Page 8 of Redemption

Magda snickers next to me as I let a laugh slip from my lips. I look up and see Maria, Tina’s mom, walking toward us.

“Tina, are you really on your knees begging Mirabella to let Aria stay over?” She huffs. “You are so dramatic. I swear I should be paying for acting lessons, not football.”

Tina shoots her mom a look that has me snorting in laughter.

“How are you, Maria?” I ask, even though we see each other four times a week at practice.

She picks up her toddler, who is pulling on her hand. “Don’t even get me started.” She groans. “This one will not leave my side today. I had to rush the twins to ballet practice before this game, Angelo left early for his traveling league, which at least gives me a little more peace, so I only have to deal with four children the next three days instead of five.”

I laugh. “I don’t know how you do it.”

“My husband is a saint. If it weren’t for him, I would be drinking wine right now out of my water bottle.”

“I wants the wines,” her toddler whines as he pulls on her hair.

“I probably should give him some so he sleeps,” she says sarcastically.

“You sure you want to have a sleepover tonight? You seem to have your hands full.”

She shrugs. “I promised Tina I would let her have one. And the twins are staying at their friend’s house tonight. So you know, may as well exchange two kids for eight more.”

I laugh. “You literally are a saint.”

“I grew up with ten siblings. Five kids sounded easier.” She looks over at her daughter and mine who have gone to kicking a ball back and forth between each other. “So are you okay with Aria coming over tonight? Tina really wants her there.”

I glance at my daughter and see how happy she is with her friends. I feel terrible that I’ve kept her sheltered the last two weeks. Her only time with her friends at school or practice.

I nod. “Yeah, she can sleep over. When should I drop her off?”

“I told the others five was fine. I need to pick up the twins from ballet then take them to their friend’s house. Gino should be off work soon so he can get the house ready,” she says as she refers to her husband.

“Okay, sounds good.”

Maria smirks at me. “You should go out tonight. Flirt with a man. And you know…” she clicks her tongue.

I shake my head at her. “As much fun as that would probably be. A night alone sounds even better.”

“One of these days, I will make my sisters watch all the kids and we will have a girls’ night. God knows I need one just as much as you. And I would love nothing more than getting tipsy and horny and stumbling in the front door to bang Gino’s brains out.”

I nearly spit my water out at that.

“What’s horny?” her toddler asks.

I do spit my water out that time.

“Nothing important,” she mumbles to him and then sets him down. “See what I mean? I need a night out.”

I laugh. “We’ll plan for it.”

“Good,” she sighs. “Well, I better get this caravan home. See you later.”

Aria skips over to me, over the moon excited that I agreed to let her sleep over.

* * *

I settle into my sofa and pull up a movie as I sip on my whiskey. It’s been so long since I have been alone in this house. I thought the quietness would make me anxious, but I actually feel relaxed for the first time in weeks. I pull a blanket over my legs and lean my neck against the back of the couch, the warmth of the whiskey settling any of my worries.

I let all my thoughts float away. My brother’s warning, my family drama, and a past I want to let go of.

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