Page 179 of My Mafia Queen

There wasn’t much dwelling over what had happened.

He knew the rules.

His uncle knew the rules.

Even I knew the rules, although, at that point, I’d barely gotten my feet wet.

We moved on with our lives.

If I’d learned anything from him, it was that no matter what happened, as long as we were alive, things were good.

I couldn’t agree more.

He knows how much I love Italy, and he said we could make an exception from the ‘living in New York’ rule in one circumstance and one circumstance only.

If I get pregnant.

I think he’s teasing me, playing with me.

One thing is for sure… I want to spend the summer, fall, and maybe winter here.

I don’t like being away from him, yet he’s also said he might make an exception again and stay here with me and only fly to New York when needed.

Again, he’s a tease, but I know he’s good on his word.

So…

“Can you please hold this? I need to pee,” I say, handing Jen my bouquet.

“Again?”

“Yes, again. Hold it, please.”

I barely pull away from her, and Tina enters the vast room adorned with flowers, wearing a dress similar to Jen’s.

She looks lovely with ribbons and flowers in her hair.

She’s grown a lot since last year.

She’s taller and starts to get a bit of shape.

Her shoulders are wider, and her hips begin to arch.

She’s like a flower in bloom, and she’s finally gotten her wish. A rescue dog she’s inseparable from, and Vito to be her personal bodyguard.

I can see how she relies on him and how proud she is when he teaches her things.

Things a father would normally teach a kid.

From him, she’s learning how not to be afraid of men and hold her own.

He’s patient with her, and Damaso jokes sometimes that he’s never gonna find a woman and settle down until Tina grows up, finds her own man, and moves on with her life.

This life doesn’t allow for long-term plans, so they take it day by day, and so do we.

“Where are you going?” Tina asks.

“I need to pee.”

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