sister
back, soaking up the love and warmth in the simple touch.
“I missed you so much,” Bella whispered. “I wanted to call
you a million times but I knew you were busy with your modeling and stuff.”
“I missed you too.” She’d like to tell her sister she hadn’t
been too busy for her. But chances were that the woman she was back then would
have ignored a phone call. She had no one to blame for that but herself.
“I’m so glad you’re home, Gianna. Please tell me that you’re
going to stay. I want to catch up on things. I’m getting married.”
Gianna laughed. “I heard. I’m happy for you, Bella. I know
you’ve loved Sampson for a long time.”
“All my life it seems.” Bella turned to look at her fiancé
and Gianna felt a twinge of envy at the look that passed between them. It was
so easy to see the fierce love the two of them shared for one another. Her
sister deserved it. Bella would make a great wife and a terrific mother. The
thought brought an ache to Gianna’s heart. Those were two roles she never
expected to fill.
“I want you to be here for the wedding. I want you to be my
maid of honor. Please, Gianna! Please tell me that you’ll at least think about
it! I really want my big sister here for my wedding day.”
Gianna couldn’t look into her sister’s eager face and tell
her no. Bella didn’t hate her. She wasn’t holding a grudge against Gianna for
being gone so long, for not calling or keeping in touch.
“I would be honored to be in your wedding. Thank you,
Bella.” No matter what happened when she and her mother finally spoke, Gianna
would not let the fallout ruin her sister’s day. She wanted to be at Bella’s
wedding, at her sister’s side.
She looked around at everyone. Phoebe and Dante. She could
see the love brewing between them. She could see the two of them getting
married someday and she wanted to be around for that time too. She wanted to
see Angelo marry his Cara. She wanted to be here for Cris and watch him finally
meet the right woman and fall in love. She wanted the same for Nico and
Stephano. She was tired of being on the outside looking in. She was a
Marquetti. She wanted to be with her family.
She soaked it up, the laughter of her siblings, the casual
touches. The jokes and ribbing, with the underscore of love and affection. It
was so easy to remember growing up with them. They’d fought every day over
petty little things but always there had been love. They could pick on each
other but no one else better dare. Her brothers had been fierce protectors.
Where had it all gone wrong? One foolish decision. She’d
thought she was grown-up and mature. She hadn’t been. She’d been young and
stupid. She’d fancied herself in love. Would she do it all differently if she
could go back? Probably. Hopefully. But she’d been a different person. Young
and full of dreams. Life had been fun and games. She’d felt invincible, as if
the whole world were her playground.
She needed air. Memories were overwhelming her. When her dad
stepped in, she used the distraction to slip out unnoticed. She had some place
to go and she really didn’t want to have anyone with her when she did. Luckily
she hadn’t run into her mamma over the last few days. She should have known her
luck wouldn’t hold out.
It was easy to see that the woman on the garden bench was
her mother. No one looked like her mother. She’d known that it was inevitable
that they’d run into each other again. But she hadn’t expected it to be here,
in the place Gianna sought comfort and refuge. This was the last place she
expected Belinda Marquetti to be. Why would her mother come to the small garden
the hospital had put in to commemorate the unborn child?
It didn’t matter. As soon as her mother spoke, Gianna knew
the time had come to face her demons and force her mother to hear the truth of
what had happened ten years ago. She was so tired of hiding and letting the
guilt eat her soul.
“So,
back, soaking up the love and warmth in the simple touch.
“I missed you so much,” Bella whispered. “I wanted to call
you a million times but I knew you were busy with your modeling and stuff.”
“I missed you too.” She’d like to tell her sister she hadn’t
been too busy for her. But chances were that the woman she was back then would
have ignored a phone call. She had no one to blame for that but herself.
“I’m so glad you’re home, Gianna. Please tell me that you’re
going to stay. I want to catch up on things. I’m getting married.”
Gianna laughed. “I heard. I’m happy for you, Bella. I know
you’ve loved Sampson for a long time.”
“All my life it seems.” Bella turned to look at her fiancé
and Gianna felt a twinge of envy at the look that passed between them. It was
so easy to see the fierce love the two of them shared for one another. Her
sister deserved it. Bella would make a great wife and a terrific mother. The
thought brought an ache to Gianna’s heart. Those were two roles she never
expected to fill.
“I want you to be here for the wedding. I want you to be my
maid of honor. Please, Gianna! Please tell me that you’ll at least think about
it! I really want my big sister here for my wedding day.”
Gianna couldn’t look into her sister’s eager face and tell
her no. Bella didn’t hate her. She wasn’t holding a grudge against Gianna for
being gone so long, for not calling or keeping in touch.
“I would be honored to be in your wedding. Thank you,
Bella.” No matter what happened when she and her mother finally spoke, Gianna
would not let the fallout ruin her sister’s day. She wanted to be at Bella’s
wedding, at her sister’s side.
She looked around at everyone. Phoebe and Dante. She could
see the love brewing between them. She could see the two of them getting
married someday and she wanted to be around for that time too. She wanted to
see Angelo marry his Cara. She wanted to be here for Cris and watch him finally
meet the right woman and fall in love. She wanted the same for Nico and
Stephano. She was tired of being on the outside looking in. She was a
Marquetti. She wanted to be with her family.
She soaked it up, the laughter of her siblings, the casual
touches. The jokes and ribbing, with the underscore of love and affection. It
was so easy to remember growing up with them. They’d fought every day over
petty little things but always there had been love. They could pick on each
other but no one else better dare. Her brothers had been fierce protectors.
Where had it all gone wrong? One foolish decision. She’d
thought she was grown-up and mature. She hadn’t been. She’d been young and
stupid. She’d fancied herself in love. Would she do it all differently if she
could go back? Probably. Hopefully. But she’d been a different person. Young
and full of dreams. Life had been fun and games. She’d felt invincible, as if
the whole world were her playground.
She needed air. Memories were overwhelming her. When her dad
stepped in, she used the distraction to slip out unnoticed. She had some place
to go and she really didn’t want to have anyone with her when she did. Luckily
she hadn’t run into her mamma over the last few days. She should have known her
luck wouldn’t hold out.
It was easy to see that the woman on the garden bench was
her mother. No one looked like her mother. She’d known that it was inevitable
that they’d run into each other again. But she hadn’t expected it to be here,
in the place Gianna sought comfort and refuge. This was the last place she
expected Belinda Marquetti to be. Why would her mother come to the small garden
the hospital had put in to commemorate the unborn child?
It didn’t matter. As soon as her mother spoke, Gianna knew
the time had come to face her demons and force her mother to hear the truth of
what had happened ten years ago. She was so tired of hiding and letting the
guilt eat her soul.
“So,
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