Chapter 41: Chapter 41

C H A P T E R - S E V E N T E E N

"Are you all right?" I said quietly.

"No," he said.

"Falcone -" I began, but I had no idea what I was going to say.

His fingers pressed towards my neck. "I completely missed out."

Something significant was taking place here. I just didn't understand what.

"Falcone," I exhaled.

"Fuck me, I completely missed out."

"Baby," I quietly answered.

"Coffee, querida," I heard, twisting my neck to find Amelia standing there, giving me coffee.

"Thank you," I said.

"No issue," she mumbled, her gaze darting to Falcone before returning to the bacon on the burner.

"What do you do, Gia?" Renz inquired, and I glanced at him, glad that he had asked a normal inquiry and that it had altered an atmosphere that had strangely gotten oppressive.

"I'm a book editor," I explained before taking a drink of coffee.

"Do you like it?" " Renz inquired.

"Yes," I said.

"What does your father do?" Renz continued.

"Building, ex-Army, and part-time handyman since his daughter purchased a money hole," I explained.

Renz laughed. "Keeps us youthful by keeping an eye on our kids, no matter how old they are."

"Well, I try to give my father every chance to stay youthful."

Renz's grin broadened. Renz predicted incorrectly, "I'm sure he enjoys every minute of it."

"He lectured me for five hours not to buy that house, and I did, so when the bathtub crashed through the floor into the living room, he had to take an hour long timeout so he wouldn't strangle me and be known on online encyclopedias as a daughter-killer, so I'm not sure he enjoys every minute of it."

"Believe me," Renz said, still smiling, "he enjoys every minute of it."

"All right," I said, agreeing.

"How about your mother?" Renz continued questioning me.

"Melinda works as a secretary for a divorce lawyer," I explained.

“Melinda?" he inquired.

"My stepmother."

"What does your mother do?" " Renz persisted.

"Pop," Falcone whispered softly, and Renz's gaze was drawn to his kid.

"She vanished when I was a child," I said quickly, and the Cabrera intensity slammed me again from all sides.

"I'm sorry, Gia, I didn't know," Renz said.

"It's okay, Renz, it was a long time ago," I said as Falcone turned his neck to glance toward the entrance.

I looked up to saw his brow furrow and heard him murmur, "Who now?"

He let me go and proceeded to the door as I took another drink of coffee, smelled bacon, and felt hungry.

Sandro entered the kitchen in a hurry. He gave his grandmother a leg smack and said, "Bacon! ", I chuckled.

There was a bustle at the entrance, and when I turned to look, Melinda was leading and moving quickly with a worried expression on her face. With his long strides and stony features, her father was approaching from behind. They were being followed by a lady who was dressed in jeans, boots, a blousy blouse with silver accents, and a sleek, worn-in leather jacket. She had a half-hippie, half-biker babe appearance that she pulled off, and I liked it so much that I sensed the beginning of a new era. She also appeared to be familiar, although I wasn't sure how.

After turning and tensing up, I set my coffee cup down on the counter.

Now what?

Melinda began, her eyes fixed on me; she didn't even take a quick peek at the Cabreras. "Gigi, honey, she wouldn't -"

“Giabella!

"My God, my God," the woman I didn't know said before sprinting toward me. a passing by! Then, as I paused with my eyes fixed on Melinda, she passed by and put her arms around me. "My baby, almost killed by a gunshot! I swayed from side to side while the woman sobbed.

I began with, "Uh. Do you know me?  Do I know you?”

She jerked away while wrapping her fingers so tightly around my upper arms that I could feel her nails through the fabric of my sweatshirt.

“Do you know who I am?" She mumbled.

Dad started to say, "Gia -," but the woman released me go and spun around on him.

Does she recognize me?

Even Santo and Sandro stopped running and watched when she screamed.

Dad snapped, "Mandy," but as I took a step back, I felt the color leave my cheeks.

“Mandy?" I mumbled, and she whirled back to face me.

“Yes!", she yelled. “Mandy! Mother of yours! ”

God, oh God! Renz was an expert in voodoo. After only one mention, poof! She was there!

As I wavered, my eyes shot to Falcone to see that he was getting closer to me. Fortunately, he reached me and grabbed hold of my chest with his arm as he stood tall behind me, anchoring me to him before I could tip over and collapse.

My mother shouted at Falcone, her eyes narrowed, "You don't have to protect her from me."

"I'll take the boys outdoors," Paz grumbled as he rose from his perch and approached his sons.

But I wasn't looking for it; I only noticed him move because I was staring at my mother.

My Mom.

"Well, this answers that," Mom hissed as she turned to face Melinda. "I assume it you didn't share the letters and images I sent," Falcone charged, and my gaze was drawn to Melinda.

"I-" Melinda began.

"No, I didn't," Dad said as he moved in behind Melinda and wrapped his arm around her waist.

Letters? Photos?

"I should've known when I didn't get anything back," Mom responded, her gaze shifting to Melinda. "Mybaby would not abandon me. Mybaby would respond to me!" ”

"It was my decision, not Mer's, to keep you out of Gia's life, so keep your eyes on me, Mandy," Dad said.

"Oh my God," I said.

Mom's gaze shifted from Dad to me. "You may say that again!" she yelled.

"Do you think you could take a moment to cool down, check whether Gia and Falcone have company, and maybe we can talk about this in private?" " Dad proposed.

“No! No, I don't! " Mom yelled.

"In other words, nothing has changed," Dad cut.

"You're fucked!" Mom jerked back, and my body jerked.

Falcone joined the fight. "Ray asked you to relax. This is my territory, and I'm telling you to respect it."

Mom threw her arm to Falcone. "Do I give a damn?"

Oh my goodness. My long-lost mother had a bad mouth and a death wish.

"Do you see why I tried everything I could to keep this lady out of my daughter's life?"

" Falcone asked aggressively.

"I'm not understanding it," I said quietly.

"Of course not, sweetie," Mom said.

"Then, Gia honey, I saved 'em and I'll give 'em to you," Dad said. "The first letter she wrote, with photographs, was when your Aunt Mildred died and left you fifty thousand pesos. She claims she was helping with starving children in Samar and needed money for food and medication when she was actually working as a bartender in Pasay and needed money to maintain herself in dope."

Pasay? Pasay? My mum was supposed to reside in Cebu City, I thought.

I locked my gaze on Dad.

Great. Simply fantastic. My mother was foul-mouthed, had a death wish, lived thirty miles away, and resembled Isabelle.

Fantastic.

All of this occurred to me in my mind.

"Please tell me this isn't happening," I said aloud as Falcone put his other arm around my ribs.

"Second letter, and honey, there were only two, was after you graduated from high school and I gave you your school fund." "It was flood victims at the time," Dad added, and my gaze moved to my mother as he spoke. "What's the deal now, Mandy? You hear about the drive by at her apartment and want a piece of the insurance settlement, or you hear she hooked up with Falcone and want anything from him? ”

"It's me," Falcone said, and I turned my neck to look up at him, noticing his steady, sorrowful stare on my mother.

"I have no idea who you are," Mom snarled at Falcone.

"Bullshit," Falcone said, and my body jerked once more.

"I've never seen you before," she said.

"You were Pope Bonifacio's old woman until he kicked you out, and you were in his residence three times when I met with him there," Falcone responded.

Mom dipped her chin and shifted her weight to the side.

Falcone's statement was correct.

Oh my goodness. My long-lost mother had a bad temper, a death wish, and was a gold digger!

"That explains why you wouldn't leave Rick's fuckin' living room till we bring you to Gia, red-faced and shoutin' the whole time.  We take you to Gia, we take you to Falcone because you knew," Dad reasoned.

My mother looked at my father, then switched her gaze and blame.

"My daughter was the victim of a drive-by because your daughter is a piece of garbage," she said at Melinda.

Melinda's face turned pale, Dad's face turned crimson, and I went insane.

"Don't you dare," I said quietly, and Mom whirled to face me, and I saw her carefully adjust her expression.

"Baby," she said quietly.

"Did you 'baby' me while you lived in Pasay?" My voice rose on the last two lines, and Falcone's arms tightened, but I leaned forward." "You lived in Pasay and never visited me?" ”

"Your father would not allow it!"  She responded with a yell.

"I don't care! " I yelled back. "You'll move heaven and earth to see your child if you want to see your chld!" You don't send two letters only to keep in touch! You've sent two thousand! ”

"Giabella -" she began.

"I can't believe you," I interrupted. "I can't believe it's been nearly thirty years since I've seen you, and when I do, it's because you know Falcone and know he can buy Jimmy Choos!" ”

She winced after taking a direct strike, but she recovered.

"You almost died yesterday," she said.

"Uh...yeah, I know, I was there," I sarcastically said.

"I'm your mom! I'm concerned! ”

"You weren't concerned when Michael Tebro destroyed my heart in tenth school and I spiraled into misery." Melinda certainly was! And it was then that Melinda informed me about the healing abilities of cookie dough, and let me tell you, it was a valuable lesson to learn because cookie dough can help heal a broken heart. "And, by the way," I said sarcastically, "Melinda taught me a lot of wonderful lessons you weren't available to impart."

"Gia -" Mom interrupted, but I continued.

"And you weren't concerned when Jonas De Leon shattered me to the point that I realized I'd never fall in love again." Melinda had been. When Jonas began jacking me around, I didn't have enough money to hire a professional lawyer, so Melinda got her employer to represent me, and Jonas stopped jacking me around! You were in Pasay, or whatever was close enough for you to be, but you were never there. Melinda certainly was! ”

"Yeah, I'm around and I know some people, I hear things, and I know you're in difficulty because Melinda's kid from hell is causing you trouble," Mom said.

I ripped from Falcone's grasp, taking two rapid leaps forward so swiftly that Mom recoiled.

"You're talking about my sister," I shouted in her face. "And they are family issues, and you... are not...family."

"Gi -" she began.

"Get the hell out!"  I screamed.

"I don't think -"

"You ought to. You started a play for my man's money," I said, slapping my chest with the flat of my palm. "You made the mistake by insulting my sister. You turned my father's cheeks very blood red because of rage. And you upset," I leaned forward, pointing at Melinda, "my Mom! " She reared back again, and I noticed her face turning pale, but she didn't move.

"I told you to go out, and if you don't, I'll send Falcone after you!" " I made a threat.

Her gaze shifted to Falcone, and I felt his badassery close behind me, but I kept my gaze fixed on my mother.

"You know," she said quietly, "I don't see even a tiny little bit of myself in you."

She spoke it as though it were an insult.

"Thank God," I said.

Her jaw tightened, and she tossed her hair, which was, sadly, my hair (but coloured to appear that way today), before turning and marching to the door without looking back.