Chapter Eleven
G ia heard the whirl of a jet engine as she awoke.
Scratch that.
Maybe it was a blender that sounded like a jet engine because she was fast asleep in her husband’s guest room and was pretty sure he didn’t have a jet.
She stretched until her toes curled near the end of the bed and turned over to forget what she heard.
No such luck. The annoying blast started again on this her first morning as a married woman. She smiled. Married woman. Someone’s wife. Mrs. Somebody. It was surprisingly exciting and only a little weird they spent their wedding night apart. There’d been a lot of kissing, cuddling, and hand holding, but there was also an unspoken agreement that further intimacy would take time. That gentleman husband of hers seemed to be giving her a lot of room to work through her assault issues, and sheer exhaustion after their whirlwind wedding helped the day come to a calm, peaceful, and expected end. In true romance-when-pregnant style, she dozed off on the couch after composing a notification email to her parents as Rocky sat nearby and ate another piece of wedding cake.
The blender whirled again.
“I give up,” she said and slipped the trusty quilt around her. “Guess I’ll go see how my husband spent the rest of his wedding night.”
She padded down the hall and paused to peek out the window. Rocky’s shiny new blue truck caught the morning sunlight and seemed to illuminate the whole cul-de-sac. A woman and her dog walked by and paused to take it all in. The animal backed away, probably because of the frightening glare from all the new chrome.
She wandered into the kitchen. “I still can’t believe you managed to get that truck and make it accessible in three days. I was shocked when I saw it yesterday.”
“It wasn’t exactly three days. The process was already started. I told Max and my buddy who installs hand controls that I needed help in a hurry. I had to have a new chariot to bring my beautiful bride home in.”
“It’s too early in the morning for you to be that corny, but thanks. Where is the car?”
“I’m donating it. There are organizations to help people with transportation when they suddenly find themselves in my position. An agency is going to pick it up from Max’s.”
She sat at the table. “It’s still a good car. It’ll help someone.”
He put orange juice and some other things back in the fridge and pulled granola bars out of a drawer. “What can I get you for breakfast before I go?”
“I’ll get something. Don’t worry about me. Where are you going?”
“I have an appointment at a hospital in north Houston.”
“Why are you going to the hospital? What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” He tossed a banana peel in the trash. “It’s for work.”
“I thought you worked mostly from home.”
“I do. That pandemic was both a blessing and a curse for someone like me. I have more business than I’ve ever had because working remotely is now cool and a more acceptable thing. But I’m trying to grow my business. I got a contract to install and maintain the computer system at a small medical complex building. It’s related to the hospital. I’ll be there all day doing preliminaries.”
“That’s great, but it sounds like a lot of work.”
“It is a lot of work. I’ll have to hire a tech to help me. If it goes well, it could open doors for more jobs.”
“I’m impressed.”
“If that impresses you...” He pulled a glass out of the cabinet. “This fruit smoothie I made you is going to blow your mind. I was going to leave it in the fridge with a note, but then I realized the blender would wake you up anyway, so here.” He set the glass in front of her.
“Looks great, Rocky, but you’ve got to stop spoiling me.”
“I’m not spoiling you. I’m investing in that kid’s cerebral cortex. According to all that reading we’ve been doing, this concoction is some super-duper brain cell booster magic fluid bomb of nutrients, guaranteed to improve his SAT scores.”
“Really?” She had to laugh. “It’s guaranteed?”
“Yes. I have to get a tie and get out of here.”
“I’ll get it.” She hopped up and then stopped suddenly when she realized she had no idea where he kept such things. “Where are your ties and which one do you want?”
“Well, I only have the three and I’m sure two of them are dirty.”
“Can you wear the one from yesterday, or is it covered with white buttercream icing?”
“I can wear it. It’s hanging on my doorknob.”
She darted down the hall and came right back with the tie. “Can I pack you a lunch or something? There’s plenty of stuff leftover from yesterday.”
“No, thanks. If you need anything, text me.”
“I won’t be bothering you at work.” She followed him to the door. “I have one request, though.”
“What?”
“Can you do that thing where you list the stuff we’re supposed to accomplish today? I know we talked about it last night, but I was so tired. Not to mention how unorganized and forgetful I am. I love that you’ve introduced me to the joys of keeping a to-do list on my phone, but I have yet to successfully complete one.”
“You’re not unorganized and forgetful, Gia. You’re getting through trauma.” He took his keys from the hook by the door. “But here’s the recap. I’m going to talk to Pastor Charles first thing this morning and fill him in. I’m also going to talk to my parents and give them the story the way we agreed to.”
“Good, because I’m feeling guiltier by the minute that they weren’t included yesterday.”
“No longer an issue. Stop worrying. As for you, you’re going to either call your parents or send that email you drafted last night. You’re also going to talk to the police and see what you need to do to document the assault for future reference.”
“And I’m going to look for work.”
“And you’re going to look for work.”
“And we’re both going to get mentally prepared for the fallout when our parents hear the news.”
“Yes, but mostly you’re going to take it easy and save me a piece of cake.”
She bent to kiss his cheek. “Always. Now go and be brilliant.”
As soon as the door closed, she raced to the couch to watch him leave in his fancy new set of wheels. He caught her peeking through the blinds and waved. She jerked away and sank into the cushions like a nosy neighbor who’d been caught spying. Then she laughed at herself.
Her laptop sat open on the coffee table from the night before. She woke it up and clicked on the email to her parents. Rocky made it clear he thought she should call them. The thought of that made her twitch as though about to break out in hives. There had been a fleeting second of remorse late yesterday. Her mom was still her mom and she would be crushed when she found out her only child married without her. When weighed against a face-to-face chat though, an after-the-fact email was all Gia could handle. At least both her parents would get it at once.
She read it through again. All the pertinent information was there.
She hit send.
GIA SET A HEAPING PLATE of meat and cheese on the table and slipped a batch of crescent rolls into the oven. Rocky texted. He was on his way home and hungry. Wedding leftovers sounded perfect.
She combined the relish tray and the vegetable tray and then spent several minutes chasing, trapping, washing, and eating the green olives and grape tomatoes that rolled across the counter and bounced on the floor. It’s a wonder she hadn’t dropped everything as she waited for what would happen next. Her phone had been eerily quiet all day without the expected rampage from her mom and dad, and Rocky hadn’t given any indication of how his news was received. He kept assuring her his parents were laid back and easy going and had enough faith in him to easily accept whatever he’d done. She didn’t even have a word for what to expect from her parents. She didn’t know.
The distant ring of the doorbell sang over the splash of water in the sink and seeped into her consciousness. She twisted the dishtowel and waited as a heavy knock quickly followed.
She skidded to a stop and stretched to look through the peep hole.
Rocky’s parents!
She recognized them from pictures in his house. His mother’s shoulder length bob, his father’s large frame, shaggy black hair and neatly trimmed goatee... Their visit wasn’t completely unexpected, but it was scarier than she imagined.
A scripture popped into her head.
Be strong and courageous...
“ Sure, Lord, why not?” she mumbled to herself as she released the deadbolt. “How bad could it be? There are many worse things than marrying a good man who is crazy about me. His parents might hate me, but, hey...”
“Hi,” she said and smiled as big as was possible for the size of her cheeks.
The man straightened, looked her up and down, and then put his hands on his hips. “What the heck’s going on here?”
“Nick!” The woman placed her hand on his arm.
Gia stepped back, suddenly aware of her bare feet as she stood tall and tried to look confident. “Come in. Rocky should be here any minute.”
The woman made her way to the couch and tossed her sunglasses and purse aside as she straightened her brightly patterned blouse over her white capris and dropped into the cushions. Her husband remained standing and hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans.
“Have a seat, Nick,” the woman told him. “I’m sure we’ll all have a very informative talk when Rock gets here.”
Gia stood with her hands clasped in front of her, carefully concealing her ring finger.
Rocky’s mom was an attractive woman with a sweet round face. Straight, light brown hair gently framed her plump cheeks, with one shock of gray making a dramatic statement down one side.
“I’m Bev,” she said and smiled. “And this is Nick.” Her large silver bangles clanked together as she gestured toward her husband and then patted the couch. “Come and sit,” she said again.
His gaze narrowed and his eyes twinkled a bit as he continued to study her. It was as if he’d backed away from surprise and irritation and settled instead on curiosity. “I’d rather stand,” he said. “Been sitting all day.”
“Suit yourself.”
“I’m Gia.” She considered offering her hand, but realized it would be beyond awkward if they refused it. “Can I get you a bottle of water or something?”
“No, thank you,” Bev replied at the end of a breathy sigh.
Nick simply shook his head and looked at the tips of his snakeskin boots.
“If you’ll excuse me a minute, I have rolls in the oven. I haven’t heard the timer. I better check.”
“That timer doesn’t work,” Bev said. “I mean, it works, but it isn’t loud. You have to be standing right beside it to hear it and then what’s the point?”
Gia smiled and slipped into the kitchen. Sure enough, the buzzer was crowing like a weak and wounded rooster.
Her guests mumbled in the next room. She heard the frantic tone of the voices, but not the words. Mercifully, she also heard Rocky’s key in the lock.
“Gia,” he called out. “You should keep this door locked when you’re here alone.”
She dropped the baking sheet on the counter and raced to the living area with her oven mitt still on.
He’d clearly come to a stop while untucking and unbuttoning his sweaty white dress shirt. The tie had already come off—probably hours ago—and was hanging off the back of his chair. “Mom. Dad.” He started to rebutton. “I didn’t notice your car.”
Bev rushed to hug him. “Relax, honey. Go ahead and get a fresh shirt. It’s miserably hot.”
“I’ll get you one,” Gia offered and then nearly bit through the inside of her lip. She didn’t know where to find one, but walked toward his room as if she did.
“Grab that beige polo on the closet floor,” he said. “It’s clean.”
“The car is on the other side of the cul-de-sac,” Bev continued. “Your dad was distracted. He missed the driveway.”
“I didn’t miss the driveway. There was some kid out there bouncing a basketball off the side of the neighbor’s house. Didn’t want him to dent the car. Anyway, good to see you, Rock. Can you please tell us what the heck goin’ on?”
“Nick!” His mother went back to the couch.
Gia returned with the shirt.
“Thanks,” he said and pulled it over his head. “I don’t need the oven mitt.”
He winked and she wanted to punch him in his granite bicep. How dare he be enjoying this?
She ripped the glove off her hand and took his shirt. “I’ll put this in the laundry.” Again, she had no idea where he piled his dirty clothes, so she dropped it on top of the washer when she went to return the oven mitt.
“Something smells good,” Rocky called after her.
“It’s nothing fancy. It’s store bought rolls to go with the leftovers.”
“Still smells good.” He took her hand when she returned and nudged her toward the recliner.
Nick finally sat down by Bev—and the four of them stared at each other for about thirty seconds before Gia squeezed Rocky’s hand.
“Mom, Dad, this is my wife, Giavanna. She prefers to be called Gia. Gia, this is my mom, Bev, and my dad, Nick.”
“That much we already know,” his dad said and leaned forward. “What we don’t know is how and when all this happened. When I saw you two weeks ago, Rock, you never mentioned you had a girlfriend. Now you have a wife?”
Rocky opened his mouth, but his mother didn’t let him get one word out.
“Where did you two meet? How long have you known each other? You couldn’t have told somebody you wanted to get married? As your parents, it would have been nice to be involved.”
Gia’s stomach did a sickly flop. They should have been involved. They’d never accept her now, especially being three strikes in the hole for robbing them of their son’s wedding.
She tried to squeak out an apology, but nothing happened.
“Gia and I met at that summer camp where I was asked to speak,” Rocky explained. “She worked there. We went out. One thing led to another and there was no reason to wait. We did the impulsive and romantic thing and eloped.”
She’d have to compliment her clever husband later. Pretty crafty how he chose words that were completely true and fairytale-like, while leaving out the real ugliness they were trying to quash.
“What do you mean eloped ? You didn’t run off to Vegas. You told your dad your friend Max’s uncle married you.”
“He did. He’s a retired judge.”
Nick bristled and clenched his fists. “You should have been married in the church, Rock. This family is Greek Orthodox. You are Greek Orthodox.”
“With respect, Dad, I am not. And again, with respect, you have not been on the inside of a church since your own wedding and a few funerals over the years. I know mom converted to keep the peace, but I’ve never really been a part of that church.”
“Oh, enough about the Greek church,” his mother said. “It’s the whole idea of the thing we’ve missed. No celebration, no family photos... I didn’t get to be mother of the groom.”
Her cool gaze settled on Gia.
“Whoa, that was my decision, Mom. Gia’s parents didn’t know either. I decided if it couldn’t be all parents, it would be none at all.”
“I see,” Bev said with a note of sarcasm. “You wanted to be fair. Who actually did get to come to my son’s wedding?”
“My band from church was there. We were expecting only Max, but the rest of the band came. They brought snacks and a cake and there are pictures, but honestly, Mom, we didn’t plan any of that.”
“I see,” she said again. “Friends but no family.”
Gia prepared to get up and hold the door. Now that his parents were thoroughly insulted, hurt, angry, and totally disgusted with them both—especially her—she expected them to leave in a huff. She was amazed when they didn’t move. Her parents always left in the middle. Nothing was ever resolved.
“Mom, Dad, I’m sorry about the wedding, but I’m not sorry about getting married. There’s no reason we can’t still have a family reception or something. Happens all the time. Couples save money on weddings and have a big party instead. Go nuts. Do whatever you want, we’ll be there.”
To Gia’s surprise, Bev grabbed her purse and pulled out a planner. She turned a page or two and conferred with her husband. She took the pen from its slot in the cover and scribbled a few notes.
“Fine,” she said. “The Fourth of July is right around the corner. We’ll do it then. We already have an annual cookout. We’ll turn it into a wedding reception. I’ll do a quick updated invitation. I’m going to need one of the photos as soon as possible.”
“Of course, Mrs. Lionakis,” Gia said. “I’ll check with our friend Candi and email it to you tonight.”
“Call me Bev.” She put the book back in her bag.
Nick scrubbed his hands across his jeans. “You know, Rock...” He pinned them both with a probing gaze. “Your mother and I have talked about this all day and, after seeing you together, we know there’s something else going on here. Don’t know what it is, but we’ll figure it out eventually. I hope you know what you’re doing. Marriage is serious business.” He paused and then turned his inquisitive brown stare straight to Gia. “And you haven’t said much.”
“I’m sorry, sir. I meant no disrespect. I assumed you wanted to hear from your son.”
“Call me Nick.”
“Why did you marry our son?” Bev asked. “I mean, we know what a catch he is, but it’s not like you’re living in a mansion here, and I don’t think Rocky has won the Powerball Jackpot—”
“Mom! Geeze, what are you suggesting?” He turned to Gia. “You don’t have to answer that. My mom’s being uncharacteristically tacky. And Mom, if you know what a great catch I am, why is that a question?”
Bev lifted her hands to complete an exaggerated shrug. She finished by glancing at Gia’s left hand. “It’s a question. I’m curious.”
But Bev’s attempt at rattling her wasn’t convincing. There was no way this woman was a meanie by nature.
“I’ll answer,” Gia said. “Let me get something from the kitchen first.” She retrieved the newspaper clipping from under a magnet on the refrigerator door and returned to her seat. “There are many reasons I married Rocky, but I’ll share this one that’s a very special memory to me. We were on a date at a festival. Everyone was leaving, but Rocky was giving me a ride, so we headed down a different street that was less crowded. We thought we were alone, but this guy with a camera came out of nowhere and started snapping pictures without our permission. The very first thing that happened—before I could even start a rant about how our privacy had been invaded—was what Rocky did. He instinctively wrapped his arm around me and pulled me toward him as if to protect me. That guy was basically harmless, but it was dark, and we didn’t know that at first. He could have just as easily had a gun and planned to rob us, but it didn’t matter. Your son was prepared to do battle. I felt safe, and that’s a very big deal to me because I haven’t felt very protected by the men in my life. And that includes my father.” She passed the clipping to his parents. “So, like I said, I could give you a lot of reasons. But that is the night I knew he was something special. That is the night I...well, I knew.”
Bev teared up as she passed the paper along to Nick.
He might have been a little emotional too.
Rocky seemed a bit moved himself as he took her hand and brought it to his lips for a passing kiss.
“You can understand why we’re concerned,” Bev said. “This happened very fast. All we want is Rocky’s happiness.”
“We’re happy,” Rocky said. “But there is another part to this story.”
“I knew it,” his dad said. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. It’s good news, but it’s for immediate family only, understand? No blabbing about this, especially at the party. Not yet.”
“Oh, Rocky, please,” Bev said. “Are you trying to send my heart into arrhythmia?”
“Out with it, son.”
“Gia and I are expecting a baby around the middle of January. That’s the other reason we moved fast. I don’t care what people think, but it was the right thing to do to get married as soon as possible. So, there you have it.”
Bev clutched her chest.
Nick clutched his wife.
Otherwise, they appeared simply stone cold stupefied.
“You OK, Mom?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “How long did you say you’ve known each other?”
“A while,” Rocky said.
Gia nodded in agreement. It was not a lie. Any period of time could be perceived as a while.
His dad cleared his throat and rested his fist against his mouth for a moment as if deep in thought. “You’re forgetting,” he finally said. “We know the details of your SCI, Rock. We know fatherhood is not likely to happen for you. Even with lengthy medical intervention the odds are against you.”
“Then that makes us more blessed than most,” he answered. “And I haven’t forgotten anything, Dad. I remember better than anyone what’s going on with my body. The details are between me and Gia anyway. This is my wife,” he said and pointed her way. “And that is my baby—your grandbaby. I think we should eat now. We have leftovers from yesterday and it would be great if you’d join us.”
Bev stood. After a couple of wobbly steps, she flung her arms around Rocky. “Congratulations, honey.” She started to cry. “You’ll make a wonderful father, but I need a minute to get used to the idea.”
Gia got up and accepted Bev’s hug. Nick followed with his own congratulations. It was awkward, but sincere. Rocky was right again. Despite his parents’ surprise and apprehension, they seemed to genuinely accept her and trust his judgment—even if they both knew he’d married a woman who was carrying another man’s child.
She was humbled by their response.
“The food’s out,” she said. “I’ll pop those rolls in the microwave for a few seconds and warm them back up.”
The doorbell rang again. She glanced at Rocky.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. Could it be your parents?”
“Anything’s possible.”
The ringing turned to knocking.
She checked the peep hole. “Uh... Rocky? Did something happen today I should know about?”
“Nope, why?”
“No reason. Just wondering why there are two police officers here. They don’t look too happy about it either.”