Through Time Again

Epilogue: Grace

Graziella sat on the living room floor playing with little Lucas.

Oh how she adored this little tyke. Lucas jumped up stealing a kiss from Mama, and ran around the room fighting make-believe bad guys.

The front door opened.

"Patrick." Relieved to see him home earlier than he'd said, "How did it go?" She'd been so worked up about his seeing Maggio about handing over the family business. After his father's funeral he'd mentioned Anette being there. His sister was on good terms with the Maggio boys. He had planned to ask her how she felt about taking over the family business so he could continue his private life with her and Lucas.

"I didn't get a chance to talk to anyone. Anette went missing the night before I was supposed to meet with Maggio. I didn't know until he phoned me the next morning that he had other pressing matters to attend to. He said he'd send for me when he finished tying up some loose ends."

"Send for you? No, I don't want any gangsters coming here! Y-you didn't give him our address did you?"

"I did, but—,"

"Patrick, how could you!"

"Grace, what's the matter? The Maggios and my family have had good relations for years! My father and Maggio were like brothers. There's no need to worry."

Graziella felt faint. "No, Patrick! I can't- I can't have any Maggio here! I won't have it! If you allow them in this house around me or our son, I will leave!"

"Leave?" He held her gently by the shoulders, "Grace, I need you to level with me. Did the Maggios hurt you or your family?"

Hesitation.

"Sweetheart, I've always known you've had your reasons for never wanting to go there, even just to see my father. I never asked. I just felt like there was something or someone you were trying to avoid. Something that might've happened in your past. But I'm at the crossroads of a big shift in our lives. I don't want to lose what we have here in this city. I want nothing more than to live a quiet life with you and Lucas. But I think it's important that I know now everything that's keeping you away."

Graziella trembled. Patrick had been so good to her these past years. He deserved to know the truth. She couldn't protect herself and Lucas from the two families she'd been running from...

"Patrick... I..." sigh. Tears trickle from the corner of her eye. "My mother is the daughter of Giuliani Marchetti."

He went still a moment. Inhale. Exhale. "Okay. Anything else?"

Her lip trembled. "I'm married to Vic Selini."

His hands dropped. "Y-you're Graziella?"

Nod.

He swore. Turned away. Swore. Paced. Faced her. Swore again.

"Grace, I—," he swore again. "God! I don't know wether to be angry or - or what!"

"I'm sorry I never told you... But I didn't know you were Harvey Peters' son 'til you left for his funeral. I've never met any of the Peters, I just knew who they were because of... Vic." God! It hurt saying his name out loud. It had been so long. "I just, got so worried when you left for your father's funeral, I didn't know what would happen!"

"Grace. Why are you here? I mean did you fake your death? Were you trying to get away from both families?"

She bit her lip. Unable to hold back the tears, "My mother sent me here. To live under the protection of the other side of my family. She hated that I was married to one of Maggio's gang. She let everyone believe I was dead and threatened to kill Vic and our son if I ever tried to contact him, or let him know I was alive."

Patrick took a deep breath. Processing. "Your said your mother will kill Vic and your other son if you return to him... is that the only reason you haven't tried to go back to him?"

"It was... then we had Lucas. I don't ever want Lucas to have to grow up the way I did."

"But you married a gangster and had a kid."

"Vic was planning on getting out and going straight. We didn't plan on having kids 'til he was out. It just happened. It kills me every time I think about how Vic never got out and how our son has to grow up in that line. We wanted so much more for Junior..."

Silence.

"I'm sorry I never told you any of this, Patrick... I've been living in fear for so long. I feel like I'm only a fraction of myself, and it's not fair! Not fair to you! I just feel so lost... like I'm in a maze that leads nowhere. This life we have is the life I've always wanted! It's a good life and I've been happy! Happy with you! With Lucas! I don't want to lose it, but..."

"But you feel lost in it."

She held his face in her hands. He removed them.

"If you're not yourself with me. Then who are you, Grace? Who is Graziella? Is she someone who can put the past behind her and be with Patrick and live this life you've 'always wanted'? Graziella wanted this life with another man... but can she have it and be happy with this man standing right here?... I love Grace. But I need to know who Graziella is."