Secrets & Lies

Chapter Twenty-One

In the morning Gia was sick again, and Alex was gone. Gia figured he must have left sometime during the night so that her parents wouldn't say anything. As Gia came out of the bathroom she decided that throwing up was something that would be a part of her life for the next few months, but she didn't have to let her mother know. Gia decided that she would just say she was feeling better, because usually in the afternoon she was. Today would be a full day of cooking and baking and getting ready for Christmas Eve. Gia wasn't sure what Alex was thinking, but she was determined not to talk about the baby with him or anyone. Gia decided that she was just going to be happy simple Gia today. After getting dressed in leggings and a sweater Gia headed down to the kitchen to see what the plan was.

"Buongiorno Nonna!" Gia said happily.

"Buongiorno Gia! Come ti senti oggi?" Nonna asked.

"I'm feeling better today grazie. Is there any breakfast left?" Gia asked

"There are some eggs in the pan and bacon in the oven still warm if you want." Mother offered. She was being very quiet this morning which was never a good sign. Gia scooped out some eggs and grabbed a piece of bacon and sat down at the kitchen table with them and poured some fresh squeezed orange juice before she began eating.

"Is Alexander coming down for breakfast?" Nonna asked.

"I thought he already came down because he wasn't in his room." Gia asked confused as to where he might have headed today.

"Did you two resolve what you were arguing about?" Mother asked out of what Gia thought was concern.

"No we haven't. Actually we haven't talked at all. I'm worried that our relationship is over." Gia said sadly trying to keep the tears from falling.

"Tesoro, no it isn't over it is just the difference in your upbringing that he is adjusting to. It takes a strong man to be able to drop easily into this environment." Nonna said trying to be encouraging.

"I think that maybe this is just a good way for you to see that you aren't meant to be together and that maybe you should find a nice Italian boy to date." Mother said staring into her coffee.

"I knew you didn't like him because he wasn't Italian but come on mom can't you see that I love him?" Gia asked.

"You are young with your whole life ahead of you and I'm glad that you have fallen in love and you might have a broken heart for a while but you will see that this isn't a lasting love and that you belong with your own kind." Mother continued her lecture.

"It isn't easy to recover from a broken heart Tesoro but you will and if Alexander is the right one for you it will all turn out as it should and he will recover from this little argument and see how much he truly loves you and then all will be well." Nonna added supportively.

"What if I never recover?" Gia asked out of curiosity.

"You will dear." Mother said with a smile before getting up and starting on the breakfast dishes.

"I just wish that he would talk to me about what he was thinking and then I would know what to do and how to react, but he won't talk to me and he just disappears with Nick and stays gone all day without saying where he has been or what he has been doing. I know he comes back drunk or at least buzzed late every night. It's upsetting and I don't know what to do about it."

"It's nice that the boys are getting along so well." Nonna said trying to sound upbeat.

"I don't like it at all."  Gia said moving the eggs back 'n forth on her plate.

"Well let's not worry about it anymore today and let's get started on what we need to get done." Mother said changing the subject and getting Gia and Nonna started on what needed to be done.