Chapter 1 #2
“I chose the wrong person, and I’m so sorry, Gianluca.
I never should’ve left you, I should’ve trusted that we would be okay.
” She sniffles. “And I was on my way to make things right. You need to know that Yasha is a bad guy. At first he was sweet and loving. But in the last year, he’s become violent towards me.
And I worried for Carlo. I think he’s figured out that he’s not Carlo’s father.
I overheard him talking to someone. He was saying how he was going to leave me and take Carlo with him. ”
“Is Yasha on Carlo’s birth certificate?”
“No. I told him that I wouldn’t do it unless we got married. And he refused to marry me. So it’s only me on his birth certificate. If you can find my bag, it’s in there. I had two suitcases and a duffle bag with me.”
“Does he know you left him?”
“No. He went to work like he always does and I packed as fast as I could and left. He doesn’t know anything about you.
Promise me you’ll take care of our son. I promise he’s yours.
I know that Giovanna’s doing a DNA test. I’m glad she is, so that you won’t have any doubts.
I just wish I was going to be around to watch him grow up.
He’s a really good boy. He loves hugs and kisses.
Snuggles are his favorite. He loves banana bread, I would bake a batch every week.
It always reminded me of you and how much you loved my banana bread. ”
“I remember it. It’s still my favorite, your recipe is the best I’ve ever had.”
I take her hand and kiss it.
“I promise I’ll take care of Carlo. And I’ll make sure he never forgets you.”
I wipe the tears that are falling from her eyes.
“I loved you, Gianluca. I know we weren’t together for a long time. But you always made me feel special. I wish I hadn’t left you.”
“It’s okay, we’re together now. And Giancarlo will never see Yasha again. I promise you that.”
“Thank you. I know you’re going to be a great daddy to him.” She sobs and it’s breaking my heart. “I don’t want Giancarlo to be here when it’s time. But I do want to spend some time with him.”
I nod and text Giovanna, asking her to bring him back. I also ask her to come and get him again in an hour.
“I’d like my parents to meet you, if that’s okay.”
“What if they hate me?”
“They won’t hate you. I’ll make sure they don’t.”
“Do you hate me?” she whispers.
“Not even a little bit.”
While Faith is spending time with Giancarlo, I call my parents and ask them to come down. When they get here, I tell them everything.
“Are you sure there’s nothing they can do for her?” my mamá asks as she sniffles.
“We can pay for her treatment if that’s what’s holding things up.” My papà frowns.
Jér?me said there’s nothing they can do.
Her injuries are too much and she doesn’t want to take the chance on surgery.
She wants to spend her time with Giancarlo and me.
I told her I wanted you both to meet her.
She’s afraid you’ll hate her. But I told her that’s not going to happen.
” I can’t help the tears that fall. My mamá hugs me and my papà wraps his massive arms around us both.
“Let’s go and meet our grandson and his mamá.”
We all walk into the room. I can hear my mamá sniffling still.
“Faith, Giancarlo, this is my mamá and papà. Rosaura and Leonardo.”
“You is weally big,” Giancarlo says to my papà.
“You’re beautiful,” my mamá says to Faith as she goes over and hugs her gently.
Faith bursts into tears. Giancarlo squishes closer to her as he hugs her.
“Don’t cwy, Mama. I wuv you,” he says as he starts to cry.
“Mama’s okay,” she says to him, trying to put on a brave face. “Remember how I said Gianluca is your papà?”
Giancarlo nods.
“Well this is your grandma and grandpa.” She looks at them. “I don’t know what you’d like him to call you.”
“‘Nonno’ is grandpa in Italian. And ‘abuela’ is grandma in Spanish,” my mamá says to her.
“Can you remember that, Carlo?”
He looks at all of us.
“Papá. Nonno. Abuewa,” he says as he sniffles and holds tight to Faith.
I grab tissues for everyone because none of us can stop the tears that are coming.
After a few hours, Faith’s starting to slur her speech and she looks like she’s in more pain.
I call Jér?me and Giovanna in. The look on Jér?me’s face is telling us that it’s getting closer. Faith holds Giancarlo tightly.
“Mama loves you so much. Don’t ever forget that. I need you to be a good boy for your papà. You listen to him just like you listened to Mama. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, Mama.”
“I need you to go with your Zia Gia. She’s going to help you too.”
“But I dun wanna weave you. Pease.”
“Maybe Zia will get you some ice cream. That will be fun, right?”
Giancarlo scrunches up his little face and frowns.
“I come wight back and bwing Mama ice cweam.”
Faith nods and smiles at him. She hugs him tightly one more time.
“I love you.” She waves to him as Giovanna and my parents take him out of the room.
“I can give you more morphine to help with the pain, if you want,” Jér?me says softly to her.
“Yes, please. I wish I had made better decisions,” she says as more tears fall.
“You did everything right,” I say to her as I kiss her head. “I promise Giancarlo will always know who you are.”
“Promise that whoever you choose to be with will love him unconditionally.”
“He will always come first, Faith. Don’t you worry about that.”
She closes her eyes and nods.
“Thank you for not being angry at me. I’m so sorry, I never meant to hurt you.”
“I know, Faith. I forgive you, we’re good. I promise,” I say softly to her as I watch her take her last breath.
I kiss her forehead again as Jér?me calls her time of death.