Page 91 of Mafia Shade's Reluctant Bride
“I know.”
My mother reached out, brushing a hand against my cheek. It was such a simple gesture, but it unraveled me. My jaw clenched, and I had to bite back the urge to break down completely.
“She loves you,” my mother whispered. “I have seen it in her eyes. The way she looks at you. The way she softens when she speaks about you.”
A bitter laugh escaped me. “Not anymore.”
“She is hurt.” My mother sighed. “But love does not vanish in a day, Lorenzo. It does not simply disappear because the truth was revealed.”
I turned away, my hands gripping the edge of the desk. “I don’t deserve her.”
“That is not for you to decide.”
I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how to explain the weight pressing down on my chest or the suffocating regret. I had spent years being Shade and living in the shadows, making choices that I told myself were necessary. And now, I was paying for them.
My mother stepped closer, her hand resting over mine.
“I have seen you change,” she murmured. “Slowly, piece by piece, you have become the man I always prayed you would be. And I will not let you throw that away.”
My throat tightened. “I don’t know how to fix this.”
“You fight.” Her voice was steady, unwavering. “You fight for what you love. You fight for the woman who has brought light back into your life.”
I closed my eyes, exhaling shakily. “And what if she never forgives me?”
She squeezed my hand. “Then, you will have to live with it. But you do not give up before you have even tried.”
I looked at her then, really looked at her. She looked tired, more tired than I had ever seen her.
Something shifted in my chest. “You look tired. Maybe you should go and rest.”
She smiled softly. “I never could hide things from you.”
The air in the room changed. I straightened, dread curling in my stomach. “You just need to rest. I will get you your medication.”
She hesitated. And that alone was enough to send my heart into my throat.
“My time is running out, Lorenzo. I will soon be gone.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut.
I shook my head, stepping back. “Don’t—don’t say that.”
She smiled, but there was sadness in it. “I have known for some time.”
I felt like the ground had been ripped from beneath me. I had already lost so much. I couldn’t lose her, too. I know she had been fighting for years, but I had always thought we would beat this.
She cupped my face, her eyes glistening. “That is why I need you to be ready. I need you to be strong.”
Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “I can’t live without you. I need you. What did the doctor say?”
She didn’t answer.
And that was an answer in itself.
I inhaled sharply, turning away because I couldn’t look at her. “This isn’t fair.”
“No, it isn’t.” She exhaled softly. “But neither is love. Neither is life. And yet, we endure.”
