Page 156 of Secret Baby for the Mafia Don
But for the first time in my life, I'm not facing these challenges alone.
I have a woman who sees past my wall to the man inside.
I have a child on the way who will need me to be better than my father ever was.
I carefully ease myself up against the headboard, wincing at the pull of stitches.
The pain reminds me that I'm alive.
The woman beside me reminds me why living matters.
I make my way to the bathroom.
I piss, brush my teeth, and throw on a robe.
I grab the box from the bedside table and then head down to the kitchen taking the back stairs.
“Merry Christmas, Don Calabresi,” Maria greets me in the kitchen where she’s working with the cook.
“Didn’t I give you the day off?”
“Yes, sir. We’re just making sure everything is ready for Christmas.” Marie smiles up at me, and it occurs to me that I’ve never seen her smile.
At least not to me.
That’s Gabriella’s doing.
She’s changed my attitude, which has changed the atmosphere in the home.
“I was planning on?—”
“Please, let us help, sir,” Joseph, my chef, says. “You’re still recovering, and we know you want something special for Mrs. Calabresi.”
I think I’m grinning at their calling Gabriella Mrs. Calabresi.
We’re not married yet, but thinking about it makes my chest swell.
But since smiling is new to me, it’s possible I look like a doofus.
“Thank you. Will you set it up by the tree?” I make a mental note to give them an extra bonus on top of their usual holiday bonus.
“Yes, sir.”
I make my way toward the living room and what greets me along the way steals my breath.
Somehow, overnight, even more decorations have shown up.
My austere home has transformed into something from a holiday film.
Garlands of evergreen drape the staircase, punctuated with red berries and gold ribbon.
The scents of pine and cinnamon hang in the air.
In the living room, a massive tree stands, its branches heavy with ornaments and lights of all colors.
I approach it slowly, drawn by a childlike curiosity I thought had died decades ago.
Among the standard decorations are several I don't recognize, handcrafted pieces that must hold meaning for Gabriella.
