Page 35 of Married Into Love

It didn’t even take her one. “I’ll text the information to Alessia’sphone.”

“Go ahead and do that whilewewait.”

We watched as she pulled out her phone and sent the message. Alessia checked her cell when the notification came through and nodded at me after readingthetext.

“Now that we’ve got that part over with, we need to discuss you entering a rehab program for your gamblingaddiction.”

“I’m not addicted! I can quit any time I want,” shedenied.

“Mrs. Valenti, you’re lying to yourself if you thinkthat’strue.”

Alessia squeezed my hand tighter. “You stole rent money from me—your own daughter—and didn’t even let Ariana and me know that we were going to be evicted. Either you’re addicted to gambling and the disease has you spiraling out of control, or you’re just a horrible mother. And I refuse to believe it’s the latter because you were a good mom to us before Dad left. So please, for Ariana and me if not yourself, get the helpyouneed.”

“I don’t know if I’d be able to find a place that would take me, and the decent ones are expensive,” her mom tried to rationalize her way outofit.

“We’ll take care of the details,” I offered. “All you’ll have to do is show up and put in the work to beat youraddiction.”

Her green eyes, so similar to Alessia’s but without the bright light of her daughter’s, filled with grief. “You really got married, and I didn’t knowaboutit?”

Alessia nodded jerkily. “On Friday. It’s our one-week anniversarytoday.”

“And your sister? Is she okay? Did she find somewheretolive?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. Pissed at you, but doing good,” Alessiaanswered.

Her mom’s head jerked back like she’d been physically struck, and her eyes filled with tears. She stared down at the table for a couple of minutes before taking a deep breath and meeting Alessia’s gaze again. “Will you let her know I’m going into rehab? If she’s mad at me, it’s probably best that I wait to reach out to her. Once I’m in a better place, and she’s ready toforgiveme.”

“Yes, I’ll do that,” Alessia promised. “And I’ll call you with the information on the rehab center as soon as Ihaveit.”

“Okay.” She slid out of the booth and looked down at us. “I guess I’d better get going. Take care of a few things so I’ll be ready for that call.Thankyou.”

Alessia’s hold on me tightened further. “You’rewelcome,Mom.”

She waited until her mom was gone before she buried her face in my shoulder to cry. “Oh my gosh. I can’t believe shesaidyes.”

“I’m glad she did,beautiful.”

Leaning her head back, she stared up at me with wet eyes. “You know how you said me agreeing to think about moving to Chicago with you was the best anniversary present I couldgiveyou?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, you out-did me,” she whispered. “But I’m done thinking. My decision is made. I’ll move to Chicagowithyou.”

“I think that makes it a tie for which one of us gave the other the best anniversary gift, especially since you’ll be giving up In-N-Out. But once you get a taste of the Italian beef sandwiches and Chicago-style hot dogs at Portillo’s, I don’t think you’ll miss ittoomuch.”

She shook her head. “Sorry, but you’re wrong on both counts. Nothing will ever take the place of my beloved In-N-Out double-double.”

I smirked, positive that our first trip to Portillo’s would prove herwrong.

“And we’re going to have to agree to disagree about the gift-giving thing because nothing is better than getting my mom to agree to enter a rehabprogram.”

“I can live with that.” What I couldn’t live withoutwasher.

“Then let’s get out of here, stop at a bank to grab wads of cash to pay off a bookie, and find a rehab facility for my mom. It’ll make for one heck of a busy anniversary, that’s for sure,” she joked, poking me in the side until I slid out of thebooth.

“It’ll set the bar for the rest of them.” And I fully intended for there to be many more anniversariestocome.

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