Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Tre
No one drops a beat when Joaquin shares our news.
Well wishes and smiles spread throughout the room.
I legit didn’t know what to expect. I hoped for this reaction, but I didn’t anticipate it.
The weight of the world lifts from my shoulders for at least a few minutes.
Luciana’s reaction made it easier to walk inside, but it was still nerve-wracking to stand in front of everyone.
My gaze meets Elle’s, and she looks so happy she might cry.
She approves.
I didn’t realize how much I needed that.
She approaches me after Luciana gives me a hug that might suffocate me. I think she was trying to show some restraint outside since there were guards everywhere. We did our best to keep our voices down and maintain a semblance of privacy.
But in here—every stereotype of a loud Latin American family is on display. Not that the stereotypes of loud Italian families are all that different. The room is abuzz as Elle embraces me.
“I’m so happy for you, Trish. You’re going to be such a good mom. I’ve always known that, and I’m thrilled you’re going to be a parent with Joaquin. You’re good for each other.”
“Thank you, Elle. I’m excited, but I’m scared.”
“I know. I felt that three times.”
I nod against her shoulder. “I don’t think my family will take it this well.”
I pull away, but I still feel her sigh. It’s her turn to nod as she squeezes my shoulders.
“You and Joaquin should tell them soon. If you need me to, I’ll go with you both.”
“As his bodyguard?” I cock an eyebrow.
“Yes.”
Neither of us is joking.
“Tricia?”
I step back from Elle and turn toward Margherita.
Her knowing expression tells me she was aware I’m her new patient.
Joaquin was accepting Enrique and Luis’s congratulations while I talked to Elle.
Now he’s at my side again. He’s waiting for Margherita to speak, and I can tell he figured out the same thing.
“I can see you tomorrow morning at the clinic, or you can come to the house. I have an ultrasound machine there.”
I almost ask why, but she has it for when she needs to patch up the men. Both bullets and deep wounds show up on the imaging machines.
“Thank you. Umm—” I shift my attention to Joaquin, uncertain what to say.
“Tricia, it’ll keep the insurance company out of it and your records offline for now.”
Margherita speaks up before Joaquin can say anything. We both stare at her. I don’t think insurance or digital records crossed either of our minds.
“Thank you, Tía. Tre?”
“If you can examine me there, I think that’s a good idea.”
“It’ll have to be early if you want to do it in the morning. Otherwise, I can see you after four. I have a few patients at the clinic in the morning, but I’ll be at the hospital most of the day.”
“Early.”
I blurt my answer. I was already anxious about waiting until eight a.m. to get in to see her. Waiting until the afternoon to see the ultrasound and hear her prognosis might kill me.
“We can be there by six-thirty, Tía. Is that all right?”
“Perfect, sobrino.”
“If you ever need anything and you can’t reach Tía Margherita, you can always call me.” Madeline steps beside me and rests her hand lightly on my back.
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“When will you go to Boston?”
Enrique’s question is as gentle as it can be, but it bursts the bubble. It’s unavoidable. Joaquin and I share a glance before I look at Elle. Joaquin answers for us.
“Once we know what Tía thinks and whether she believes it’s safe for Tre to travel.”
Enrique nods and turns toward his wife. “Two days, Ellie.”
I must look confused because Joaquin whispers an explanation.
“He’ll give her two days up there with us before he comes to get her.
I mean, us too. But he’s not worried about our safety.
He’s more worried Tía will kill your uncle.
They—uh—aren’t on good terms. She’s still a little pissed about something that happened while she and Tío were dating. ”
“That was like two and a half years ago.”
“Yeah, well, we all have long memories when we’ve been wronged.”
“Wronged?”
Joaquin shoots me a look that says he might explain later.
I tread lightly since this could easily devolve into our first argument if I get defensive about my family.
I don’t want that. Not now, not ever. It’s inevitable we’ll argue over them, but it doesn’t have to be tonight.
I shoot him a tight smile before we accept everyone’s individual congratulations.
I’m exhausted by the time we leave. The entire day has worn me out, so I’m glad when Joaquin and I climb into bed. It’s another hour before we’re asleep, but once I snuggle against him, I’m dead to the world.
Watching the ultrasound stuns Joaquin and me into silence. Then we were grinning like fools when Margherita hands us the image printout. It’s barely a blip on the page, but it’s our blip.
“I have to head to work. You guys take your time.”
“Tía, you’re really sure?”
“Quino, everything looks perfect. It’s still too early to tell much. But everything is consistent with how it should be at this stage.”
I nearly burst into tears when Margherita couldn’t find anything with the regular ultrasound wand.
She pulled out this long thing that I didn’t understand until she put a sheath on it like a giant condom.
I thought Joaquin was going to pass out when he realized it was going inside me.
I know he wanted to stop his aunt, but he trusts her.
“Thank you, Margherita. I feel much better now.”
“You’ll need some bloodwork. I can order it, and we have a discreet lab that can handle it.
We can keep this private for now, but you’ll need to establish yourself at my practice before your first trimester is over.
If you have any spotting, call Madeline or me.
If it resembles even a light period day, go to the ER. ”
“Is there anything I can’t do?”
“You’re in excellent health. You don’t have any outstanding medical concerns, so you should be fine. Stay hydrated, eat before you feel nauseous, and expect to be sleepier than usual. Quino, don’t whittle. You’ll drive us all into an early grave.”
I look up at Joaco as he nods, but he doesn’t look even remotely convinced that Margherita isn’t downplaying something. He knows her better than I do. Is she hiding something? I shift my attention back to her.
“See.” Margherita nudges her chin toward me, but she’s looking at her nephew.
“Sorry, Tía. Tre, it’s just me being overly anxious. If my tía says everything looks good, then it does. She’d never lie about this.”
Margherita excuses herself and heads downstairs. We’re in a spare bedroom at her house in New Jersey that she has set up like a small operating theater. Not at all disconcerting first thing in the morning.
It was a little awkward since we saw Madeline’s dad when we arrived.
Joaquin’s sister-in-law grew up next door to Margherita, Luis, and Pablo.
Joaquin waved, then hurried me inside. Apparently, the two couples aren’t on the good terms they once were.
Something about Margherita’s now dead younger son and his vendetta against Madeline’s older sister because she married the head of the NYC bratva.
These fucking family trees, I swear.
“How’re you doing, chiquita?”
“Still a little shocked, to be honest. I’m going to be a mom.”
“You’re going to be the best mom.”
“Okay, Daddy.”
I mean to tease him, but we both freeze as our gazes lock. Saying that word tickles a spot in my brain. I don’t know why calling Joaquin “Daddy” is hot. He stares at me for a moment before he shakes off whatever he’s thinking. He grabs some tissues, and I reach for them.
“Let me.”
I pull my hand back as he cleans the ultrasound gel from between my legs and off my belly.
“Thank you for taking care of me, caro.”
“Always.”
It’s been six months since I’ve been in Boston and a week since I learned I’m pregnant. While I went to work after our appointment with Margherita and struggled to keep my secret from Sera, Joaquin was off planning a dinner that was beyond perfect. He even popped a bottle of bubbly—apple cider.
Unfortunately, the day after that, he got called away for a week.
I don’t know where he went, but I know he left the country.
I didn’t mean to, but I saw him pulling a Spanish passport out of his safe when I walked into his office.
I knocked and genuinely thought he said come in.
We stared at each other for a moment before both pretending I saw nothing.
Now we’re walking across the tarmac at Logan Airport, leaving his family’s jet behind us as we approach the waiting SUV.
Once we took off, Joaquin and I retreated to the jet’s private cabin.
We were going to fool around, but I couldn’t stop yawning.
Instead, he spooned me while I drooled on the pillow.
I’m well-rested, and I need it. It’ll take all my fortitude to survive meeting with my parents.
“Mom just texted me. She said Dad’s in a meeting with my uncles, and she’s still at work. She’s going to try to get out of the office early, but she doesn’t know when Dad will be done.”
I sit back against the seat in the SUV and close my eyes for a moment. Joaquin’s hands cover mine. We decided not to announce he’s with me. We’re certain my dad’s gotten an alert that I went to the airport and that Joaquin was with me. If my dad knows, then so does my mom.
Why state the obvious?
I can pray they might not know he flew with me, but they would be wasted words.
Thankfully, the weather sucks today, so I’m in a ball cap with my raincoat hood up. With sunglasses on and from a distance, it’s difficult to identify me. While it would be a stretch to think it’s merely coincidence that Joaquin is in Boston when I am, at least it can’t be confirmed yet.
“Let’s get some lunch then. Are you hungry? You didn’t have much this morning.”
“I’m ready to gnaw my arm off.”
“Tre, you should have said something. The attendant would’ve brought you something.”