Falling in love with the Mafia

Call me Ana

The day started like any other. I woke up at 4:30 in the afternoon to start preparing for my night at the hospital. Oh, let me introduce myself. My name is Anastasia Cooper but everyone calls me Ana. I'm 24 years old and work as a nurse in the ICU at the children's hospital in New York. My life has been somewhat difficult. My mom died when I was very young and my dad became a drunk. He would spend his time drinking and gambling. I practically raised myself. I worked all throughout college and became an RN to pay off his gambling debts and my student loans. I also was unfortunate to have an abusive ex but luckily he got locked up on some drug charges. Now that formalities are out of the way, let's get back to the day that my life as I knew it would change. I made it to the hospital at around 6:30 to start my shift. I walk into the unit and am greeted by coworkers. I gather my things so I can start getting report and begin my night. Over the last few weeks we have had this sweet kid named Luca who was recently diagnosed with a rare disorder. He is the sweetest 5 year old I have ever worked with. His parents are also very nice but his dad Antonio gives me weird vibes. Regardless I love working with them. Every shift I work, Luca is one of my patients and he is always so excited to see me.

I make my way into the room and Luca immediately runs up to me and jumps in my arms. I smile and hug him, "how's my buddy doing today?"

He leans back and smiles at me, "where have you been Ana? You weren't here for the last 3 nights. I missed you so much." Antonio walks up and pulls Luca off of me, "we've been over this Luca. Miss Ana has to have a night off every once in a while."

I was so distracted by Luca that I didn't even see the person sitting in the corner of the room. I look over and can see his piercing blue eyes staring at me. Even through his shirt I can tell he is built. His jawline could slit someones throat and his dark hair is perfectly sculpted. I look over at Antonio, "I'm so sorry," I say, "I didn't know that you had company. I'll come back in a little while."

Antonio grabs my arm, "Nonsense Ana. This is my brother Dominic. Dominic this is Anastasia, the best nurse we have ever had." He stands from his chair and walks over to you. He grabs your hand and places a small kiss on your knuckles. I can feel the heat raising to my cheeks, "its a pleasure to meet you Dominic." He grins, "the pleasure is all mine Anastasia." You smile and shake your head, "oh please call me Ana." He nods and slowly backs away from you.

You try to gather your thoughts before speaking again. "Well you are stuck with me for the next 3 nights Luca. I expect you to be on your best behavior." I give him a wink as he smiles at me. You smile back at him, "well I will be back in just a little bit. If you need anything before I come back please don't hesitate to call me." You give everyone a soft smile and exit the room.

Antonio looks over at Dominic who is still looking at the door that you just walked out of. He shakes his head, "Whats going on in that head of yours Dom?"

He glances back in my direction with a furrowed brow, "I don't know what you're talking about." Antonio's wife Nikki walks into the room with her luggage in hand. She smiles over at Dom and hugs and kisses Antonio. She walks over and climbs in the bed with Luca, "so who is the nurse tonight my sweet?"

Luca's face lights up, "Its Ana tonight Mommy! She's my favorite. What do you think about her Uncle Dom?" Nikki looks over at Dom who can't seem to find his words. She glares at Antonio and then back at Dominic, "don't even think about it Dominic. Ana is a good girl and doesn't need to be involved in this lifestyle. Just leave her be and let her do her job."

Antonio walks over and places his hand on Nikki's arm, "come on Nikki. Someone like her might be good for Dom. He could use some stability in his life." Dominic clears his throat, "I am standing right here. Would you two just drop it? I have no interest in the nurse." Antonio smiles and gives Dominic a small wink, "whatever you say brother."

The night continues on like any other. When you go back into Luca's room its just him and his parents. Dominic is gone. You take a breath of relief and go about your duties. You tuck Luca into bed and are standing at the computer when Nikki walks over to you. "I do believe my son has a crush on you Ana." You smile back at her and let out a small giggle. "He is quite the ladies man Nikki. It seems his father is rubbing off on him."

She smiles and laughs, "lord help me if that happens. But we are glad you are here the next few nights. He really lights up when you are his nurse. So thank you for that." You smile at her, "I'll do whatever I can to make him happy." She gives you a nod and lays back down on the couch with Antonio. You take a glance back at them holding each other on the couch. You smile thinking about how someday you want the kind of love they have. You leave the room and continue on through the night of work.

The next morning you walk into Luca's room to say goodbye. He is laying in bed watching tv while his parents are still asleep. He immediately smiles when you walk in. You walk over and sit beside him. "What are we watching?" you ask with a smile. "Spongebob, its my new favorite show," he whispers. You smile and ruffle his hair, "well I'm gonna get out of here for the day and I'll see you tonight. Okay buddy?" He gives you a tight hug before you leave. You look back at him and wave as you walk out.

You get back home and are lying in bed and those piercing blue eyes keep sneaking back into your mind. You try to shake his image from your head and fall asleep. You wake up that evening and head into work. You make your usual rounds at the beginning of the shift. You walk into Luca's room and see Antonio and Nikki all dressed up. You smile at them, "looking very nice you two." Nikki smiles back at you, "thank you Ana. Its our anniversary. We were gonna stay here but Luca insisted that he would be okay with you looking after him." You look over at Luca who has the biggest smile on his face. Antonio walks over and places his arm around Nikki, "is it alright if we leave for a little bit?" "Of course," you exclaim, "you two get out of here and have a nice time. I'm sure I can handle this little trouble maker considering he is my only patient for the night." Luca starts bouncing up and down and you laugh.

You escort Antonio and Nikki out of the room as you tell Luca you will be right back with a movie for him to watch. Once out in the hall you see Nikki tear up slightly. You walk over and grab her hands. "Hey look at me," you say softly, "you two still need to try and live a normal life. He will be just fine for one night. Go out and enjoy some quality time with each other. Savor being outside of these stone walls for a little while. I will call you if anything with Luca changes." Nikki and Antonio smile and nod. Nikki starts to walk off and Antonio holds your shoulder, "thank you for everything you have done for us Ana. We truly appreciate it. We will be back in the morning before he wakes up." You smile and nod as he leaves.

A few hours pass and you finally get Luca to fall asleep in his bed. You pull the blanket over him and kiss his head. Unknown to you someone has walked in the room very quietly and is watching you from the doorway. You make sure all of Luca's alarms are on and turn to leave. You bumped into a hard surface and almost fall backwards before a pair of strong arms wrap around your waist to keep you from falling. You look up to see those piercing blue eyes looking back at you.

You whisper, "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize you had walked in. I was just leaving to take a break for a little bit. Luca is asleep and should be for a while." Dominic smiles and slowly releases his grip on your waist. He places his hand on your lower back, "how about we go out in the hall and talk," he says quietly. You nod and glance back at Luca to make sure he is still asleep. Dominic leads you out into the hall and closes the door behind him.