.
“We were idiots, but you are not broken. You’ve more than demonstrated the size of your heart by continuing to care for us when you felt we didn’t care for you. You love harder than anyone I know. I’m glad you didn’t let our mistakes ruin the happiness you had in that photo.”
I nod and take a deep breath, then look around my office. I’m not getting anything else done today.
“Are you ready to speak to Ilaria?”
***
I lie in bed still reeling from the conversation I had with my parents. I can’t believe we had a family dinner. We have work to do, but I’m more hopeful than I’ve been in a long time. My sheets cool my skin as I finally settle underneath them for
the night. As usual, I call Elissa to see what she’s doing.
"Is everything okay? You looked surprised when you hung up."
"My dad walked into my office."
"Your dad-dad or your uncle dad?"
"The one who fathered me."
"Oh. How did that go?"
"Better than I expected." I leave it vague because I'm emotionally exhausted. "We'll talk about it another day. I promise."
“Okay, I’ll leave it alone for right now.”
I smile at the ‘for right now’ I know she won’t let me live down until I give her more information.
“Let’s get back to what I was saying earlier,” Elissa scoffs, then my phone vibrates. I check the message to find a beautiful photo of her delicious tits. I’m equally horny and sad. “Damn, I miss you.”
“Are you talking to me or my breasts?”
“Everyone. I’ll figure it out. Did you look at houses today?”
“Only online. I sent you a few links. I’m packing right now.”
“Already?”
“Yes. They want to sell as soon as possible. I figured I’d get a headstart.”
“I’ll hire someone to help you.”
“You don’t have to do that, Luca.” I hear the packing tape rip across a box. “I have it under control.”
“I don’t doubt it. I just don’t want you overdoing it.”
“I appreciate that, but I know my limits.”
“I wish I could help right now.”
“I know, but you are where you need to be. You would have missed your parents dropping in.” Elissa sighs like she’s relieved. “Besides, that was the last box for today. The baby is sleepy.”
“Does that mean you’re sleepy?”
“Unfortunately. It seems to be my setting. I hear growing a human is a lot of work.”
My heart flutters. There’s no other way I can explain the erratic way it beats when she says that. It’s a combination of fear, love, and excitement. I should be terrified that the woman I started to pursue months prior is now in love with me and pregnant with my child.
“I still can’t believe you’re pregnant.”
“Me either, but this nausea and naps tell me I am.” There’s a lull in the conversation and I’m not sure if we’re both lost in our thoughts or if she’s dozing off. “Luca?”
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