Page 12 of Wicked Rivals

“Did you make the new lemon cookies yet?” he asked.

I held up the little brown bag.

“Sure did. And I saved you some for after dinner.”

The bright smile he shot me made my heart melt. This little angel. My miracle. The one bright spot in a life that I’d thought would be dark forever.

“So how was school today, buddy?” I asked.

“Good. We learned about…”

He rambled on, talking excitedly about some new books they were reading and the science project his class had started. The way he talked about dinosaur bones and fossils, his eyes lit up, one free hand flailing around in his enthusiasm.

Watching him like that made everything worth it.

All my sacrifices.

All my lies.

Then he caught me off guard with another topic change.

“Mama, why was Mr. Luka talking to you?”

“Oh, no reason,” I said. “He just wanted to tell me how well you’re doing in class.”

That familiar frown flashed across his face again, the single line creasing between his brows perfectly echoing his father’s.

“Yeah, but he looks at you funny.”

I tried to shrug it off as casually as possible.

“I wouldn’t say that, Enzo.”

“Well, I would. He doesn’t look at other moms like that.”

“It's fine, kiddo.”

Mr. Luka didn’t concern me. I’d dealt with plenty of men like him, and unfortunately would have to do it again.

What did concern me? His very personal questions.

Enzo knew the story I’d been telling others about his father for years. And he knew it was a lie. For now, though, he seemed content to know his father just wasn't in our lives.

But that wouldn’t last forever.

Soon he would start asking questions.

The day would come soon, and it scared the shit out of me.

There was always the possibility that my past would come back to haunt me. I hadn't moved since separating myself from that past. I still lived where Stefano had last seen me. He only needed to cross the river to find me, to see he had a son.

Running would’ve been the smarter thing to do, and I had considered it more times than I could count over the years. But seeing those two pink lines on a pregnancy test had terrified me.

I couldn’t raise a child all alone, on the run.

Staying put had its advantages too. I knew the city. I had a job. Enzo and I had as much family as was possible for us… him, me, and the woman he knew as mynonnawho had helped me raise my boy.

After so many years, the idea of leaving Brooklyn now felt like someone else’s dream from long ago.

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