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Chapter Twenty-Eight

SURPRISE!

With one visit, Emmanuel obtained a Nonna. Agnella Bianchi opened her home, as well as her heart, without hesitation to him, Leonardo, Frank, and Doc. The older woman had immediately endeared herself to him when she had comforted Ivy. As he looked around the table, his Nonna’s account of her daughter’s life affected everyone.

It was difficult to listen to what Concetta endured. His heart broke all over again for the mother he never knew he had. Concetta was young and full of so much promise. All she wanted was to get an education. Why couldn’t her father have supported her? Instead, her father, his grandfather, put her in a position that left her vulnerable to a predator. In the end, she lost her dream, parents, and one of her children.

His Nonna apologised for not doing a better job of standing up for Concetta. “I never went against your nonno. I was raised to be a good obedient Catholic wife. Truthfully, before then, I never questioned Reginaldo’s decisions. On this, we couldn’t see eye to eye and the cost of my silence hurt my only child.”

At that moment, Emmanuel appreciated his strong-willed wife. If she felt he was making the wrong decision, especially where their children were concerned, she would pull him to the side and tell him how she felt.

Nonna spent much of their visit, telling them stories of their mother, showing pictures, and feeding them. Emmanuel was never a huge fan of Italian food, but his Nonna’s tasted different. Maybe it was his acceptance of his heritage. The flavours danced on his tongue. He knew even if he didn’t enjoy the food, he would have eaten to make her happy.

They hadn’t intended their visit to be so long because they needed to head back to town.

“Our little girl has a debate tonight. We have to head back,” he explained to his Nonna.

“You have a daughter? Just one?” Her smile was hopeful.

“No, we have three children. Oliver, Benjamin, and Sage is our baby.”

“How old are they? Tell me about them,” Nonna pleaded.

As Emmanuel pulled out his phone, he shared photos of his children, their ages, and told her little antidotes about each child. “The boys are so handsome, and your daughter is a beautiful angel. Ahh, you are a good papa. You sound very involved.” She praised him.

“How about you?” Nonna asked Leonardo, and he had the decency to look uncomfortable.

“Yes, I have one son, Tommaso.”

God ahead, tell Nonna all about him.

Nonna clapped and smiled. “Well, isn’t that clever? Naming your boy twin.”

She became distracted as she packed up containers with food for them to take home. As she was about to hand Leonardo his package, she asked, “what about you? Why didn’t you bring your wife to meet me?”

“I’m not married.” Leonardo mumbled.

Whose fault is that asshole?

Nonna tilted her head. “Ahh, but you have someone special?”

Leonardo shrugged. Nonna patted his cheek.

“You are a sweet boy. Don’t worry, whatever you did, you will be able to make it up to her. Don’t give up.”

After Emmanuel and Leonardo both promised to visit their Nonna soon, she walked them to the car. “I’m happy you two boys have found each other. My two big, strong grandsons. Your Mamma must be looking down, smiling that you are together.”

Emmanuel didn’t have the heart to tell his Nonna what Leonardo had done. Or that in his estimation, his brother was far from off the hook for the pain he caused. Instead, his focus was on the man who caused his mother so much distress.

They were a mile away from the house when Leonardo broke the silence.

“Larson can’t get away with what he did to her!”

Emmanuel didn’t have to ask his brother what he meant. He shared the same sentiment. Concetta was a girl trying to make money to go to school. Instead, she ended up spending most of her life as an addict.

“Absolutely fucking not.” It was a promise. Emmanuel was already working on a plan to hit Larson where it would hurt him the most. He would need Leonardo to pull it off.

They were five minutes away from Frank’s home when his friend received a message. “Emmanuel, I was tempted not to give you a heads up. But seeing how today has been very emotional for all of us. I wanted to tell you that your family is waiting at my house for our arrival.”

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