Francesca Romano

Chapter 39 | No More Bar fights

Francesca's pov

"I know, and dad was so strange. He loved the weird things about us. Like your hair and my hands." I scratched my head as Giovanni remembered our childhood. What I let him see is that. I tried working on the hospital charts as he rested but the more false things about our father he said, the more my skin crawled. "He liked your hands because he knew you'd be able to have steady hands like him and take his place." I sighed. "He was right." He looked down at his hands before pointing to me. "Every time you'd ask for ice cream he'd always bring you back ice." He chuckled as I glanced over to him. I placed the charts down on my lap. "Vanni you don't know dad and you don't know his reasons. I'm glad you remember him as someone, but not me."

"I don't know why you and mom hate him so much." He said as I heard the anger in his voice "I'll go get us coffee." I stood up and held the charts in my arms. I walked out and looked to the side where Reid's bodyguard stood. He waved with a kind smile as I made my way to the front desk. I walked behind it and put all the different charts where they belong. I felt someone hug me from behind, slightly startling me.

Until I turned around to see Jocelyn. I rolled my eyes before hugging her back tight. "Why are you here? It's your last day off hun." She pulled away and put her hands behind her back. "Sue me, I came to make sure my friend was okay. Plus Max got called into work so no date night tonight."

We started to walk away to Giovanni's room when a familiar voice called out to me. "Francesca, come greet your mother." I turned around to see my mom in heels, skin tight dress and a fur coat dragging down her back. I walked over to her with open arms. She hugged me and kissed both sides of my face before doing the same to Jocelyn. "You were always a pretty one." She told her. "Giovanni's on the back mom, I'll take you to him. Jocelyn's pager went off as she split away from us. "I can't believe you let him into a bar. He's underage, I bet Beverly was there." She said walking into Vanni's room.

"Yeah I was there, Vanessa." Beverly said from the seat I was in. My mom dropped her purse in my hands and ran over to Giovanni, looking over each bruise, stitch, and bandage on his face. She kissed his forehead softly before hugging him tight. She stayed there for minutes straight. Before we knew it she was standing up with her hands on her hips. "Giovanni Romano, what in god's name were you doing in a bar. You're nine-teen and getting in fights." She spat at him.

"That's what we're going with?" He said looking over to me but before I could say anything my mom hit Giovanni's chest. "No more drinking and no more fighting. I don't care how close to death you are, I'll be the one to take you out of this world." Beverly laughed under her breath as my mom turned on her heels to face me.

"Katerina," She started. "She's invited us to dinner with her and her kids tomorrow night." She took her bag from my hand. "Thank god, I'm in the hospital." Giovanni said and Beverly high fived him as I scoffed. "Ma, no. With Vanni here and all my surgeries being pushed back, I can't." I rubbed my forehead, pleading to her. "There's no getting out of this. I've been delaying for weeks. If I delay again she will come down here. I love you, you're beautiful, take care of your brother." She said walking out. I called out to her but she only waved before disappearing behind the wall. "I'm getting punished."

I said before Beverly stood up and walked outside with me. "So?" She asked. "So what? Have I done what I've been told? No, instead I'm distancing them from myself." I told her and she looked down. "Have you found a way to tell them?" She asked. "No, I walk into a room and think he's listening. Watching." Shivers ran down my back as I looked into all the camera's pointing at us. "I don't know what to do, Eve." I admitted to her.

"Well you used to tell me 'If you don't know what to do then you ask yourself and the most knowledgeable people you know, but at the end of the day do what you know." She hugged me and placed her forehead on mine. "We'll get through this, It's just another bad hair day, just longer and with a lot more tangles." She smiled. "I love you." I whispered, laughing at her joke.

"Hey Eve." I called out to her as she started to walk back to her room. "You're cleared to go home." I told her and she smiled back at me. "No. Not yet, I'm not ready."