Page 138 of Bride By Initiation

"Like what?"

She stares at me, then declares, "You'll learn to embrace the unknown because it always leads you forward."

I arch my eyebrows. "Why doesn't anyone ever give me a straight answer?"

She laughs, then says, "We have some time, so we should talk about something else...something important."

My pulse increases. "Am I in trouble?"

Her lips twitch. "No, not at all."

I relax, but then a new fear hits me. "Is Sean in trouble?"

"No." She pats me on the thigh. "Take a breather. Everything's fine."

I release an anxious exhale.

She studies me closer, and the familiarity sinks in again.

I blurt out, "Why do I feel like I know you, even though I know I've never seen you before the other night?"

She looks nervous at my question.

"Please tell me. And give me a straightforward answer."

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

"It is?"

"Yes." She opens her purse and pulls out a photo. I take it, and the hairs on my arms rise.

It's the photo of the woman, the baby girl, and my father. I gape at it, then snap my head toward her. "Why are you giving this to me again? Surely, you know I've already seen this."

"Yes, but you want answers, right?"

I nod.

She hesitates, then announces, "My mother is your father's sister."

My pulse increases. I state, "My dad only had brothers. The last one passed away last year."

She shakes her head. "No, that's not true. And your father and my mother were close."

"So we're cousins?"

She smiles. "Yes."

I suspiciously ask, "Why don't I know about your mother and you?"

She takes a deep breath, then reveals, "My mother fell in love with Marcello Abruzzo."

My eyes widen. I hurl, "The Abruzzos are horrible people! My father told me they don't respect women. They even traffic them!"

Her expression hardens. She swallows hard and nods, affirming, "That's correct, but not all of them are bad."

I cautiously admit, "I don't know if I can believe that statement."

Hurt fills her eyes. She claims, "It's true. And my father wasn't anything like the bad ones!"

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