Chapter 26
“I love seeing you, really I do, we don’t spend enough time together.” Gema said earnestly as she clutched Lana’s hands in hers the following afternoon. Gema sighed and shook her head. “But we have to leave, Lana, I can’t stay here when he’s here.”
Lana squeezed her hands lightly and made a face. “It’s that bad?”
Gema gave Lana a blank stare. “You should have been at the house this morning.”
“Your shoes are untied.” Vistos had commented to Kai as he waited for Gema to finish getting the kids all ready to visit Lana in the hospital. Gema glanced up from where she was brushing Farah’s hair to see Kai frown up at Vistos, then look down at his shoes before sitting down and attempting to tie them. “You are doing it wrong.” Vistos informed him, and Kai ignored him. Vistos had tsked, then he dropped to his hunches and reached for Kai’s feet. Kai quickly pulled away from him, refusing his help with a firm shake of his head.
“Mami ties my shoes!” Kai insisted, and Vistos scowled at him.
“Now I will tie your shoes.”
“No! I don’t like you!” Vistos had stiffened, and his eyes met Gema’s before he stood up and stalked outside, waiting for them in the car.
“It was a freakin nightmare.” Gema claimed after she’d told Lana, who was laughing softly until she starting coughing hard. Gema helped her sit up and drink some water, and Lana sat back weakly, smiling faintly at Gema.
“They sound like spitting images.”
Gema rolled her eyes. “They’re very typical Italian, stubborn as hell.”
“Ah, don’t blame that on the Italian! That’s a Greek trait.” Lana corrected, and Gema snorted.
“Yeah, right. Tell yourself that.” Lana laughed softly again, and Gema smiled at her dearly.
“I’m glad you came.” Lana said quietly, the exhaustion clear on her face. “Even if it ruined your plans for the next 14 years of Kai’s life.”
Gema laughed this time, shaking her head. “What’s a couple days, right? We’ll go back to London once you’re all better, and I’ll go back to my normal, Vistos free life.”
Lana frowned slightly at Gema. “Do you really believe that’s how it’s going to end?”
Gema shrugged. “I don’t see why not. Vistos doesn’t want to be a father, he made that clear.”
“Yeah, four years ago.” Lana said gently. “Maybe…what he wants has changed.”
Gema snorted. “No, no way, Vistos is the same pig he’s always been.”
“You fell in love with that pig.” Lana pointed out. “You wanted to have a life, a family, with that pig.”
“I was stupid.” Gema snapped. “And young! I was 21, I had no idea what I really wanted. I lived in a fantasy world where Vistos was everything.” Gema sighed and shook her head, talking more to herself now. “Never again…never making that mistake again.”
Lana squeezed her hand and opened her mouth to speak, but Viola suddenly came inside the room, plopping down in the chair and immediately bursting into tears. Gema and Lana exchanged a look before Gema turned to Viola.
“What’s wrong, Vi?”
“B-b-bambini!” Viola stuttered. “Everywhere!”
Lana sighed. “You’ll get pregnant in time, Viola, just let it happen.”
YOU ARE READING
An Unexpected Romance
Ficción General“Mio dio, I love the way you say my name” His voice was a husky whisper, and Gema took a step back, caught off guard. He stared at her intently, shoving his hands into his pockets. “What do you want” he snapped at her, and Gema hesitated. “Well I…...
