Page 24 of A Treasure To Keep
My doctor catches my eyes, asking for confirmation before he speaks. I nod, letting him know that I still need his support withthis news. “As a child, Andrea had an experimental treatment for his cancer—”
El whips her head toward me, and my doctor notices, instantly knowing that I’ve never told her. “You had cancer as a child? Why didn’t you tell me? What does this mean? What aren’t you telling me?”
My doctor turns to me, giving me the chance to tell El myself. Instead, I nod my head again, letting him know to keep going. “The treatment he experienced had a long list of potential side effects. Thankfully, Andrea has avoided the majority of them. The side effect we’ve come to find out he has is a low sperm count. What we’re trying to inform you of is that the chances of you two conceiving a baby are about 2 percent.”
She bolts up, tears instantly in her eyes as she processes his words. The last piece of hope escapes her mouth in the form of a question. “What about artificial insemination? We can isolate the good sperm, right?” My heart breaks when I hear her voice crack with that last word.
“Unfortunately, no. Not in Andrea’s case. I’m sorry I don’t have better news.” El bolts out of his office, running away from me and the news we received. I race after her, catching up to her in the parking lot. She struggles with her keys to open the driver’s side door of her car.
“El. El! Talk to me.” Her hair swings behind her shoulder when she turns toward me. Instantly, big tears run down her face. I hate that I put them there.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the cancer? Why didn’t you tell me that you may not be able to have children? You got my hopes up for nothing! How dare you!” The keys drop out of her hands, the small inconvenience causing her to fall to the ground.
“Come, mon trésor. Please. Get up and let me help you into the car. I’ll drive us home.” I hate driving. I avoided getting my driver’s license for as long as I could. When I moved to America,I found it was better to get my license. Most of the time, unless El drives me somewhere, I take the bus. I don’t even own a vehicle.
When we get home, I help her get into the apartment and into bed. I gently and quietly shut the door to our bedroom, waiting on the other side. My heart practically stops when I hear her sob into the pillow. How am I supposed to fix this? I can’t fix this.
El’s purse sits in our living room, and I call the only person I can think of to help her. Her cheery voice answers the phone as she greets El, not expecting my voice in return.
“Hi Luci, it’s Andrea. We got some unexpected news, and I’m not sure how to help El. I know Alessandro will want my head on a platter simply by asking, since he’s incredibly protective of you currently. However, I need a favor. Is there any way you could come over? She needs a friend.”
“Uhhh . . . let me ask.” Luci puts down the phone, and I hear the muffled argument between her and Alessandro. Eventually, I hear Alessandro give a curt ‘fine’ before Luci’s voice comes through the phone. “Enzo will bring me over and stand outside the front door. Text me your address, and I’ll be over there as soon as I can.”
I let the tears fall the second Luci and I hang up, quiet sobs leaving me. I need to be strong for El, even though this breaks me as much as it breaks her. I have one job, and I can’t do it for her.
“Please don’t leave me, El. Mon trésor.” I whisper the words, hoping she will answer my prayers, even though I know she can’t hear me.
Chapter 25
Marco
The same thoughts have been spiraling through my head, and I know Alessandro senses something is wrong. Luci went over to El’s for the afternoon, leaving Alessandro and I alone. After the mess of their original wedding and the first half of Luci’s pregnancy, he’s been on edge. Alessandro finally has a second to chill out since their wedding. He’s back to the guy I grew up with and less of the asshole he’s been since Luci came into our lives. We’re spending the afternoon playing cards. Alessandro, as usual, is kicking my ass.
“What’s been going on with you the last week?” Of course, he mentions this.
“Nothing. I need to get my dick wet.” Technically, it’s not a lie; I’m just not telling him how I’d love to sink into the two of them again.
Alessandro sends me a cocky smile, setting down his cards as he wins before laughing. I know he’s about to say something stupid while throwing something in my face. “What about Gabby? Or are you afraid you’ll say the wrong woman’s nameagain?” I told him about the night with Gabby when I moaned El’s name. And Andrea’s name. I didn’t tell him the details of whose name I moaned. That’s on a need-to-know basis. And that list of people on the need-to-know basis is limited to me and Little Marco. I would never hear the end of it if Alessandro found out.
“Gabby is making her way through the new guys and still fucking Domenico, from my understanding. It’s only time before gonorrhea Gabby strikes again.” Alessandro and I laugh at the nickname we gave her, even though I was one of her victims.
Several games later, we’re a few drinks in, and I’m a few hundred dollars shorter than when we started. The door to the garage opens, and Luci calls for Alessandro on her way in.
She finds us in the kitchen, and Alessandro drops his cards, wrapping her in his arms. I take the opportunity to see what hand he has. Damn, I could have won this round.
He kisses her while he places a hand protectively on her belly. “How was the afternoon with El, mio premio?” I want to gag at his nickname for her. His prize? I call it a collection with a twist.
“She’s really upset, Alessandro. If you saw her, you’d think a small part of her broke. I could even see the sorrow in Andrea’s eyes. Neither of them will tell me what happened.” This doesn’t sound like El.
“On that note, I’ll let you two talk and do whatever else.” I bolt to my room, calling El and Andrea, trying to get an answer on what broke her.
El’s phone goes directly to voicemail. Andrea eventually answers mine after the fifth attempt. “Marco, this isn’t a good time.”
“What’s wrong with you two?” Andrea sighs heavily over the phone, telling me that he would do anything to avoid this conversation.
“It’s private. Please don’t push it.” Fuck.
“I’m coming over.” Andrea goes to answer back when I hang up, interrupting his ability to argue with me.