Page 20 of Ti Amo

“Where are you going?” Giovanni asked.

“Any seat is better than one next to you.” She rose with Eve.

Giovanni grunted and his fist clenched but he didn’t try to stop her. Lorenzo rose from his seat and plopped down in her place.

“Gio?”

“Vattene!Leave me in peace.”

“Things aren’t going well?”

He turned his gaze to the window.

For several long minutes they coasted through the clouds in silence. Giovanni finally relented and addressed his cousin. “I owe you a debt of gratitude. If it weren’t for you I would not know my daughter existed.” He glanced to Lorenzo. “How long have you known?”

“A while.”

“And you said nothing?”

“I didn’t want you to think it a lie or worse that I had motives, selfish ones. I just wanted you to find her again. And you have. We are best as a team, Gio. For too long you have shut me out of the family. This I understand. But today I proved to you that I deserve more.”

“Grazie.” Giovanni mumbled. “I-I do need us to be brothers again. I will speak to Domi about… giving you more responsibility.” Giovanni said.

“Prego.” Lorenzo gave a sly smile. “You can trust me. You always could.” He then leaned out of his seat to look to the back where Mira went. He settled back. “A word of advice cousin, you’re being too harsh on the princess.”

“What?” Giovanni asked.

“You should be happy now, you’re a father. You have her back. I would give anything to have another chance with Fabiana.”

“She wants another man.”

“I don’t think so cousin, I saw that shrine she built to you.”

“I know she didn’t fuck him,” he grumbled. “It’s much worse.”

Lorenzo frowned. “I don’t understand. I thought this tension was because of him.”

“When I say she wants another man, I’m speaking of the man I once was. Not the man I am now. She’s mydonna. I knew it then, and I feel it now. If she had slept with him I would see it in her eyes. She didn’t.”

“You are the man she knew.”

“If I were, I would be able to summon forgiveness. I’m unable to. The fact remains, she had another man living the life I should have lived with her. Feeding mybambinahis lies about me and watching her take her first steps without me. I should have killed him when I had the chance.”

“Punishing Mira will only drive her further away Gio.”

Giovanni glared at him. “What the fuck do you know about it?”

Lorenzo slumped in his seat. “When you thought she died you turned on us all. You banished me, Rocco, Zia. You shut Catalina out. You retreated. I want our brotherhood back. You have a second chance at happiness. Don’t throw it away for pride.” He glanced over at him. “We are not destined to become our fathers.”

“Leave, Lo.”

Lorenzo rose. He headed to the back of the plane where Mira sat. She looked as if she’d break from fatigue and despair. Her eyes, glittering with tears, lifted to his face and then cut away. She kept her daughter close to her breast.

“If he sent you back here don’t bother.”

“He didn’t. I wanted to apologize to you.”

An old pain surfaced and Mira felt her body grow cold all over. She struggled to keep the tears from her eyes. No one understood her loss. Fabiana was the only family she had in the world. “Not now. I can’t talk about Fabiana.”

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