Page 239 of Forced Vows

The contract gives me another year on birth control after that, but I'm not worried about the terms of the contract anymore. If I want to wait five years, Miceli will wait.

Because he loves me.

But that won't stop him from fantasizing about planting a baby inside me.

~ ~ ~

Aria is the first person to come in, followed quickly by Giulia, Raff and their children.

Neri makes a beeline for Pusheen and our cat graciously tolerates the four-year-old's affection.

My mother-in-law insists on a hug from me before oohing and ahhing over the new decor. "It's gorgeous in here," she pronounces.

"Absolutely. Who would have thought this place could look so much like a home," Giulia asks with a smile, handing the baby off to Aria at the older woman's insistence.

My sister-in-law is beautiful and her husband can't keep his hands off her curvy figure. They're so in love, it would be sickening if it wasn't so amazing.

This whole mafia family is filled with couples that are deeply in love. Severu and Catalina. Salvatore and Bianca. Big Sal and Ilaria. The portrait on the easel in Miceli's studio shows how much his father loved his mother.

Catalina is the first to comment on my portrait hanging on the wall. "Oh, this is beautiful. You didn't tell me you were sitting for a portrait, Róise."

Before I have a chance to answer, Severu steps up close to the painting, and examines it. "M. A. D."

My heart starts beating faster.

He turns to Miceli. "You?"

The shock on my fiancé's face is comical. "How did you know?"

"I was our father's underboss and your don. Do you think there is anything about either of you that I didn't know?"

"You never said anything."

"It wasn't my secret to expose."

"It shouldn't have been a secret at all," I mutter.

"What are you talking about?" Giulia demands.

Aria looks confused. "What secret?"

"I painted the portrait of Róise," Miceli tells them all. "The paintings on that wall are mine too."

The next few minutes are filled with explanations, affirmations and even congratulations. But not one criticism.

Tears turn Aria's eyes glossy. "When I asked your father why you stopped drawing, he told me he'd taken care of it. It hurt that you'd lost that part of yourself."

"Then why didn't you say something about it?" Giulia asks her mother.

"It would have only hurt your brother more for me to acknowledge the loss, or so I thought." Aria smiles gently at Miceli. "I'm so glad you kept your art."

"I didn't mean that," Giulia says wryly. "I mean, why did you accept it when you thought papà had disciplined the art out of Miceli?"

Aria purses her lips. "He knew best how to raise his sons for the roles they would one day hold."

Giulia opens her mouth, like she's going to argue, but Severu interrupts her. "He knew enough not to take Miceli's art away from him. That's what matters."

"I guess." Giulia walks over to Miceli and hugs him hard. "You're an amazing artist, brother."

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