Page 149 of Mafia And Maid
“And look how you’re dressed,” she spits. “You might as well put a sign on your back to announce to everyone that you’re hooking up witha common criminal. It’s all anyone could talk about today. And now, people are going to think I’m like that too—and I can say goodbye to getting a good marriage proposal, all because of you. You know, there’s a reason Daddy was so reluctant to do business withthem.”
I feel like pointing out that Camillo told me that our father had been easily persuaded when they increased the financial incentive—our father had morals unless there was a large sum of money involved. But the words lodge in my throat because our father’s just died, meaning it’s not appropriate to be arguing like this.
“You only ever think about yourself. The very least you can do is help Mother out now.”
My mouth gapes open. “Is that how you both feel?” My gaze swings to my mother as she sits behind my father’s large cherry wood desk.
“We have an image and reputation to maintain, Rosa,” Mother sighs. “I thought you understood that. All that time with Grayden and you still haven’t learned anything. Everyone saw that thug with your son today. What kind of role model is that for your boy? I know you and Grayden are havingproblems—he came to see your father about it after you ran off—but it all reflects so poorly on our family. Anyway, your help is needed here right now. You can’t possibly expect me to see to everything myself…”
My mother has never appeared small in my life. But looking at her right now, she looks like a shell. Self-medicated, her eyes are hazy and lined with unshed tears. She’s lost in her grief. As much as I want to defend Camillo and my life with him, now is not the time. But I’m determined to sit down with my family once the funeral is over and talk to them about everything and set the record straight.
“Okay. I’ll stay if you need me to.”
“Start with the lawyer,” Reagan orders. “Aunt Annette is getting antsy to see if Daddy left her anything.” Reagan’s chin is held high as she moves past me toward the door. “Oh, and make sure you find something more appropriate to wear for the funeral. I’m sure there’s something more suitable in your closet. You can’t carry off something so clingy, not with your big size and all.”
I bite back the retort on my lips as the sound of her too high heels on the wood fills the room, and I watch her leave the room before I sag into the chair across from my mother.
Her eyes laser in on me. “What’s going on between you and that Marchiano, Rosa? The truth.”
He's the man for me, but saying that right now seems like it’ll cause more problems than it’ll fix, and I can tell my mother’s not in the mood to really listen to anything I have to say. “It’s complicated.”
She lets out a terse huff of air. “So, the rumors are true then. Whatever did I do to deserve this? And from my own daughter.” She stands with a dismissive shake of her head. “I need to lie down. See that the guests are taken care of.”
There are a million things I want to say to her. There are a million things Ineedto say to her. But it’ll have to wait until after the funeral.
I don’t know how long I sit in the office. I don’t know when I throw that awful picture of my father and Grayden shaking hands at our wedding against the wall to watch it shatter. I don’t know how long I numbly move through the motions of contacting my family’s lawyer, setting up for the reading of the will, and ushering the last guests out.
Finally, when I trudge back upstairs, I find Ethan sitting on my bed, quietly drawing with a pencil on some random papers left in my old bedroom. I walk over and sit by him, placing a kiss on top of his head.
“Are we going home, Momma?”
Home. That’s what the Marchiano estate felt like. My heart squeezes in my chest as I shake my head. “Not yet. We’re going to stay here for a bit. Grandma needs some help for a while.”
His brow furrows, and his lips draw into a small line. “What about Uncle Millo?”
“We can call him if you want.”
“But he was supposed to read the end of Alice in Wonderland tonight.”
“We might have a copy in the library downstairs.”
“But it won’t be the same, Momma. We were going to play baseball again and go in the pool as well.” Tears well in his eyes, and his lip wobbles. “We have to go back.”
“It’s only for a few days, honey.”
“But what if…” His gaze drops. “What if…something happens?”
“Happens?”
“To you? Uncle Millo isn’t around to look after you and me.”
My heart breaks into tiny pieces as I clutch Ethan to my chest. He’s still affected by what happened with Grayden—and I’m not sure if it’s something that he’ll ever get over. And I feel so damn guilty for that. “We’ll be okay for a few days, baby. I promise. We can call him every night if that’s what you want.”
“Now, Momma?”
Exhaustion weighs every bone of my body down as Camillo’s face flashes into my mind. My chest squeezes, and I rub at my breastbone to ease the feeling. I saw the brief flicker of hurt in his eyes when I told him that he didn’t need to stay—and it gutted me. I just didn’t want for anyone to be uncomfortable, including him. “He’s probably working still.”
“Can we try?”