Page 57 of A Treasure To Keep
Whenever I’m alone, I constantly question why I continue to push this. It would be a thousand times easier to call it off and let Andrea and El live happily ever after. Then here comes Alessandro, reminding me that the baby that El is currently carrying might be mine. Next to my mamma, who’s been MIA since I was a child, that’s the only blood I have. That is, ifthe baby is mine. We’ll find that out today after her doctor's appointment.
I’m currently in my bathroom, fresh out of the shower, wearing only a towel. Every time I see my reflection, I see a young version of my papa, if he were covered in tattoos and had shaggy hair. I hang my head, closing my eyes, as I try to shake the image of him out of my head. It’s times like these I wish he were still around to give me advice.
Losing my papa as a teenager was rough. I was on the cusp between childhood and manhood, a time when a father guides their son, turning them into the man they will always be. I’ll always be thankful to Geno and Alessandro for welcoming me into their home. Geno helped finish my papa’s job of making me a man. Not only that, but they gave me a home, an education, and a place to experiment with my gadgets. Sometimes, that last one came to Geno’s demise.
For example, the one time I caught one of his vintage cars on fire while trying to modernize it. It was his Ferrari, too. To this day, I’ve never seen him that angry. And that includes when Alessandro shot Luci. I almost got sent to a traditional Catholic boarding school over that incident. Plot twist: When we toured the school, I was caught in the confessional with the lead priest’s niece. I don’t care what that priest said; his niece was not a virgin when I got to her based on the freaky shit she did to me in that confessional. You can imagine that I wasn’t invited back. In my defense, if the Bible hadn’t gotten knocked over, we would have been fine. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much Geno stepped in; he’s not my papa.
I reach for my phone when it rings and notice it’s my lawyer. I’m surprised to hear from him, considering he should be here in half an hour. Maybe he’s early.
“If you’re here, all you have to do is drop your name. You should know this by now. Whoever is at the gate should recognize you.”
“My nephew got arrested, and I’m stuck in court. I had to fly out to Vegas last night, and the judge is taking his sweet time. I meant to call you hours ago when I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it. Listen. El and Andrea are coming from a doctor's appointment, and I received notice that the results of the paternity test were delivered. Dr. Rossi will be there as a medical witness. If it comes back negative, this mess can all be over. If it comes out positive, you need to stop the meeting immediately, and we’ll reschedule when I get back.” I go to respond, but he cuts me off, hanging up after he finishes his last words. “Shit. Listen, the judge is calling me back in. Remember, cut off the meeting if the test comes back positive.”
Are you serious? The plan is to have the lawyers mediate this bullshit meeting between the three of us. Four? Should I count the baby? I should cancel this until he gets back.
I’m pulling up their lawyer's name when I get a notification stating that El and Andrea are pulling up through the gate already. It can’t be noon yet. Can it? I pick up my Rolex, noticing that it’s about a quarter ’til noon. They had to be early? When is El ever early?
I’m about to take the last flight of stairs when I hear El’s signature short footsteps walking away from me. That can only tell me she’s heading in the direction of Alessandro’s office.
I grip the handrail tight enough that my knuckles go white as I get the courage to head into Alessandro’s office. “Let’s get this shit over with.”
I exhale whatever is left of my nerves, letting my feet lead me downstairs into my own personal hell.
Chapter 62
El
Here I am again, sitting on this bed, waiting for my doctor to come in for my twenty-week exam. Marco was insistent on me seeing Dr. Rossi, their on-call doctor, and whatever OBGYN they approve of. Fuck what Marco and those stupid papers say, I’ll see whatever doctor I please.
During this appointment, we’ll accomplish several things. One, I get to know what my baby’s biological sex is. Two, if this baby is the result of Marco’s dumbass sperm. Three, I get to see my baby. I do have to admit that I’m excited about the last part. Normally, that last part would have happened during our last visit if I hadn’t dissociated.
I close my eyes and contently smile when Andrea kisses my hand while we wait. I couldn’t have done this without his support.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The door opens, and Dr. Thatcher’s bright face comes into the room. “Good morning to you both! Are you ready to see this baby?”
“Can we do the unpleasant part first?” Whenever there’s been good news and bad news, I’ve preferred to get the bad news first. That way, the only way we could go from there is up.
“I wish we could. The terms set with the paternity test state that the results must be opened in the presence of all parties involved. Since I’m required by the paperwork I received, I could get into legal trouble if I don’t follow it. If it were up to me, I’d tell you.” Fucking. Marco. “It was sent over via Messenger, as requested by the order I received. Anything else is between you two and this third party.” I’ve kept Marco’s name out of every appointment with Dr. Thatcher. From what I could gather, I’m assuming Marco’s name wasn’t on that paperwork either. Unfortunately, even though she doesn’t judge me, she has to follow what Marco’s stupid lawyer says when it comes to the paternity test.
She notices the disappointment mixed with annoyance on my face and changes the subject. Before I can process it, I lie on the bed, allowing her to squirt cool gel onto my belly. She takes her sweet time examining with the ultrasound machine, pausing occasionally to take a picture or measurements before she pauses, turning the screen to Andrea and I.
“Here’s your baby. Right here is the heartbeat. We’re sitting at about 140 beats per minute, which is perfect.” The swooshing sound of the heartbeat floods the room as she continues to show us our baby. Andrea gently squeezes my hand. When I turn my face, I notice the sheen of tears in his eyes. Once Dr. Thatcher speaks again, I turn my head back to the screen.
“You can see here and here are two little hands and two little feet. Ten fingers and ten toes.” I let myself forget about the paternity test and let myself feel excited about the appointment. About Andrea and I seeing our baby, in detail, for the first time.
“Now, if your baby would stop being shy, we might get a peek at what you’re having.” Almost immediately, when she says that,we notice the baby move, making it obscenely obvious who they are. Any hesitation about whether this is Marco’s offspring goes out the window. This kid isn’t even born, and they have the same cocky attitude. “Wow. I’ve never seen a baby shift this quickly. As I’m sure you can see, you’re having a boy.”
My grip on Andrea’s hand loosens, and my head tilts to the side, contemplating what I’m seeing on the screen. Even though I tried to deny it, all the old wives' tales came to this conclusion. Carrying low, glowing skin, no heartburn, and my favorite, fabulously shiny hair.
Andrea and Dr. Thatcher stare at me, with only the sound of my son's heartbeat in the background. I know I should be excited, and I work myself up to fake it until what I’m honestly thinking spills out of my mouth. “I’m growing a penis inside of me. How fucking wild.”
Both Andrea and Dr. Thatcher crack up after a moment of silence. Dr. Thatcher talks first when their laughter settles.
“Surprisingly, that’s not the craziest thing I’ve heard in this office. Let me take a couple more pictures to print off and take home. Then we’ll get you scheduled for your next appointment.”
Andrea leads over to kiss me, and while I kiss him back, I’m still staring at the screen. “Mon trésor, we shouldn’t be surprised. You glow more radiantly than normal, you’re carrying low, and I got a Costco membership because of how much you’ve been craving salty snacks. They’re all typical signs that you’re carrying a boy.”