Love: Men of Inked #5

by Chelle Bliss

  “You think that’ll happen?” Tilly’s mouth falls open.

  Bianca shrugs. “Hopefully my parents will be happy. But my father has a temper, and I don’t know how they’ll feel about me being pregnant.”

  “Maybe we shouldn’t tell them that,” Vinnie says as his shoulders tense. “We can wait.”

  I slap him on the back, trying to knock some sense into him. “Stop the bullshit. We’ll all be here. Nothing will happen. Just tell the old man and give him a few minutes to realize he’s going to be a grandfather.”

  Tilly stares at the happy couple. “Do your parents know we’re here to celebrate you two getting married?”

  Bianca shakes her head. “Nope. It’s going to be like a one-two punch.”

  “Oh, lordie,” Tilly whispers and bites her bottom lip.

  “Yep. It might get a little out of hand.” Vinnie grimaces for a moment before pulling his lips into a tight smile. “But at least everything will be out in the open.”

  We’ll add this day to the list of dumb shit Vinnie’s done in his life. They should’ve been honest about the baby to begin with. I’m pretty sure my mother is going to go apeshit when she finds out about the shotgun wedding. Her anger won’t have anything to do with the wedding not taking place in a church, but the fact that she wasn’t there to witness the blessed event.

  “Last chance to run,” I tease as he reaches for the door handle, and Tilly swats my chest.

  “Stop. Leave them be. It’ll all be fine.”

  She thinks so, which is cute, but I’ve met many men like Mr. Hernandez, and I can say it won’t be fine. He’s going to go crazy, probably close to nuclear, when he hears his baby girl is knocked up and they snuck away to get married at city hall instead of in a church and before God.

  I lean down and kiss Tilly’s cheek. “I’ll remind you of that in a half hour.”

  “Let’s do this, baby,” Vinnie says to Bianca, ushering her through the door.

  Half the pizza shop is filled with family. Everyone’s here, including Bianca’s parents, grandmother, and brothers who look a little out of place and overly curious about why they’ve been asked to attend a dinner at a restaurant they probably wouldn’t normally be caught dead in.

  It takes ten minutes to say hello, including hugs and kisses. That’s the rub of an Italian family. Hellos and goodbyes take forever.

  “Why are we here, Bianca?” her mother asks as soon as the family starts to settle back into their seats.

  Bianca turns to Vinnie, twisting her hands in front of herself, and gives him a nervous smile. “You say it,” she says softly. “I can’t.”

  “What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Sick?” Her mother’s gaze roams Bianca’s body, and I can see the worry on her face.

  “No, Mom. I’m not sick,” Bianca says quickly, but it does nothing to alleviate the tension.

  Tilly squeezes my hand and leans over. “This is going to be intense, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe they’ll take it well, like you said,” I tell her, but I know it’s complete bullshit.

  “Then what is it? Why are we all here?”

  Vinnie steps forward, his hand linked with Bianca’s as his eyes move across the room. “Bianca and I have an announcement to make.”

  Bianca’s mother quickly does the sign of the cross, touching her head, heart, and each shoulder. Bianca’s father’s hand is already clenched so tightly, I’m pretty sure he’s about ready to pop.

  “Spit it out, guys. You’re killing us!” Mike yells out, but he knows everything. The parents are the only ones in the dark.

  Vinnie holds out Bianca’s hand, showing off the ring. “Bianca and I were married today.”

  The people not in the know, my parents and Bianca’s family, all gasp with wide eyes. The rest of the family, my cousins and siblings, all start clapping and hollering for the happy couple.

  Bianca’s father stands straight up, hand still curled in a fist. “You what?”

  “We got married at city hall, Papa.”

  Bianca’s father’s eyes slice to his wife, but she’s too busy crying, and I’m not sure they’re entirely tears of joy either.

  “How could you do this to your mother?”

  Tilly’s eyes find mine, and I cringe because this isn’t going as happily as Vinnie and Bianca hoped, and they haven’t even dropped the biggest bomb yet.

  “We couldn’t wait,” Vinnie says, not giving one shit that her dad is mad.

  “We’ll still get married in the church. We’ll renew our vows before God, Papa.”

  “The green-eyed one,” Bianca’s grandmother says with a big smile. “I knew. I always knew.”

  “How could you not tell us or, hell, invite us to the ceremony?” her father seethes.

  Bianca’s grandmother reaches up and grabs her son’s hand. “Calm down, my son. She’s with child. This is a celebration.”

  Bianca’s father’s head jerks back at his mother-in-law’s words. “She is not. She can’t be.” He turns his narrowed eyes toward Bianca and Vinnie. “Are you?”

  “Surprise,” Bianca exclaims, waving her hands in the air like she’s trying to make light of the situation.

  “Should we take cover?” Tilly whispers in my ear.

  “I don’t know, sweetheart. Just keep still and see what happens. I think the old woman has it covered.”

  “How could you?” Bianca’s dad asks.

  The grandmother tightens her grip on his arm. “Sit down,” she tells him, and there’s no missing the agitation in her tone. “You will not ruin this happy day.”

  His lip curls in a snarl. “Happy? How is this happy? My little girl is knocked up and got married at city hall because she’s carrying his child.”

  “This is fate. I saw it many years ago, just as I saw you for my daughter.”

  “You’re going to have a baby?” Bianca’s mother asks like she’s just coming out of shock.

  “Yes, Mama. I’m so sorry,” Bianca tells her from a safe distance away.

  Her mother rises and wipes the tears from her face as she walks around the table and approaches her daughter.

  “Should I go to Bianca in case something bad happens?” Tilly asks, but I shake my head.

  Bianca’s mother reaches out, cradling her daughter’s face in her hand. “My baby’s going to have a baby?”

  “Yes,” Bianca says with watery eyes. “Don’t be mad, Mama. We’re so happy. So very happy.”

  “I’m going to be a grandmother?” she asks again like she’s still in disbelief.

  Bianca nods. “You are.”

  A smile spreads across her mother’s face. “You’ve made me very happy, little girl. So very happy.”

  “You’re okay with this?” her father asks.

  Bianca’s mother turns her attention toward her husband for a moment. “Yes, Grandpa, I am. Do not ruin this day for our daughter. Do not taint her pregnancy like your mother did mine.”

  That is enough to shut him up as he sits back down and unclenches his fist, but he keeps his eyes focused on Vinnie.

  “You’re not mad at me, Mama?” Bianca swallows, trying to hold the smile on her face.

  “A life is never anything to be mad about, child. You have a good man, a loving husband, and you’re both giving me the greatest gift ever.”

  I finally let out a long breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding. “Well, that wasn’t so bad.”

  “I told you so,” Tilly says and elbows me in the side.

  “I’m going to be a grandmother again,” my mother says, having been uncharacteristically quiet until now. “This is the best week ever.”

  The news of the pregnancy, along with the wedding, causes another round of hugs and kisses. At this rate, we’ll never eat.

  Suzy leans over to Tilly. “Tonight, you tell me how everyone here got together. I want to know all the dirt.”

  Tilly winks at her. “Girl, I have you covered.”

  “Are you two gossiping?” I ask, nuzzling my fa
ce into my wife’s neck.

  “It’s not gossip if it’s true.” Tilly smirks.

  “We have so much to plan,” Bianca’s mother says as she takes her seat next to her still shell-shocked husband. “We must have you married before God, plan the christening, and your baby shower, of course.”

  “We have time for that, Mama.”

  Vinnie pulls out a chair for his wife and takes the seat next to her at the extremely long table filled with two families and many generations. The kids are at another table, a small army on their own.

  Something about tonight, sitting at the pizza place we spent time in as kids, feels right. I haven’t felt this at peace in so long, the sensation is almost foreign. The calm among the chaos I grew up with is back, and for the first time in a long time, anything seems possible.

  21

  Tilly

  Betty is standing in the kitchen, spoon in hand, trying to replicate her sister-in-law’s sauce recipe. “I swear to God, she left something out.” She grimaces as she takes a small sip of the red sauce from a spoon. “It’s too bitter.”

  “Try adding a little sugar. It’ll help cut the acidity.”

  Betty smiles, and Angelo puts his arms around my waist, nuzzling my neck. “Do you need a break?” he whispers.

  I turn my face, staring into his beautiful eyes. “From your mom? Never.”

  She may be a lot to handle sometimes, but she’s Betty and now my mother too. It had been so long since I’d had someone to call Mom that I don’t really care how over the top or crazy she is sometimes, she’s still mine.

  “I can hear you,” Betty says, and when I look up, I see the smile on her face.

  “Go back to the living room with the men,” she tells him, waving the spoon around in front of her. “Send your sisters in here because I’m sure they need a break from all the testosterone by now.”

  “Fine, Ma. I’ll tell them,” he murmurs against my skin before he’s gone.

  “How’s the shop doing since you’ve been busy all week?” Betty asks, grabbing a small bowl of sugar and sprinkling a little into the pot.

  “A little more,” I tell her. “It’s going fine. I have a solid team working there and hired a fabulous pastry chef so I don’t have to be chained to the bakery.”

  “Smart girl.” Betty winks at me. “Life is hectic. Throw in two kids, a husband, and a business, and time passes in a blur. Just make sure to take some time and enjoy every minute you can. Soon enough, you’ll be older and looking back, wishing you could do things over again.”

  I move next to her and grab a clean spoon, dipping it into the sauce and focus on my mother-in-law. “I know how precious time is, Ma. I promise not to take a moment for granted.”

  She reaches out and cups my cheek. “That’s my girl.”

  I smile, feeling like I am hers. She’s the only mother I have, and I wouldn’t trade her for anyone in the world. I place the spoon in my mouth, and my lips pucker around the spoon. “More sugar,” I whisper, trying to swallow down the strong tomato taste lingering on my tongue.

  “We’re here,” Daphne says with Delilah and Bianca at her side. “What’s up?”

  “Sit,” Betty tells them, dumping more sugar into the pot. “I just want some company and some girl talk. We’ve been so busy this week, I haven’t had time to catch up with my girls.”

  “Grab another bottle of red,” Daphne tells Delilah and pulls down four wineglasses from the cabinet. “And a bottle of water for Bianca.”

  “I can have a few sips,” Bianca says as she sits down on the stool across the island. “My doctor said it was okay but not to overdo it.”

  “I drank while I was pregnant,” Betty replies.

  “That explains what happened.” Daphne chuckles.

  “Oh, stop. All my children are healthy and happy. What more could a mother ask for?” Betty dumps a few boxes of pasta into the boiling water and stares at us across the island. “I have everything I ever wanted.”

  “Is there anything you’d change if you could?” Delilah asks Betty.

  “I’d have more children.”

  “Oh Jesus,” Daphne mutters. “Life was crazy with the four of us. I can’t imagine more.”

  “Would you rather have been an only child?” Betty asks Daphne.

  “Trust me, it sucks,” I add.

  “It totally does,” Delilah says.

  Daphne shrugs. “I guess not, but having three brothers tried my nerves sometimes.”

  “I never wanted my children to feel what I did,” Betty says as she leans against the counter, crosses her arms, and bows her head.

  “Ma,” Daphne whispers and covers her mouth.

  Betty shakes her head. “I had a brother.”

  The room is silent besides the garbled voices from the family room. My eyes are locked on Betty, and I see the pain etched on her face.

  Daphne’s out of her seat, making her way around the island. “Ma, you don’t have to talk about this.”

  Betty moves to her daughter and grabs her hands. “It’s important for you to hear this.” Betty turns to us, still holding Daphne’s hands. “For all of you to hear this.”

  I brace myself because I know whatever she’s going to say is going to gut me. Utterly and completely wreck me in a way I hadn’t expected for a simple family dinner.

  “It was important for me to have a lot of children. Growing up, I had a brother, Davin. He was older by a handful of years, but we were still close. I never once thought about life without him. I thought he’d always be there, you know?” She wipes the corner of her eyes with the back of her finger. “He had the most beautiful smile, and he was quite the ladies’ man. He just had one of those personalities where people were drawn to him.” She smiles, but her eyes hold nothing but sorrow. “When I was sixteen, Davin was out with his friends late at night. He did this often, but I remember waking in the middle of the night to my mother screaming downstairs. It’s a sound I’ll never forget.”

  I’m frozen to my seat, unable to move as I stare at Betty and soak in her pain.

  “In that moment, I went from having a brother to being an only child.”

  My vision blurs in her sadness. I feel it in my heart and my gut so completely.

  “Ma, you still have a brother,” Daphne tells her.

  “He was born, but he’s no longer here,” Betty replies and squeezes Daphne’s hands. “My life never felt the same after that. I was so lost. I felt like everything I was changed in that moment. The only person who knew my secrets, my inside jokes had vanished. I never had a day without Davin in it until then. I didn’t know life without him.”

  I wipe away my tears and bite my lip, trying to stop myself from sobbing. Delilah and Bianca are doing the same. None of us have heard Betty talk about her brother, what happened, or how it affected her. She rarely talks about her family, and I understand why. Her parents and only sibling have died. The pain she must feel even now, decades later, is so deep, it’s not something she can easily vocalize.

  “When I had Angelo and looked at his sweet little face, I knew I never wanted him to experience the same pain I had. I knew I wanted lots of children because I never wanted my child to know how it felt being part of something amazing and then having nothing.”

  Daphne pulls her mother into her arms and buries her face in her neck. “Ma, I’m so sorry.”

  “I would’ve had ten kids if my body was able and your father would’ve kept his ass out of jail a little more. I never want you to have that hurt.”

  “I won’t,” Daphne tells her as she rubs Betty’s back.

  “I know you won’t, baby. I made sure of that, and now you have sisters.” Betty moves out of Daphne’s embrace. “You have a large family filled with love and children of your own. You all have one another, and that’s all that matters. There’s nothing more precious than family. I want you all to understand that too. There’s nothing more precious than the people you surround yourself with, both through marriage and blood. I
never want anything to come between you girls and my boys.”

  I understand exactly what she’s saying. The sting and ache I felt when Mitchell died were excruciating, and the only person who got me through those moments was Roger. He was the only family I had until I met Angelo. I’m not sure I would’ve survived without him.

  “You can never have too many people in your life who love you. Remember that,” Betty says, dabbing her eyes with her fingers.

  “We know,” Daphne says.

  “I can never begin to imagine your heartache of losing your brother, Betty,” I say.

  “Ma,” she reminds me.

  I nod. “Ma. But I promise nothing is more important to me than my family. You girls…” I pause and collect my thoughts for a moment, trying to get my lip to stop trembling, but I fail and continue. “You gave me something I never had. Not even when I had a different life, I never had this.” I wave my hands toward the four women in front of me. “I never had a family that I felt had my back all the time. And not just a little family, but a big one so full of love and happiness that I ask myself every day how I got so damn lucky.”

  Betty smiles and reaches across the island to pat my hand. “We’re the blessed ones, sweetheart. You brought my baby back to life at a time I wasn’t sure he’d ever be like he was.”

  I want to argue with her because I didn’t know the Angelo before, but I knew the Tilly before Angelo. Although I’m living, thriving, and completely in love, I know I’m not the woman I used to be. The pain has a way of staying etched on your heart forever. The wound may close, but the scar will always remain as a constant reminder of the path I walked and the hurt I endured.

  “We’ll always have each other,” Delilah says. “I’ve never been so loved. I don’t know where I’d be without this family.” Delilah lets out a relieved sigh. “I’m happy I’ll never have to know either.”

  Daphne smiles. “We’re a sisterhood.”

  Bianca nods. “I always wanted a sister, and I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am to finally have girls at my side.” She places her hands on her stomach. “My baby is going to have some kick-ass aunts and an amazing and strong grandma.”