The Mafia King's Nicotine

Chapter 46

Vivian thoroughly enjoyed people watching. It was something she and her mother did whenever they ate out at restaurants. Now it was something she had done over the past week, just sitting out on her porch, to escape from her own mind.

Her mother tried to talk to her but while Vivian couldn't handle the silence she couldn't talk either. It was alright if her mother just spoke to her and she could listen but she had questions that Vivian could not answer so it was best if she was left alone. Though alone her thoughts could fester she was getting better at containing them.

She focused on painting, something she used to love but had lost over the years of high school. Now it was the only thing keeping her mind clear. Filling her head with the colors of the outside world helped fill the darkness.

She hadn't seen the outside world in such a long time or even sunshine for more than a few mere minutes at a time, so rejoining society had been more of a stumble than she originally predicted. She had been home for around a week now, sleeping in her old bed, Erik beside her, cradling her through the nightmares. She had been free from Ollie for almost 2 weeks now and she still hadn't extended her thanks to the Russians or even the Czechs.

It was all because of them that she was home safe now but there was still one thought that consumed her mind.

What happened to Ollie and Gino?

She wanted to inflict the same pain on them that they had forced upon her. She wanted them to suffer, slowly and painfully and she wanted to be the one to do it.

Until then, she would people watch. She would watch the families with too many children, trying to hurry their way through the Sam's Club self check out. She watched the line for the food court grow longer and couples share looks of frustration with the other. She watched Dannye and Johanna laugh across the table from her, but couldn't hear their conversation. She didn't try to. She just watched their faces and that small glimmer in her friend's eye whenever she looked at Dannye.

The only thing missing was her parents. Her father had refused to come with them, even if it was their weekly tradition. He said anywhere Erik was he refused to be.

She took a sip of her Dr. Pepper, sighing in satisfaction.

God how she had missed this.

Erik gave her hand a small squeeze and she turned her slightly hooded eyes in his direction. She was tired, he could tell, but was happy. Well, as happy as she could be.

He kissed her forehead and she smiled, resting her head against his shoulder.

"What're you thinking about, amour?" He asked her.

Her smile grew wider and she closed her eyes, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." And it was blissful. Her mind was empty and ready to be filled with happy memories. Memories to replace those of Ollie and Gino, "When did you say you scheduled the ultrasound for?" She asked.

He brought his hand up to her cheek and pulled her face up to his, kissing her lips softly, "Monday. It'll still be too soon to know if we are having a boy or a girl but we can still see them."

"And hear them." She murmured.

"Yes," Erik smiled. They would be able to hear their child's heartbeat for the first time. While they were in the hospital the doctor couldn't detect one yet, but he said that was normal. He was confident that the baby was doing well, even after everything that had transpired.

"Come on love birds," Dannye told them standing up from where he sat, "I can't sit any longer." Johanna stood up beside him and took a hold of his hand in hers. His right hand was no longer bandaged and he rarely used his emergency oxygen anymore. Life seemed to be going alright.