Page 234 of Vita Mia

“No,” Lorenzo said. “It’s over Marie. There is no going back. Ever. For us, or for our daughter. They aren’t family.”

“Is there something more I should know?”

“It’s all a lie.”

“What lie? Which lie?” she pressed.

“Me. My story, my life. All of it. A lie.”

“You’re the victim. Giovanni is jealous!”

Lorenzo chuckled.

“Giovanni doesn’t give a shit about anything including the Camorra anymore. Me either. Captivity changed us both. We’re done.”

“Okay, Lo, fine, don’t tell me.” She made the move out of the seat but he grabbed her hand. She glanced back at him. He squeezed her hand and she sat down.

“Tomosino isn’t my father. Giovanni was right. If I was first born Tomosino wouldn’t have given a shit about my conception. He would have never tossed me to that witch to raise. He would have been the father to me that he always was.”

“No. No, Zia said—”

“Zia is a liar.”

Marietta eyes stretched.

“She lied Marie, because that’s who we are. All of us. Liars. Rocco was just like me. Thirsty for acceptance, power, control. To be his own man. And what did he do? What I have done? Coveted his brother. Mimicked him. Did everything to outdo him. Even raping a young girl and making her pregnant.”

“Rocco?”

“That bastard sat back all my life and watched me suffer with a fake father and an evil bitch of a mother. He said nothing. Never even blinked. Offered me no comfort. Not once. And he was my father all along.”

“Rocco?”

“It’s true Marie.”

“It can’t be Rocco.”

“Why not?”

Marietta tried to process the news. Her mind rejected every plausible scenario. But in the end when she looked over to her husband she saw his suffering and she believed. She reached for him and pulled him over to her breast. In their seat she managed to hold him. He didn’t cry for Rocco or for himself. But she felt him cling to her to release his torment.

“I am so sorry Lo.”

“I am too.”

“You know, this is real destiny,” she said and stroked his head. “We both have searched for our father’s love. We met each other because of our father’s lies. And now we start again free of them both. We don’t need them Lo. We never did. We just need each other.”

She lifted his face and kissed him. “You’re our hero. You’re the King in our lives. My best friend. I have you again. I have it all with you and Lorenza. We have the world.”

He touched her face. “I won’t let you down again Marie. I’ve learned from my mistakes.”

“Shhhh... what we did is in the past. Who we become is up to us. Right?”

He nodded.“Ti amo.”

“Ti amo.”

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