Page 81 of The Don

“Okay, then let’s deal with the matter at hand,” Mildred says, turning to Salvatore. She looks him over silently. The entire Council does.

Steve didn’t even make it to this formal introduction; if he had, he would have fallen apart. But Salvatore soaks up their attention. He crosses his legs and smiles at the Aunties before lifting my hand to kiss his mouth.

“Oh, this is a smooth one, Mina,” Nana Geraldine says.

“Like smoother than her last one? ‘Cause that wouldn’t be that damn hard.”

“No, no. He’s smooth. I bet he swept her off her feet.”

“Oh,” Mina laughs. “She needs that.”

“I amrighthere?” I say into the void of their chatter.

“Where else would you be?” my mother asks. “And hush, girl.”

“Caroline says you’re pregnant,” Mildred says.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And you’re keeping this baby?”

“Yes,” Salvatore and I say in unison.

“And you can afford that?” Mina asks. “Ain’t nothing worse than a broke man.”

“You sure about that?” someone asks, echoing my own thoughts.

“Well,” Mina laughs, “I guess there are a few things that might be worse.”

I shake my head. Salvatore chuckles lightly.

“Yes,” he says. “Shae will want for nothing for the rest of her life, and neither will our children.”

“So you do want more kids?” Mildred asks me.

“Yes,” I answer eagerly. “Definitely.”

My mother is preening like I just won the Nobel Peace Prize or something, and I sigh in exasperation. Child or not, I’m over this.

“Is that it?” I ask irritably.

“Shae,” my mother warns.

I lock eyes with Mildred. “I don’t have to justify my decisions to the Council.”

“Oop, somebody came back with a backbone,” Mina laughs. “Maybe we should send all the meek ones to Italy.”

“That would be nice,” Salvatore says, kissing my hand and winking at me.

I have to bite back a smile, but I don’t back down. “Salvatore and I are together. We’re going to have this baby. And I won’t be back to this Council to explain myself again.”

Someone in the back of the room snaps.

“We’ll see,” Mildred says, a smile on her face. “Don’t get too big for your britches.”

“In a few months, she won’t be able to fit those britches anyway,” Nana Geraldine says, and the entire Council laughs.

I look at Salvatore and smile at him.