Episode Twenty-Six
“ M a, he’s fine.” I sigh as my hands grip the steering wheel tighter. I’m driving my hysterical mother to my uncle’s house, where my father is currently being treated for a bullet wound.
“He was shot, Orlando. He is not fine,” Mum hisses, keeping her voice low because she’s sitting next to my son in the back seat of my car.
“If that ever happens to you, you better go to a damn hospital, Orlando. Who gets surgery in a basement anyway?” my fiancée says from the passenger seat.
“We do. And the doc is only removing a bullet from his leg. It’s not surgery,” I tell Aleeka. “Like I said, he’s fine. Besides, it’s not the first time Pops has been shot. You should be used to this by now, Ma.”
“Not funny, Orlando.”
I catch my mother’s scowl in the rearview mirror. I’m not laughing. When My Zio Theo called me to tell me what happened, my heart stopped. No one wants to hear that their father was shot. And I’ve seen far too many funerals in my life. I do not want to have to bury a parent.
My pops is also my best friend. Just don’t tell my cousin Dante, because he’s adamant he holds that title. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about my dad. I’m faking the easygoing persona I have right now. I’m trying to calm my mother. I hate seeing her this worried.
Aleeka reaches over and takes hold of my hand. Removing it from the steering wheel and resting our joined palms on her thigh. She gives me a little squeeze, and her lips tip up into a slight smile. It’s her way of silently telling me that she knows . She knows I’m keeping all this shit bottled inside for the sake of my mother.
She can read me like no one else can. There’s nothing I can hide from my little ghost, not even how stressed I am. “I’m sure Mr. Valentino is okay. I can’t imagine anything being able to hurt him,” Aleeka says.
“Bullets have a way of hurting people,” Ma responds.
“I know. I’m sorry,” Aleeka whispers.
“It’s not your fault,” I tell her. I love that she’s trying to not only console me but my mother as well.
We pull up to my uncle’s gates. They open automatically, and I take us up the winding driveway, parking right in front of the house. The car has barely stopped rolling before my mom is jumping out of the back seat.
“I’ll get Sebastian. You go with your mom,” Aleeka tells me.
“Thank you.” I lean over and press my lips against hers. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Don’t ever get yourself shot. I wouldn’t be as calm as your mom’s being right now,” she says.
“I’ll do my best,” I promise before climbing out of the car. I run up the stairs and through the front door of my uncle’s house.
I stop short when I get to the basement door. Josie is sitting on the floor, her cheeks wet with fresh tears. And my mind immediately goes to the worst-case scenario. My dad’s dead. He’s gone…
But Zio Theo said it was just a leg shot. You can’t die from a bullet tearing through your leg, can you? I should have paid more attention in that anatomy class I was forced to take.
“What’s wrong?” I ask Josie.
“It’s my fault. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… I just wanted to protect Dante,” she whispers.
“Josie, where’s my dad?” I glance at the door again. Can I really go down there if it means finding my father’s lifeless body sprawled out on the makeshift hospital bed?
“The doc is almost finished. I’m really sorry, Orlando,” Josie says while gesturing to the basement.
“He’s… alive?” I ask and watch her brows furrow.
“Yes. He got shot in the leg. The doc is stitching him up,” she says, and a wave of relief washes over me.
“Okay, he’s okay,” I repeat as I step past Josie and move towards the door. I don’t make it much farther before my mother’s voice rings out. Or rather, the sound of her screaming does.
“You were shot, Luca Valentino. Don’t you dare tell me to calm down. What the hell? How could you let this happen again?”
“It’s not like I jumped in front of the bullet, Katy, and I’m fine. Look! Perfectly healthy, right, Doc?” Dad responds.
“Sure,” the doc replies as I push off the last step and walk around the corner. My father is sitting up on the bed while Doc applies a dressing to his leg.
“Think of it as a date. This is how we met after all.” Dad smiles at Mom.
“A date?” Mom yells, then turns to face my uncle. “Did he hit his head or something?”
“No, Romeo just took all the brain cells when those two were in the womb.” Zio Theo laughs.
“This is not a date, Luca,” Mom tells Dad.
“Thank god! The last thing I want to see is you two on a date,” I chime in.
“What are you doing here? Where’s my grandson?” Pops asks me.
“Good to see you too. I’m here because you can’t stop yourself from getting shot,” I tell him.
“Where’s Sebastian?” he repeats.
“Aleeka is bringing him in from the car.” Ever since my son turned up, he’s become the favorite person in my family. It’s been an adjustment, not being the sole focus of my parents’ attention anymore. But I’m thrilled that they love Sebastian the way they do.
“All right, take these antibiotics.” The doc hands a packet of pills to my dad, and my mom quickly snatches them out of his grip.
“I’ll make sure he listens, Doc,” she says.
“Well, since you’re alive and all, I’m going back upstairs,” I tell my dad.
“Get me my grandson,” he calls after me.
“Yeah, I’ll do that,” I groan, having no intention of bringing Sebastian down here.
By the time I get upstairs, I find the girls sitting on the floor while Sebastian is curled up on Josie’s lap.
I lean down and pick up my son before holding him to my chest. “Where’s Dante?”
Josie looks up at me, that same guilt from earlier written all over her face. “He’s still asleep.”
I frown. “What do you mean he’s asleep ?” It’s very unlike my cousin to let Josie out of his sight.
“I slipped some sleeping pills into his drink,” she whispers.
“You drugged him?”
“I made him go to sleep so I could sneak out without him stopping me,” she attempts to clarify.
“So you drugged him. Oh shit, I can’t wait for him to wake up and find out what went down. Grab the popcorn, babe. This is going to be entertaining,” I tell Aleeka.
“He’ll understand,” Josie insists. Yeah, I don’t think he will be as understanding as she hopes.
“Sure he will.” I laugh as I walk towards the kitchen. I really do want some popcorn for the shitshow that’s about to take place in my uncle’s house.