Where There's Smoke

Dad's First Weekend

Roman's POV

We were sitting around the table for a family dinner after I got off of the phone with Janae. I was so excited to have Eva overnight. Nothing in this moment could bring me down. Gianni was talking to my dad about finding Bella a new house. Everyone was pretty much in good moods. Gianni and I hadn't really talked, but I didn't care. I was bouncing Eva on my knee trying to get her to smile for me. I showed her bottle to her and she showed me her gums making me smile at her. I couldn't believe she was 4 months already. She was getting smarter and was starting to recognize me and slowly doing more. I wanted Adrian to come to this dinner, but Alessia wouldn't let me bring her since it was the middle of the week and I could only have her all day Friday-Sunday. She had said she could spend the whole weekend with me and I was elated. I was hoping to see if Janae would let me have her next weekend, but since she is letting me have her tonight I wasn't going to push it. I started feeding Eva her bottle while trying to eat myself. I looked over and saw Z just moving her food around the plate. She looked mad. "Hey Z are you okay?" She had been quiet since she got here and that's not normal.
"Fine." She answered.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"I said I'm fine Uncle Roman." She snapped.
"Apologize to your Uncle." Gianni looked at her.
"No." She didn't bother to look up.
"It's okay; she must have had a hard day. You remember high school." I shrugged.
"Do you want to talk about it?" My mom asked.
"If I wanted to talk I would be talking Nonna." The venom in her voice was crazy.
"Zariah watch your tone!" Gianni set his fork down.
"I'm done." She pushed back from the table.
"Sit down. You are not excused." I had never seen him raise his voice at her. She glared at her father. She sat down and crossed her arms. "What's wrong biscotto?" My dad asked. "We just want to make sure you're okay."
"You want to make sure everything's okay? I call bullshit."
"Zariah Kehlani Marchetti, watch your mouth!" Gianni snapped.
"No!" She stared her father down.
"Sweetie what's wrong?"
"Do you think I'm dumb? You took your wedding ring off! Pictures of mom are disappearing from around the house! I know when she's there. We share a fucking wall for God's sake! You never have time for me anymore! You're changing our routines! You said it was just us and that it'll always be just us against the world! Now you're starting a new family! I told you to make a friend now create a new family! What about me daddy! How did you forget about me? Do I not matter anymore? How could you?" She was fuming.
"There's nothing wrong at home." Gianni tried to stay calm.
"Do you think I'm dumb? You took your wedding ring off! Pictures of mom are disappearing from around the house! Athena practically lives there now! You never have time for me anymore! I heard you say that Athena's pregnant. You said it was just us and that it'll always be just us against the world! Now you're starting a new family! I told you to make a friend now create a new family! You forgot about me! What about me daddy! How could you?" She screamed as tears streamed down her face.
"Zariah let go talk." Gianni stood up.
"No!" She stood up too. "I hate you! I wish it was you instead of my mom!" She ran out of the dining room. We all heard the front door slam shut. I looked at Gianni and he looked stunned. I could see her words cut deep. "I need to go talk to her." He started to leave after her.
"No, I'll go talk to her." Bella stood up and left.
"She's just mad." Our dad said. "She's a teenager."
"It's just a lot going on. She's just overwhelmed." Our mom sighed.
"She hates me." Gianni collapsed into his chair. "I'm a terrible father."
"No, you're not. You have a 16 year old daughter. She's bound to get mad. She's a teenager."
"I didn't know she knew." He looked like he was crumbling and her never crumbled.
"I mean she's allowed to be upset. Just let it play out. She'll come to you as long as you don't push." I suggested.
"That's rich coming from you." He snapped as my mom got up and took Eva from me.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I was confused.
"You've been a dad to Eva for what 4 months and Adrian 1 and a half. You giving me fatherly advice is worth as much as you giving me relationship advice."
"Maybe it would be worth more if you told me when Alessia was pregnant! You knew I had a kid and chose not tell me! It's your fault I don't know my daughter! With so much shit that's happened in the last year did you think once to check on your daughter to make sure she was okay? Did you talk to her to see how she felt about Athena? Did you even consider that with so much going on around her that's why she's acting out? No, because you always think you know best. I practically have to beg Alessia just to have Adrian on the weekends. Do you know I've been asking for weeks to be able to bring her here for dinner, but because she has custody and doesn't have to let me have her she said no. At least I check with Adrian though. I make sure she is okay because big shit is changing in her life and it's a lot for a kid. Zariah is upset. All her life it's just been you and her. Now that is changing big time. Don't come for my parenting without checking your own!"
"You knew Gianni?" Our dad asked deathly.
"Yes sir." Gianni said lowly.
"You kept that from us?" He asked.
"Yes sir."
"That wasn't your decision to make! That was your mother and I decision and most importantly Roman's!" He turned his eyes on me. "You're getting your name put on her birth certificate. You have just as much rights as her." We heard the door close. Bella came back in. "Why do you have her phone?" Gianni asked.
"I looked everywhere. I found it at the gate. She's gone." Bella handed it to Gianni.