Mafia Stepbrothers

04| family?

The ride home was a tense silence, punctuated only by the hum of the sports car's engine. Christina's mind raced with thoughts and emotions, too overwhelmed to speak. When they pulled into their driveway, she didn't wait for Daisy to turn off the car before jumping out and sprinting into the house. She slammed the door to her room, the echo reverberating through the quiet house.

She threw herself onto her bed, her thoughts a tumultuous storm. She couldn't believe her mother was keeping such a huge secret from her. Marriage? To a man with five sons? It was all too much.

"Could I just come in, Christina?"

"Mom, not just now. I'm not in the mood to chat."

"Please open the door; I'd want to speak with you."

"Please m-"

"Please, dear?"

Christina took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. She didn't want her mother to see her like this. "Yeah," she managed, her voice muffled by the pillow.

Daisy opened the door slowly, the light from the hallway spilling into the room. She looked at her daughter, heart aching at the sight of her curled up in a tight ball, as if she were trying to protect herself from the world. She approached the bed, her steps soft on the worn carpet.

"Christina, honey," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Christina's eyes remained closed, but she felt the mattress dip as Daisy sat down next to her. She took a deep breath.

"Christina," Daisy began, her voice thick with emotion. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I just wanted to make sure everything was perfect before I brought you into this."

Christina rolled over, her eyes red and swollen from crying. "Perfect?" she scoffed. "How could you think this is perfect? You're marrying a man with five kids, and you didn't think I should know?"

Daisy took a deep breath, her hand resting lightly on Christina's back. "I wanted to tell you," she said, her voice shaking. "But I was scared of how you'd react. I didn't want to upset you."

Christina sat up, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand. "You should have told me," she said, her voice still trembling. "I had a right to know."

Daisy nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You're right," she said softly. "I was just scared of losing you."

Christina felt a pang of guilt. She knew her mother had been lonely since her father passed away, but she couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal. "I'm not going anywhere, Mom," she said, her voice cracking. "But you can't keep secrets like this from me."

Daisy's hand tightened around her. "I know," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I just wanted you to be happy."

Christina sat up, pulling away from her mother's embrace. "What if I'm not happy with this?" she asked, her voice trembling. "What if I don't like them? What if they don't like me?"

Daisy took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving her daughter's. "I understand you're scared, but you can't let fear dictate your life," she said gently. "John's boys are good people, even if they seem a bit...different."

Christina looked away, her mind racing. "I know you think you're doing what's best, but I just can't handle it right now," she murmured, her voice cracking.

Daisy nodded, her eyes brimming with tears. "I understand, sweetie," she said, her voice soft. "Take all the time you need." She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Christina's forehead before standing up. "I love you, and I'm sorry for springing this on you. But please, just give us all a chance."