Before Father and Mother left, he took me aside. I knew what was coming. “You should consider doing a paternity test now. Your unborn child deserves it.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I whispered harshly. Daniele and Simona were saying goodbye to their cousins and too far away to hear anything.
“If it’s a boy, he might be your true heir.”
“This discussion is over.”
“I’m old. I don’t know how long I still have—”
“Which is why you shouldn’t destroy our relationship now.”
Father nodded then motioned for Mother to roll him out of the house.
Giulia watched me worriedly. I gave her a tight smile. She didn’t need to know about this.
When I opened Giulia’s box later in our bedroom, I felt a little stunned, even though I’d known what it would reveal. I was forty. After Gaia’s death, I had been sure I’d never become a father again, and now here I was.
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered when I didn’t say anything for a few seconds.
I wrapped her in a gentle embrace, kissing her sweet mouth. “That was quick.” Pride rang in my voice.
Giulia rolled her eyes. “We practiced so hard over the years, your swimmers are practically ready for Olympic gold.”
Even after all these years, Giulia’s quick wit still often caught me off guard. “Sometimes I don’t know what to do with you.”
She pursed her lips. “Kiss me?”
I did, then I pulled back. “Should we tell Simona and Daniele tomorrow?”
Giulia hesitated.
“I’m sure they’ll be happy.” They had accepted Giulia as their mother. Daniele hardly ever mentioned Gaia, and Simona didn’t remember anything of her.
Worry flickered across Giulia’s face, and I realized she hadn’t been worried about our kids not accepting a baby—until my inconsiderate words. “That wasn’t why you hesitated.”
“No, I just thought we should wait a few more weeks. I don’t want something to happen.” She searched my eyes. “They will be happy, right?”
“Of course. Then they have someone else to torture.” Those two were like cats and dogs sometimes, especially now that they grew older and Daniele was trying to appear cool.
We waited six more weeks before we announced the pregnancy to them at the dining table one evening.
For a moment, both of them only watched with wide eyes. Then they began to cheer. They didn’t know what a baby meant: babysitting and diaper changing duties.
Giulia laughed in relief.
Simona jumped up from her chair and rushed over to Giulia, throwing her arms around her.
“Careful,” I said. “Your mom has a baby in her belly.”
Simona nodded wide-eyed and stared at Giulia’s still flat stomach. “Can it hear me?”
“Yes.”
She leaned down. “Please be a little sister. Boys are annoying.”
“Hey! You’re annoying.” Daniele had talked with his mouth full and a few noodles fell out when he spoke.
Simona wrinkled her nose. “You stink.”
Daniele swallowed and let out a burp. “That stinks.”
“Ewww!”
“Enough,” I said firmly. “We’re having dinner.”
Daniele nodded, but he kept his eyes on Simona.
Simona stroked Giulia’s belly as if it was a magic lamp and would grant her a wish before she returned to her place. Daniele stuck his food-covered tongue out at her. She hit him. I gave Giulia a look. You really want another one of these?
“I can’t wait for another one,” she said.
I was in my eighth month when Mansueto had another heart attack. The doctors weren’t sure if he’d ever leave the hospital again. When he asked me to visit him alone, dread filled me.
He was pale and thin in the hospital bed. His eyes were even duller than usual, and he could barely lift his head in greeting when I walked in.
“How are you?” I asked gently as I sank down in the chair beside the bed.
“I don’t have long.”
I touched his wrinkly hand. “You don’t know that.”
He smiled weakly. “I’m going to die, Giulia, and there’s only one thing I need to do before I leave this earth.”
“And what is that?”
“I want my blood to live on, to rule.” He nodded at my belly. “You carry the true heir to the name Moretti in your womb. Daniele shouldn’t be allowed to become Underboss. It’s just not right.”
I leaned back and pulled my hand away. That was exactly why I wished we hadn’t told Mansueto the gender of the baby. If it had been a girl, he wouldn’t have been this obsessed.
“Do a dying man the favor of telling Cassio the truth about those kids. He needs to know.”
I shook my head. “I won’t tell him and you shouldn’t either. Why would you even ask me to do it?”
He smiled tiredly. “I’m an old man. I don’t have long to live. Cassio would never forgive me if I told him. I can’t leave this world with him hating me. But if you tell him…”
“You can’t be serious.”
“He loves you, Giulia. He’d forgive you. How could he not?”
“Even if I told him, it wouldn’t change a thing. He loves Daniele and Simona. He’d still want Daniele to become Underboss.”