Page 40 of Tito
“We were…are,” Bianca added. “Please give us the chance to be? We never thought of it again after she brought you to us…that I wasn’t your real mother.” She sat up and squared her shoulders. “In my heart and soul, you are my daughters.”
We stared at her.
I took Julianna’s hand and squeezed it. To remind her of what I’d told her earlier. Besides, these two people seemed to be genuinely sweet. They both looked so desperate and hopeful for us to forgive them.
“So my last name is not Regatta?” Julianna asked.
They both shook their heads.
“But it is in legal terms,” our father explained. “It has been legally changed since you were five years old. And I am your true father,” Tommaso added. “And it isn’t just biological, Julie. Please forgive us? It just didn’t feel like a lie.”
Bianca nodded. “We raised you from a baby and you were always ours.”
I again squeezed her hand as those had almost been my exact words earlier.
Julianna released a long expelled breath and admitted, “That’s what Valen said. That you would always be my parents.”
“And Valen is still ours too,” Bianca added. “I-if you will allow it, we would like to visit with you?” She smiled at me through her tears.
Julianna and I glanced at each other then back at the screen.
“I would like that,” I answered. “Please know that I…thatwewant and need family.”
We all had tears in our eyes. This moment was one I never saw coming a month ago. One that I surely never expected when I first arrived here. Parents who wanted me, family that were truly my real family. I paused and swiped an errant tear away. “I would like to introduce you to someone who means everything to me.” I motioned to Tito.
Smiling, he came over and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“This is Tito Angelo Bruno,” I stated proudly.
“Bruno,” Tommaso asked as he said, “Come closer to the screen, young man.”
Tito leaned in between Julianna and I.
“Oh, my… Dio mio!” Tommaso stared at him in disbelief. “You look just like him…”
Tito squeezed my shoulder. We had already gone through this same kind of scare once before.
Tommaso sat up in his chair and he looked upset as he asked, “Your father was Angelo Rofinni Bruno, correct?”
We stared at the screen. We sure didn’t know what new shock was coming now.
“Yes sir,” Tito replied stiffly.
“You are serious?” Bianca exclaimed. “This cannot be!”
“He was my father, yes.” Tito nodded.
“I was saddened when he died.” Tommaso lowered his head. “He was far too young.”
“H-how…” My words faded into the ether ofnot really wanting to knowas we already went through this torture of possibly being related somehow.
“He was my best friend back in Italy,” Tommaso explained. “We grew up together.”
Tito sucked in a surprised breath then he asked, “Y-you’re Tommy?”
Tommaso nodded as a smile broke out on his face. “Angel was like a brother to me. I mean he even visited us in New York.” Then he paused as he seemed to realize something significant and his face paled. “He held you girls right on his lap when you were three years old or so.”
We all went silent as the small-worldness of this revelation sunk in. Tito’s father had held me and Julianna when we were babies?
