Chapter 53 Piece Of You
Piece Of You
Even one night away from you feels like too much. How am I supposed to go for years? —Enzo
Six months later
Izzy
“Izzy! Get over here!” Nate calls, waving me over with exaggerated gestures.
Despite the nausea churning in my stomach, I make my way slowly toward him and Enzo, stopping once I’m in front of them.
“Which of us is scarier?”
I blink. “What?”
“No, look—imagine you don’t know us. You pass us on the street. Who scares you more?”
I shake my head, lips twitching into a smile. “Enzo.”
Nate gasps, clutching his chest as if I’ve stabbed him. “How could you say that?”
“You literally skip down the sidewalk.”
“First of all—it’s a pavement. Second—I do not skip.”
Carina slides her arms around his waist. “Hate to tell you this, but you do.”
Nate whines—actually whines. “I can’t help that I love life.”
Carina laughs. “No one’s saying that’s a bad thing. But it doesn’t exactly make you look like the big bad wolf.”
“But this guy does?” Nate points at Enzo, sulking.
“Yes,” we all answer in unison—even Tess and Kai, who’ve only just joined the conversation.
Little Nico bounces on Kai’s hip, babbling nonsense.
He’s the cutest kid—no matter how much Tess insists he’s a devil child.
Despite the ache of losing my own, I haven’t let it stop me from loving him.
We’ve visited twice since his birth: once for Carina and Nate’s wedding last May—which was interesting, to say the least—and again for Nate and Tess’s birthdays in July.
The sharp clink of a glass hushes the room.
Enzo raises his, instantly commanding attention. “Thank you all for joining us—we appreciate everyone who traveled far.”
Nate and Tess heckle. Carina elbows Nate in the ribs. Kai slaps a hand over Tess’s mouth. Enzo glares while I smother a laugh.
“As I was saying—it’s great to have everyone here in one place.” His eyes lock on mine, stealing my breath with their intensity. “Happy birthday to my wife—my rock, my person, the most incredible woman on the planet. I love you.”
Cheers erupt around the room. We’re gathered at what used to be Massimo’s compound—it’s now where Enzo and I call home since Massimo stepped down as Don.
The dining room has been transformed with green and blue balloons and streamers. It’s not elegant—it’s chaotic and loud. Perfect.
Then a wave of nausea slams into me.
I bolt for the bathrooms and barely make it before vomiting up the delicious food Tess and the catering team prepared.
A hand rubs soothing circles on my back.
Mamma Giuliana.
Her feud with Massimo has mellowed a lot since the wedding.
“Let it all out, cara ragazza25,” she murmurs.
When I’m finally done, I slump against her legs, wiping my mouth. My satin dress is wrinkled, but I can’t bring myself to care. Giuliana helps me to my feet and over to the sinks.
“Are you pregnant?” she asks as I splash water on my face.
I freeze.
“How did you know?”
She arches an eyebrow. “Non sono stupida26. First, you just threw up out of nowhere. Second, you haven’t touched the champagne all evening.”
Guess it was kind of obvious.
After losing Alessandra—or Alessio—Enzo and I decided I’d get my implant removed and let things happen naturally. We weren’t exactly trying, but we weren’t preventing it either.
After a week of feeling sick, I took a pregnancy test. Then I got an ultrasound—because I wanted to be sure.
I haven’t told Enzo yet. Not because I’m waiting for the perfect moment, but because… there hasn’t been one today.
“How far along?” Giuliana asks gently, her smile warm.
“Eight weeks.”
The bathroom door creaks open, a guest stepping inside, breaking the moment. But before pulling away, Giuliana hugs me tightly and whispers in my ear: “Sono così felice per voi due27.”
I kick off my shoes and bounce onto the bed, sinking into the mattress with a sigh.
Enzo smiles, lifting my aching feet—punished all day by heels—and begins massaging the arches. A moan slips from me, my head falling back.
“Did you have a good birthday?” he asks.
I tilt my head up to meet his gaze. “The best. Thank you.”
He switches to my other foot, his thumbs kneading deep. “I have one last present for you.”
My brows knit. “Another?”
He sets my feet gently on the bed, then crosses to his dresser. When he turns back, a stack of envelopes rests in his hands.
“It’s not exactly a present,” he says. “Just something I wanted you to have.”
As he steps closer, my breath catches. I know that paper. That handwriting. I sit bolt upright.
“My letters,” I whisper, eyes stinging.
He places them in my lap.
I trace the worn edges, a watery laugh escaping me. “You kept them.”
“How could I throw away the only piece of you I still had?”
My throat tightens. “You stopped writing.”
“I was scared,” he admits. “Scared of what you’d think of me… of the life I was living. Scared I’d corrupt you.”
A corner of my mouth lifts. “Pretty sure you should’ve been worried about me corrupting you.”
He grins. “Oh, I know exactly how that turned out.”
Setting the letters aside, I take his hands and tug him down beside me.
“Actually… I have a present for you too.”
His nose scrunches. “Why?”
I draw in a steadying breath, my heart pounding. “Because I’m pregnant.”
Enzo
“We’re having a baby?”
Izzy grins at me. “Babies.”
My brain stutters.
“Babies? We’re having twins?”
She shakes her head, lips pressing together. “Triplets.”
Am I dead?
There’s no way I heard her correctly.
“Um. What?”
She nudges me gently with her shoulder. “I had my initial scan. There’s three of them.” She nibbles on her lip. “That’s not a problem, is it?”
I stretch my arm around her, pulling her close. “Nothing that comes from you could ever be a problem, Cuore mio.” Then it hits me—hard. I pull back, eyes narrowing. “Wait. You already had your scan? Alone?”
Her cheeks flush as she nods. “I only found out last week. I wanted to be sure, so I went this morning.” She rushes the words out. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just—”
I cover her apology with my mouth, kissing her before she can spiral. “It’s okay. I get it.”
Her eyes widen. “You do?”
“Of course. But I’m going to be there for all the rest.”
Her smile softens, tender. “I know.”