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“Would you like me to show you more of the house or give you a brief?” she broke my thoughts.
I rubbed and rolled my neck. “A brief, please. I’m exhausted.”
She bobbed her head. “I understand. The other staircase is at the end of the hallway. Down it leads to a six-seater dining room that you can expand by moving the walls back on their tracks. You’ll find more bedrooms and offices to the right, while the kitchen and breakfast room are to your left. My phone number is in your phone. Call me anytime.”
Isla was about to leave when I remembered my birth control pills.If she’s to stay, I must test her trust.
“Wait, uhm…I need to replace my birth control pills,” I stammered, my legs shifting in place.
Her expression was steady. “No problem. I’ll get a prescription sent to a nearby pharmacy and bring it back in an hour.” She immediately headed over to the closet for her coat and shoes.
I sighed in relief. “Thank you.”
“Anytime,” she said, then opened the closet nearby and removed her coat. Before she left, she met my eyes with her headheld high. “I will prove to you and Rocco that you can count on me again.”
I ran my hands down my arms. “I hope so. Honestly, I’d like to trust you again.”
Her shoulders dropped, and she smiled. “I’d like that very much, too.” She left through the open elevator door.
Once alone, I took a deep, cleansing breath. Though excited to explore the new place alone, I was exhausted and wanted a relaxing bath. I went straight up the carpeted stairs to the last room, a spacious bedroom with a huge bed at the center. The primary bathroom door was slightly open, and I gasped in delight when I saw it had a sunk-in bath. I removed my clothes and put on one of the thick robes I found in a cabinet, then filled the basin, climbed to soak, and finally rested. After I finished, I decided it was time to call Mama.
“Adelina,” she said my name joyfully, catching me off guard. We hadn’t been on good terms since Rocco became my arranged husband.
“Hey, how are you?” I said and smiled.
She coughed down the line. “I’m good.”
I frowned. “You sound like you have a cold?”
“Yes, I may have a summer flu.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Is that why you and Glenn missed the funeral?”
“It didn’t feel right to go, but the real reason I didn’t come was because Rocco’s taking you to see Jacob—”
I let out an excited scream. “Oh my God. Yay! I didn’t know.”
Jacob’s weak immune system made it difficult to recover from colds. It was always a prerequisite to only visit when we weren’t sick. I’d been jet-lagged and stressed out but not ill.
“Yes, oh well. I always spoil surprises,” she groaned.
“It’s fine, Mama,” I told her cheerfully. “I don’t need a surprise to be excited to see my big brother.”
“Yeah…yeah, that’s good,” she said in a gloomy tone. I decided not to ask her if she visited Jacob and changed the subject.
“You won’t believe how busy it’s been. We married and flew to New York City for the funeral, and after that, there was a family meeting at Marini corporate. I’m just now at the new place.”
“Rocco has you traveling too much. It’s not a good way to start a marriage. Christ, you’re married. I can’t believe I didn’t seemydaughter marry.”
“Maybe we can have another ceremony? I’m sure Olivia would be on board with that,” I told her, my voice raising octaves. But with everything going on, I highly doubted it would happen soon.
“No, no. It’s over. I missed out,” she bemoaned.
I yawned loudly on the line. “I’m going to sleep. You should get some rest, too. But before I hang up, how are you doing otherwise? How’s Glenn?”
She cackled. “Glenn got dumped for a younger guy by his latest mistress, so he’s grumpy.”
“He told you?” I squeaked.