Love You to the Moon and Back

All Hell Breaks Loose

Amanda's POV - 2028 - Manhattan - Sonny's Townhouse

Jesse's voice could be heard, high-pitched and loud. She shouted something unintelligible. My two daughters and their new five-year-old brother, Dominick Roberto Carisi, were upstairs. As a professor of criminal behaviour at Fordham Law School, I had the day off because it was a professional day for the teachers. My older children didn't have school either. Sonny and his law partner, Rafael Barba, were both in court, so I offered to take care of the kids for the day.

I struggled to discern the words as Jesse's shouting continued, but she seemed to be directing her anger toward Nicky. Jesse had always harboured deep-seated hatred towards the timid and reserved boy, which only intensified over time. Jesse was consistently brash and dismissive, unlike Billie, who treated Nicky respectfully. Sonny and I had hoped that Jesse's behaviour would change after he legally adopted her and Billie and began to co-parent them. However, it was not meant to be. I suspected that Jesse desired more from Sonny than just a legal bond of fatherhood. She yearned for a deeper relationship for Sonny and me, perhaps even as husband and wife. Nicky's presence in our lives reminded Jesse of Clara's enduring influence on Sonny's affections.

Billie and Nicky were best friends and always enjoyed each other's company. However, when Nicky turned three, his ability to communicate with words gradually declined until he stopped speaking altogether. Sonny has been taking Nicky to various medical professionals for the past two years in search of a solution to help his son regain his voice.

"Jesse, stop it!" Billie's voice rose above the fray. A frown spread on my face as I heard a door bang. I began to climb the stairs to investigate. The door banged again, and the loudest shriek I had ever heard emitted from upstairs. 

"Jesse, open the door now!" Billie yelled. Panic sounded in Billie's words. "Jesse, you're hurting him!" 

As I ascended the stairs, my pace quickened. Suddenly, a loud door slam echoed through the hallway, followed by a high-pitched scream that eventually turned into a sorrowful sob. Jesse appeared surprised as I arrived on the scene. She stood motionless in her bedroom doorway, her blue eyes filled with terror. Meanwhile, Billie held the crying pre-schooler with one arm while her other hand was placed on Nicky's wrist. "I think she broke it, Mama!" Billie stuttered, glancing over at me. My gaze shifted to Nicky's face, contorted with pain, and then down to Billie's hands as she tried to comfort him and attend to his injury simultaneously. Sadly, Nicky's tiny hand was limp and distorted, confirming that it was broken.

"Mama, I ..." Jesse finally spoke. 

"Save it, Jess. We will get to the bottom of what you did or didn't do later," I glared at her and then dropped to my knees next to Sonny's crying son. "It's okay, Nicky. Auntie Amanda is here now. We're going to get you some help, okay." I gathered the small boy up in my arms. "Jess, Billie, you're both coming with me. Billie, get my purse and keys from the hall table now." I commanded. 

"Yes, Mama," Billie dashed downstairs, following my orders. 

"Jesse, move it! Now." 

Silently Jesse stepped ahead of me to descend the stairs. 

"I promise you, Nicky, I will get to the bottom of this and find out how this happened. Your father is going to be beside himself." 

As I led Nicky down the stairs, tears streamed down his face. At the bottom, Billie was already waiting for us, holding my purse and car keys. She handed me a cotton dinner napkin and suggested we use it as a sling for Nicky's injured arm and hand.

"Good thinking, Billie. Jess, open the front door." Both girls had their shoes and coats on, and I didn't bother to grab my jacket and, fortunately, already had been wearing footwear before I heard the commotion coming from upstairs.