Amara

Chapter 28 - Famiglia

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"You're worthy of being chosen, fought for, and loved. Remember that."

– Mark Groves
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Salvatore's POV:

My hand slams the phone face down on the table, nerves, as well as pain from this morning's injury, instantly rushing through my body. It has been a couple of days since I last saw both of my parents. And both of them wanted to meet Amara later today, but I knew that she would be apprehensive about it. I know that my mind is racing from finding out about everything that has happened to her, I can't even begin to imagine the thoughts she is having have gone through it.

She has only just got comfortable with me, we have only just become father and daughter. And yes she has met Armando, but he is like a giant teddy bear, my father on the other hand. I have no idea how he will react to her. If he will even want her in my life. I know that I can't keep postponing the two of them meeting Amara, as her father I just want what's best for her.

Slowly I start walking up to the library to talk to my young daughter. Hoping that she will be okay with meeting her grandparents. One heavy step after the other and I am finally at the door, my hand raises and softly knocks against the wood.

"hey kid, you in there?" I ask, opening the door as I do.

My eyes move around the room, and I find her sitting in a large armchair, a thick blanket hung around her shoulders. A smile instantly hits my face. She looks up at me, her hands clutching a large book. "Hey." She says, smiling back at me. I still don't understand how she's fine. After everything she has been through. All the pain she has endured, yet somehow she manages to smile.

I walk over to her, sitting on the chair opposite. "I need to ask you something," I say.

Instantly her face drops, her eyes start to wander away from mine, and I can see her thoughts race. "No, piccolo it's nothing bad. I promise." I tell her, leaning over so I'm closer to her.

She shifts in her seat, moving her shoulders back and forth. "I just wanted to ask... well thanks to my father more like tell you, that your grandparents are coming over. They both want to meet you."

She thinks for a moment. Her eyes scrunching in visible confusion. "Will Mando and Giovanna be there?" she asks me.

"They can be. If that's what you would like." She doesn't reply but gives me a small, and slightly nervous nod. I turn my head slightly, wondering what she's thinking.

"How long till there here?" she asks me.

"Umm..." I take my phone out of my pocket, checking the time. "It's ten-forty... so that means Mama probably wants to make us lunch. But I'll have to ask what time they want to get here."

"That sounds good," she says, smiling at me.

"Amara, we don't have to do this. I can tell them not to come over. I can tell them you're not..." but before I can finish, I'm interrupted. "It's fine, really. I have to meet them sometime right?"

"Where did you get so smart?" I ask her.

She places a small bookmark in between the pages of her book and gets up from the chair. "I don't think I got any smarts from my drug-addicted mother... okay, I'm going to go change." She says and then rushes out of the room.

As I hear her footsteps fade into the distance my mind wonders to Anna. When we were younger I had a small fling with her, nothing serious at all. but never did I think she would do this to our daughter. Never did I think she would hurt her this badly. Allow bruises and scars to be laid on her body by another man. I wish she was still alive. I wish she was still alive so that I could kill her myself.