My heart clenches at his perfection. The words. His heart. Our love.
Giulio kisses my forehead just as a tear escapes my eyes.
“Giulio,” I grin. “Every day I wake up and cannot believe we found each other. I vow to love you unconditionally. To give you all of me, even the crazy. I vow to wholeheartedly put us first and never forget how deeply you complete me. With you, I’m whole. When times get tough, with any challenges we may face, know that we will conquer them together and will always find our way back to each other. Your mother is with us, baby. She’s here and is so proud of the man you’ve grown up to be. The man you are now. The father you are going to be…very soon.”
Still smiling, Giulio’s jaw drops. His eyes drop to my flat stomach. “Are you…?”
I can only nod for half a second before he crushes me in a tight embrace. His lips press against the side of my head and both our bodies vibrate in pure emotion.
Happy tears trail down my cheeks as guests begin to cheer, clapping at what I’ve been concealing for the past few weeks. It’s the perfect moment to share in front of everybody who means so much to us.
I’m wrapped in affection.
“Oh my god.” Giulio’s eyes are glossy when we retake our positions. “You better announce us husband and wife before I kiss the heck out of her!”
I will never forget this day.
The moment comes where ‘I do’ means much more than just three letters. It’s a whole life commitment. Within a second we have confirmed everything we have been fighting for. All our sacrifices will be worth it because he will be right by my side.
Giulio Giannotti will be the one I turn to when times get rough. He will be the one I confide in during the good and the bad moments in our lives. Together.
“You may kiss the bri—”
We don’t need any more permission. Our passionate kiss is fueled with heated desire. Guests clap and cheer, and it brings everything alive.
Giulio’s soft hands slip over my stomach and I feel whole. “I love you, Mrs. Giannotti.”
“I love you more.”
“Impossible.”
I miss having somebody so close to me, however, I can’t forget the reasons we ended everything. Those reasons were washed away during this morning’s breakfast, but now they’re hung up in front of me.
Distraction.
I need a distraction from these unnerving thoughts.
The letters.
My name is printed in bold on the first letter. I’m perplexed there is no return or sent address. Even more so when I find it’s a typed up letter. Then comes the sinking feeling at what I read.
Valencia,
Under no circumstance may this be shared with anybody other than who it is addressed to. No police. Nobody. If you do, you risk it all and it will be game over.
Be the smart woman you are. Rearrange the letters in each word.
ENALVCIA, UYO REA ETXN.
I rearrange them carefully.
VALENCIA, YOU ARE NEXT.
I thrust the letter away from me and fall back into the seat.
My dear god…What is this?
The noise that escapes me takes everything out of me. Everything. The banging comes alive again inside me and my heart pounds a distant tune, one of panicked turmoil.
I’m next…
A letter addressed to Giulio follows. In anticipation I grip it, searching his drawer to use a letter slicer. At first, my trembling hands shake the paper so hard it blurs and I am unable to rearrange the letters.
GIULIO, YOU ARE NOT FAR BEHIND.
There’s another sheet behind it.
To O&S.
Oscar and Slonne.
My stomach is not holding up with the mixture of my parting hangover, the medicine, and my nerves. Yeah, not the best combination. I swallow down the lump in my throat and attempt to convince myself this is all a dream.
This is not real.
Not real.
Not real.
But it is and that’s what gets me the most.
BUT BEFORE ALL, IT IS YOU BOTH.
I jump from the seat and brace myself against the desk for assistance to stand.
No.
I can’t do it again. I can’t watch helplessly as something else happens.
I need to lie down.
I need to calm my aching body.
I need this to all go away.
I drag myself to Giulio’s sage ottoman bench by the floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the gloomy Seattle afternoon. I need a few moments to comprehend that this war between my family and evil has only just begun.
This is the beginning of the end for us.
It’s only going to get worse from here. I know it.
I clutch my stomach and lie down on the bench, curling my knees to my chest. Simply staring up at the merging clouds does nothing. I can’t handle this.
Who is doing this to us?
What do they want?
Why?
Get me. I want to scream. Get me. I don’t care what they do to me. All I want is to protect Oscar and Slonne. They don’t deserve to suffer so young in this cruel world.
Because that’s exactly what this life can be.
Cruel.
Valencia
“Valencia?”
The soft whisper wakes me as steady hands wrap around my waist. Somebody’s screaming in the distance. It turns to wailing. I want to know who it is, but can’t open my eyes no matter how hard I try—something’s wrong.
“Shh, it’s going to be okay.” Giulio reassures me with his mouth pressed against my ear.
A twist just above my heart forces me to launch up from the ottoman bench and clutch onto
