Round Here

Chapter Thirty Six

June '87

Sonny's POV

The past two months have been hard. They've been hard for most of us. Ever since V died, Vinny's been on a downhill spiral and has brought Lucy with him. Sophia has been very depressed. Ever since she dumped her boyfriend she's not been the same. She is very anxious and won't hang out with anyone who isn't Tom, Lucy, or Junior. She won't even go outside. She's almost as bad as her mother some days. She's been good health wise with her pregnancy. Which is good so we're happy. Rafi has been doing a bit better. His infection has gone away and he's back in school. We got a new van which is handy since I have to drag kids for the soccer game every other day or so it seems. Caroline's recently joined the soccer team so we've got something to do every few days. Which brings us to my wife and eldest son. He and Little Sonny have been doing good, and so has little Atticus. He's getting so big now. He's nine months and smarter than ever. He can talk a bit and is crawling all over the place. The one who is hurting the most in the house is my wife. Most days I don't even see her unless I'm going to bed. She will come down to make dinner but doesn't stay for it most times. She's weak and won't get out of bed. She's hurting an I don't know what to do. She and Freddie usually just lay together if she's not in our bed. So I just let them and think of how I can help her. 

On the really tough days Vinny and San just lay in bed together. I help them the best I can. Someday's they don't even want to talk so they just lay together. Today was one of those days. I just let them lay with each other. Tom and I had the baby down with us. The kids were at school, well all except Marlon and Little Sonny. They've finally finished their first year. I was proud of them. So was San. They were excited to start the next year. I was just waiting for my girls to graduate from grade eight. I felt so old. I was gonna have three kids in high school next term. I was gonna feel even more old once Rafi started high school. 

Tom and I were down in the living room watching the baseball game. They were winning. I was gonna tell Caroline when she came home. She still loved watching baseball with me. We were kinda upset when the Leafs didn't make it passed round two, but we still had hope in the Red Sox. "How's she doing today?" Michael asked as he came in. "She's not doing good. She's up with Vinny laying down." "Ah okay. Has she come down at all?" "No, not yet today. She does when the kids come home. They force her to." He sighed. "You should be too." "I try Michael. You don't get how hard this is." "I know Sonny. We're all worried about her. Is it okay if I take the kid?" "Yeah it's okay. What are you gonna do with him?" "I'm gonna take him and Atticus out with me and Angie to the shopping center." "Alright be careful." "Will do." He smiled as he took Leo. I looked at Tom. "Come here you." I said. He came over and leaned up against me. "What do you have planned for Sophia today?" I asked. "We are going to watch a movie. Since it's Friday. She likes our little movie nights." "I know she tells me when I ask her. Can I ask you something?" He sat up. "Yeah?" "You're not doing anything you shouldn't be with her right?" "God no. Sonny I would never. Do you think we are? I love her but not like that." I smiled. "No I don't. I just thought about that stupid twit. I know you love her." He leaned back on me. "Good, and I think about what he said sometimes too." I sighed. "He's gone now so it doesn't matter." I agreed and just watched the game. 

We ended up losing the game. I wasn't so mad. I just was a bit upset. The kids were just arriving when their mother and brother decided to make an appearance. "Where's he?" Who Leo?" He nodded. "Uncle Mimi took him and Atti out for a shopping adventure." He just shook his head as he sat down with his mother. "Daddy are you down here?" I heard Lucy say. "I'm in the living room honey." She came speeding in. "Daddy guess what." "What?" "No guess." I rolled my eyes. "Lucy I'm gonna be here all night guessing. Just tell daddy." "I didn't throw up today when I ate my lunch." "That's good. Anything else?" "I got a good grade. Mrs. Lambert didn't yell at me today." "That sounds better than last week. Come sit with daddy." "No I have to go to the bathroom and stuff." She was anxious. "No come sit." "I can't." Something was wrong and recently she's been acting skittish. She also seems like she's been hiding stuff from us. We're worried a bit. Especially since she's been hanging out with Vinny a lot. "Why can't you?" "Daddy I'm gonna pee my pants." "Go to the bathroom then come back and see me." "Fine." She exited the living room. I knew she wasn't coming back. "Daddy can you help me with my math?" Rafi asked as he came over to see me. "I can try bud." "Mama said she is not good at math so I had to ask you." "Alright, what's the questions?" He showed me the paper. They were simple problems. "Okay what's five times five?" He didn't register the question. He just looked at me. "What daddy?" "Five times five." He looked at his fingers. "Five, ten, fifteen, um daddy what comes next?" "Twenty, then add five to it." He sighed as his face turned red. "Twenty five daddy?" "Yup, now write it down." He did. "Daddy I'm not sure 'bout this one." "What does it say?" "Six times six. Then Seven times seven. Daddy there's too many." "We're gonna do six times six first okay. So use your fingers again." "Okay daddy. Um, six, twelve, eighteen, twenty four, daddy it's hard." I didn't give up. I just helped him go on. "Thirty, then add six." "Thirty six?" "Yep, see you're getting the hang of it. Try the next one now." He wrote the second answer down then started to count. "Okay, um, seven, fourteen, twenty one, twenty eight, thirty five, forty two, forty nine?" "That's it. You're doing it Rafi." "I don't wanna do the other ones." "How many do you have left?" "Three." "Okay so let's do them together. Eight, sixteen, twenty four, thirty two. Now your turn." He sighed. He was getting annoyed. "Forty, forty eight, fifty six, sixty four." "Now do the nines." "Nine, daddy I don't wanna. Can you just tell me?" "It's eighty one." "I know the last one. Thank you daddy." "You're welcome. Is that all?" He nodded as he placed it on the coffee table. "I gonna go see mama now." I just let him.