Calloused

35

We walked back home, our hands interlaced with one another.

"What name did you choose?" H asked randomly. I hesitated with my response, thinking it over.

"Dominic Lorenzo Rivera-Styles." I smiled sadly.

"You would have given him my name?" H asked, surprised.

"Of course. Even if I had left you, I still wanted him to have your name." I blushed.

"Your father would have been displeased since we weren't married yet." H chuckled. My smile grew wider.

"Of course he would have been."

We continued our long, peaceful walk with conversation. We talked about our struggles and our feelings. It felt foreign to hear H be so open with me about his emotions. It made me feel closer to him.

We got to the house around 2 in the afternoon. H and I were greeted by a small group of men, my father being one of them.

"Where have you been?" He asked me angrily. I was hurt by his hostility towards me, and it caused me to become defensive.

"We went out to explore." I lied. It wouldn't have been wise to tell my father H and I had fought. Or that we had resolved our issues and participated in some very steamy make-up sex... On the beach...

"We have more important things to do! We can't waste time going to find you!" He roared. I felt my blood boil. I kept silent as I dug my nails into the palms of my hands that rested at my sides. He wasn't completely wrong, though.

"Perhaps he is distracting her. A real man would allow his queen to take care of her responsibilities." Fiero spoke in Italian as he stepped forward.

I felt H tense up beside me. They were pushing our buttons, trying to see if we would lash out.

"What are you implying?" H challenged Fiero in Italian.

"Maybe you're not what she needs." Fiero said, taking a step forward.

"Why don't you let her decide that." H growled, also taking a step forward.

"She'll see what you really are. You will fail her." Fiero laughed.

Without thinking about the repercussions, H swung his right fist at Fiero. He made contact with his face. Fiero stumbled back a step.

He stared at H with a taunting smile.
"You hit good." He said, rubbing his jaw.

"Enough!" A woman's voice yelled. I turned my attention to where the voice had come from.

H glared at Fiero but stopped immediately. I went to his side as an older woman walked down the path leading from the house.

"Mama." My father tried to explain, but she held her hand up to him.

The woman was my grandmother, she had a stern look on her face.

"Enough fighting. You are on the same side." She scolded H and Fiero. She wore her white hair in a low ponytail. Her make up was done to perfection, she had a few wrinkles but she looked amazing.

Her red sundress moved slightly in the breeze that was whispering through the warm Italy air.

H looked down like a school boy who had just gotten in trouble by one of his teachers.

"I'd like to talk with my granddaughter, come inside. All of you." She said, power radiated from her. She didn't have to ask for respect, her aura demanded it.

She turned to head back towards the house but paused for a moment. She held her hand out to me, a warm smile on her face. I walked slowly towards her. I took her hand and followed her back inside.

The men were right behind us.

She lead me to the kitchen where 10 other women where hard at work. They looked like they were preparing a meal for everyone to enjoy.

She spoke to me in English, her Italian accent was thick.

"It's been years since we've seen each other. Tell me what you have been doing." She said as she grabbed a bowl of fruit. She took a grape.

"I'm not sure where to start nonna. Everything has been so crazy." I admitted, feeling my eyes water slightly.

"Start from the beginning." She said, resting her hand on mine in a supportive way.

"Well, I'm sure you know about Vincent... but I don't know if papa has told you about me leaving for a few years." I confessed.

"Where did you go?" She asked.

"Arizona. It was beautiful there. I had plants and I worked at a pet store. I met so many kind people." I smiled at the memory.

"How long were you gone for?" Nonna asked curiously.

"Two years." I said shamefully. I looked down.

"Everyone tries to leave. Do not be ashamed." She said to me, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"You're the first one to say that." I smiled weakly at her.

"Because I understand it. I too tried to run away from this life. When I was your age, I fell in love. He was a strong, kind man. But he had a darkness in him. His family was the darkness." She explained.

"Was that grandpa?" I asked.

"It was. I fell in love with a man who was bound by the ankles for life. He was in the Mafia." She sighed. She let go of my hand and went to grab us a few glasses. She poured us some wine.

Once she sat back down, she continued.

"We were already married when I found out the truth. I was afraid, so I left. I stayed away for many months before I found myself standing outside this very house. I faced the truth, and I accepted it. Just like you have had to do." She smiled, taking a sip of her wine.

"I had no idea." I said, surprised.

"Wisdom comes from experience, not just age. Now tell me about this H, I see you have a wedding band on." She laughed, looking closer at my ring finger.

"He's... everything I've ever needed. Even on the days I didn't know I needed something. He is there regardless of the risk." I said, my smile growing wider with every word I spoke.

"He is your husband?" She poked.

"Not yet. We are engaged... again." I said, waiting for her reaction.

"Again?" She asked, confused.

"We were together for a few years before I left. I left him behind because I didn't want him to get hurt again." I frowned.

"And he still wanted to marry you?"

"Yes. It took some talking, and fighting... But he waited for me." I blushed again.

"I would like to meet him." Nonna said, getting up to go find him.

I panicked as I followed her out of the kitchen.

"He's not the most social." I warned her.

"No such thing." She said, waving me off.

Oh boy... here we go...