Chapter 27I’m such a bad person.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I’M SUCH A BAD PERSON.
Ivy wasn’t sure whether to thank or throttle Leonardo. In the wake of the paternity results, their lives had unravelled slowly. It was as if Pandora’s box kept unfolding, revealing secret after secret, each more disturbing than the last. The room had been ripe with disgust, anger, and shock. Ivy had never been a fan of Larson’s. There was always an air of shadiness about him. It made her wary of him. Yet, she had never imagined him capable of being with an underaged girl.
It was interesting to watch how the news created a bond between the brothers. The ‘relationship’ between Larson and Concetta had equally disturbed both men. They now had a common enemy. Larson had hurt both their moms. They didn’t have all the facts, but in their mind nothing could justify Larson’s deplorable behaviour.
After Leonardo and Manny came to an agreement, Frank pulled her to the side and whispered, “heaven help us, the Wonder Twins are pairing up. I don’t think they will use their powers for good. Although, it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Larson has it coming.”
Ivy couldn’t agree more with Frank’s assessment. As they pursued their common goal, she hoped Manny would let go of his animosity towards Leonardo. Well, at least enough so he could let go of his vendetta. Despite Leonardo’s deplorable actions, Ivy believed he was sincere in his apology. However, it would be up to Manny to accept it. The way Ivy saw it, the true villain in this whole situation was Larson.
Besides finding out his father had an affair with a teenager, Manny had to tell his mom what he had learned. He would have preferred to gather more facts before telling her what he had found out. It wasn’t to be. Grace appeared in the foyer the moment they returned home.
“I am glad you two are back.” She welcomed them, giving them each a hug.
“Let’s all go to your office, and you can tell me how it went.”
He answered distractedly. “Mom, can we talk about it tomorrow?”
Confusion etched wrinkles on her forehead, changing her facial expression.
“Wait. Something is wrong. What is it?” Grace asked, cupping her son’s face. He patted her hands, then removed them.
Manny rubbed his face. “It’s just?—?”
“You weren’t able to tell him?” Grace probed.
“I told him. Okay Mom, let’s go talk in the office.” Manny took Ivy’s hand, and they all headed there. Once they took seats, her husband squeezed her hand, then let go.
“I told Leonardo Larson is our father.” Manny stopped and looked at Ivy. She could see he was struggling to discuss the details of his father’s affair with his Mom.
“Okay. He didn’t take it well?” Grace looked concerned. Probably for both her son and his brother. She was such a warm woman with a big heart.
“Leonardo accepted what I said about Larson being our biological father…” He cleared his throat before he continued. “…but it bothered him that Concetta was so young when she gave birth to us.”
Grace cocked her head to the side. “What? How young was she?”
“She was eighteen.”
Her mother-in-law let out a shaky breath. “Oh, my.”
Manny could barely suppress his rage as he added. “She had just turned eighteen when she gave birth.”
“What?” She brought a trembling hand to her mouth. “What was Larson thinking? She was a child. My God, he was almost thirty.”
It was the first time she had seen a crack in her mother-in-law’s armour. She shook her head as she attempted to make sense of the senselessness.
“Mom?” Manny called.
“Um, give me a minute.” Grace shut her eyes, and her head fell forward. “I was so preoccupied then. All I could think of was becoming a mom. I could almost understand Larson turning to someone else.” A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked up. “I can’t understand him being with a teenager. There is no excuse. My God, where did he even meet her?”
Although it was more than likely a rhetorical question, Manny answered. He probably wanted to find out the answer as well. “I don’t know, Mom.”
“This is all so wrong,” Grace mused.
Ivy wished she could add something to make them both feel better. Words failed, so she remained quiet. All she could do was be there. She took one of Grace’s hands. Her mother-in-law gave her a watery smile. Manny’s expression held no trace of a smile.
“Mom, do you think we can postpone seeing Larson tomorrow?”
“Yes. I don’t think I can handle seeing him so soon.”
“Okay. I’m hoping to talk to someone tomorrow who can help give us some answers. I don’t know if Larson will give us all the answers we are looking for.” Manny shared.
“That is a good idea. I still would like to meet your brother.”
“You will get to meet him soon. It may not be tomorrow.”
After her mother-in-law excused herself for the night, and they checked on Sage, the couple headed straight to the shower.
They shared a quiet moment. They took turns lathering each other’s bodies.
This act was not sexual in nature, it was merely a way to clean up. It was also a way of expressing affection and care. They didn’t speak until they were in bed, and Manny pulled her into his arms.
“Good night, Doc.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. She waited for him to say something, but the next thing she knew, Manny nuzzled her neck. “Morning sleepy head.”
“I can’t believe I fell asleep so quickly. Sorry.” Ivy stretched.
“Don’t worry about it. Yesterday was a long day. Besides, now that you are up, you can make it up to me.”
Ivy looked over her husband’s shoulder. “Eh, sorry. No can do. We have to hurry and get moving.”
“We can always make time for a quickie.” Manny wiggled his eyebrows.
Ivy couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “You know, Manny, quickies are not a flex.”
“Ahh, Mrs. Scott, you will find it’s a flex when you do it right. Come on, let’s shower and have a quickie woman. This is the perfect opportunity to multitask,” her husband countered as he jumped out of bed.
They made it to Frank’s on time to pick up Leonardo. However, it was their heated discussion before leaving the vehicle, which officially made them late.
Ivy had debated giving her husband her suggestion. Just as he shut off the vehicle, she reached over and placed her hand over his.
“Hey Baby, I was thinking maybe I should just stay here at Frank’s and wait. You and Leonardo should go meet your grandmother alone.”
Manny laughingly dismissed her suggestion. “I don’t think it is safe for us to be alone for a few hours.”
His laughter died when he realised she was seriously considering not coming along. Ivy loved being there for her husband but felt this was a moment which belonged to Manny and Leonardo. In the end, they reached a compromise. Ivy would accompany them on their trip, but she would go grab a coffee while they met with their grandmother. Which meant that Frank joined them on the trip. Ivy and her cousin agreed to go for coffee together, as Manny wouldn’t allow her to go alone.
Frank also helped ease the tension on the ride up. By the time they reached their grandmother, Leonardo and Manny were less tense. It was Ivy’s hope that they had a pleasant visit. Most of all, she hoped they would get some answers.
She wasn’t sure what she expected in the retirement village, but it certainly wasn’t a bunch of bungalows. Each resident had their own home, on the property, with staff onsite to assist them. Security welcomed them and directed them to Agnella Bianchi’s house. By the time they located her bungalow, an elderly lady was standing on the porch.
Emmanuel and Leonardo both got out of the car in some kind of weird synchronization. Everything happened so quickly that they didn’t even have a chance to close their doors.
The woman on the porch immediately started crying.
“Ahh mi pronipoti!” she called, walking spryly towards the men. They moved closer together as the woman hugged one, then the other.
Was that their grandmother? She didn’t look like she was in her eighties.
Then there was a slew of rapid Italian between the woman and Leonardo. Finally, Agnella stopped and held Manny’s hands.
“Your brother tells me you don’t speak Italian. The first thing you must learn is the word grandmother. You will call me Nonna. Ahh, you two are so handsome.” She laughed as she patted their cheeks. “You both look like my brother. Except for the eyes. His were green. This is like looking into the past. You two must come in. I cooked. We will eat and talk.”
The scene mesmerized Ivy. It was Frank who broke her concentration by leaning over her seat. “Look at those genes. Nonna looks so young.”
“Who is in the car?” Agnella asked, although she was already moving towards the passenger seat where Ivy sat.
“That is my wife, Ivy,” Emmanuel answered.
“So beautiful. Come out of the car.” Agnella called while she reached for Ivy’s door. She barely had time to unbuckle her seat belt before the woman had the door opened. Once Ivy got out of the car, Agnella engulfed her in a hug that robbed her of her breath for a moment.
“You must call me Nonna as well. You must come in. Who is that?” she asked, pointing to where Frank sat in the back seat.
“Oh, he’s, my cousin.”
Ivy was released, and Nonna clapped. “This is wonderful. I think I made enough food. You won’t have enough to take home with you, though. Alright, everyone inside. My family is here.”
Agnella Bianchi looked like she was in her late sixties. She was a slender woman who was just over five feet. There was a youthfulness about her. A few wrinkles covered her skin, but deep creases rimmed her mouth and accentuated her eyes. She clearly spent a lifetime engaging both. Her still mostly black hair was secured in an infinity bun at her nape. The slacks she wore and the apron covering her knit sweater were heavily starched. She moved with the agility of a woman far younger than she looked.
There was no way for Ivy or Frank to refuse her invitation. So, they found themselves being ushered into Nonna’s home. It was warm and inviting. The smell of various dishes made her mouth water.
“Please grab an extra chair from the last bedroom in the back,” Nonna instructed her grandsons. “I have to grab two more place settings. You two, please have a seat,” she told Frank and Ivy.
Since Ivy was there, she might as well make herself useful. “Can I help?”
“Si. You can keep me company. Then we will put out some Antipasto. The boys are all so big and strapping. I might have to get some more vegetables.” Ivy tried to keep up as the older woman whipped around the room, all the while chattering a million miles a minute.
Soon, the five of them were around the table with a huge spread before them. Nonna encouraged them to eat up, all the while telling them she made something special for the secondo. If Ivy remembered correctly, if there was a secondo, that meant the primo came first. How much food did she think they could eat?
Emmanuel placed a slice of meat on Ivy’s plate and then his.
“Coppa was your mama’s favourite. She preferred it with nutmeg, but they hardly carry that kind at the deli. When we had company, I always ordered some extra, otherwise she would eat it all. Her father would tell me to leave her. Before they fell out, she was a papa’s girl and could do no wrong.” For the first time, the bright smile she wore slipped.
“They were so much alike. My husband and my Concetta. I miss them both,” she mused, popping an olive into her mouth.
“Please tell us about her,” Leonardo asked.
Ivy couldn’t tell who was most eager for her answer. The son who had been raised with Concetta or the one who never got to know her. Ivy certainly wanted to know how their mother had become the crushed woman she read about in the diaries.
“Concetta was the sweetest child. Reginaldo had wanted a boy so badly, but the moment he saw her, he fell under her spell. For hours, he would hold her and sing to her. He even argued with his sainted mamma when she dared to suggest that Reginaldo allow her to cry rather than pick her up. I never thought I would see the day he would put that woman in her place.”
Agnella sat at the head of the table with a grandson on her left and right, and she reached over and patted their hands. Both men hung on her every word.
“Sorry, we aren’t talking about my mother-in-law. Your mamma was so smart. Anything having to do with school, she picked up quickly. Not just the things they made girls study back then. She was so good with figures. The way that girl could add in her head. Oh, and how she loved science.”
They all sat enraptured as Agnella told them about the life of Concetta. The food before them was forgotten. “School came so naturally to her. It filled her head with dreams of a future beyond anything immigrants like us could imagine. She wanted to get an education. No one in our family had ever dreamed of being a scientist or a professor. My Concetta believed if she couldn’t find the cure for diseases, one day, she would inspire a student who would.” Ivy felt Concetta was a kindred spirit. Her thoughts were echoed when she caught Manny looking at her.
The pride Agnella felt about her daughter was apparent. Ivy was happy Manny was getting another image of his mother. Nonna was slightly more sombre as she spoke.
“She was certainly bright enough, but money stood in the way. The school she wanted to attend was expensive, even with the scholarship she had earned. It was the first time her father, and her disagreed. My husband, rest his soul, was a product of the old way. His daughter should marry well, be a good wife, then become a mother. Her dreams spat in the face of his traditions.”
Agnella shook her head at the memory before she continued. “He had spent years working hard, putting away for Concetta’s future. No one was going to have a grander wedding than our girl. His plan was to gift the remaining money to the couple towards the purchase of a house. In his mind, he practically had her married off, but she was defiant. All she could do was talk about going to school. Every time she spoke about it, he got angrier and angrier.
Why can’t you just accept your fate? He’d ask her.
Because that’s not my fate. My fate is to change the world. She’d argue back.
Concetta believed she could do anything. Her eyes were always full of determination. While I believed her, I was unable to convince Reginaldo to agree to a compromise.”
Agnella looked around the room, holding the gaze of each of them for a moment before continuing. “I’ll tell you all a secret. It wasn’t much, but I had a little squirreled away. The money I gave her covered her application fee. She got into the program. Oh, I can’t remember the name. As far as I remember, she was one of only two girls to get in. Concetta thought her father would be proud, but no. He was angry. The arguments those two would have. Concetta didn’t understand why he couldn’t spend the money meant for her future to send her to school. After all, she had done the hard work of getting accepted. Did I mention it was an early admittance? One night it came to a head. She got on her knees and begged her father for money to go to school. The way she sobbed. He still told her no. If she wanted the money to go to school, she would have to earn it. It was the second time in my marriage I hid something from him. My cousin got your mamma a job cleaning the office where she worked.”
“Do you remember where?” Leonardo asked, although it looked like Manny was about to ask as well.
“Of course. Your grandfather had me throw out the few Scott’s products we had on the shelf. I never told anyone, but I would slip half a can of Scott’s tomato soup into my sauce. The sauce was never the same.”
“She got a job working at Scotts?” Emmanuel asked.
“Yes. After dinner, she would work until eleven o’clock.” Agnella stopped and looked away thoughtfully. “Well, at first. Then, by the summer months, she started doing double shifts. She would work until one or two a.m.”
Eeks. Who would tell this sweet woman her daughter was most likely not doing double shifts?
“Things around the house were so tense. Reginaldo stopped talking to our daughter. Then when I thought things couldn’t get any worse. He found her bank book. The money she had saved from her job was so much. The things he said to his own daughter. He called her a prostituta. The situation seemed hopeless.”
Agnella grimaced. “Within a few months, I noticed her weight gain. She couldn’t hold any food down. Just the smell of coppa made her sick. I knew before she did. Your mamma was mad I even suggested such a thing. She claimed she was untouched. I knew better. Then one day, she didn’t get out of bed. The way she was sobbing.
I don’t know how it happened, Mamma. I was careful. So careful.
The strangest thing was, we both thought her father would go through the roof. He took it so well. At first. Until she wouldn’t name your father.
You must tell me, Concetta. I will go to him. Make him marry you. Before it is too late.
Reginaldo kept badging her for weeks until she finally broke.
He can’t marry me, Papa. He is already married.
She wouldn’t go along with her father’s plan. Reginaldo wanted to bring someone over from the old country and they would marry her and raise the baby. Concetta refused. Something broke inside of him. The night he kicked her out of our house, it was the first time he raised his hand to us. He forbid her from ever returning to the house. One of the last things he told her was not to give her bastard his name.” Agnella pressed her fingers to her lips as she looked at Leonardo, then at Manny.
She swiped away her tear. Her voice was low. “I’m sorry. I should have protected her.”
Ivy wished she could absolve Agnella, but it wasn’t her place. As a mother herself, she doubted anyone could release the older woman of the guilt she was feeling.
“Concetta called me when she moved to the other side of the country. I know she timed the call for when her father wasn’t around. My little girl told me her father was right.
Mama, I’m such a bad person.
What I have done can never be forgiven.
She wouldn’t tell me what it was. I can’t imagine what it could be. I’ve wondered for the last fifty years.”
“I think she felt remorse about separating us,” Leonardo volunteered.
Manny shot him an incredulous look, as if warning him to be quiet.
His brother sent him a mirrored stern look. “No more secrets, Emmanuel. Lives have been ruined.”
Her husband glanced at her and Frank with a probing look. When they both nodded. He conceded by nodding at his brother. Keeping the truth from their grandmother wouldn’t serve anyone.
“Concetta didn’t tell me she had twins. I wish I could have been there for her. Her call… it was the last time I talked to her. Although, over the years, someone would call, just stay on the line… saying nothing. I’m sure it was her. After the airline called telling us she died, it stopped.”
Ivy didn’t realise she was crying until Agnella stood, hugged her. “No more tears. Look at this. You all didn’t eat at all. No more sad words for now. I will bring out the primo.”