🤔

We all stood still as Reno and Shay pulled on the piñata. Blue candy fell all over the grass and we all screamed. They're having a baby boy! For someone who is 7 months pregnant, she really doesn't look it. You'd think that she's only four or five months pregnant. She decided to mix a revealing party with her baby shower, to kill two birds with one stone.

Reno couldn't stop smiling and hugging Shay. All of this excitement and love floating around is making me nauseous. I looked around at the close people from the mob with a smile. Every once in a while, they'd check on me to see if I'm alright and I am. Rico is doing good with school and behaving at home, my jobs are rewarding, my friends are the best. I'm good.

I went to sit down by the sliding door that leads into the house. At least I can feel the a/c over here, even if it's just a little bit of the air. It feels so good! As I went to sit down a familiar sent made me stop. I felt hands on my back lifting me back up and my heart stopped.

Everyone stopped talking and stared at me, and the man I refuse to look at, as if they're seeing a ghost. I'm scared of who I think it may be. "Congratulations on your baby boy," The deep Italian accent flowed into my ear like a song.

"Alessandro!" Shay exclaimed and began running towards us. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and my knees got weak. "Oh my God! Grace!"

Everything felt fake. This can't be real. This is a dream right? My body didn't make it to the ground because he caught me. He flipped me around to look at him and as soon as my eyes met his deep brown ones, I tensed up. His face full of worry, he began looking around at everyone then the frown lines left his face.

"Are you okay?" He asked me but I didn't answer. I didn't want to answer. I couldn't answer.

"She's fine," Shay told Dro. She gave me a look but I ignored it. I know what she's trying to say and I'm ignoring it. He wasn't there. Therefore, I don't owe him shit. I'm not going to do what she's telling me to do.

"Good to have you back, boss," Reno clapped Dro on the shoulder. By now, everyone went back to eating, talking and dancing. The attention was now off of us and to the party. They began speaking in Italian as if this is a normal day. I snatched his hands off of me and ran to the bathroom to throw up.

All the hotdogs I ate came right back up in their toilet. All this throwing up is starting to get very annoying and the pills I take aren't even helping. I flushed the toilet and washed my hands then rinsed out my mouth. Throughout all of this he's standing at the doorway with his arms crossed.

"What do you want?" I weakly asked. This staring game of his is getting annoying.

"Lightheaded and now throwing up? What's-"

"I'm pregnant," I told him. Yeah, he left me alone and I'm pregnant. No one to share this excitement with, no one to help me when I was throwing up, no one to rub my feet after working two jobs and dealing with a growing belly.

"No you're not," He sighed and I slanted my eyes at him. "I would've known,"

"What the hell do you mean you would've known? You keep tabs on me?" I crossed my arms at him.

"Yes, I fucking do. You've never been to the doctor," He stepped closer to me.

"Yes I have," I rolled me eyes. "Whoever you had following me probably didn't do a good job," I tried walking away but his tall ass stood in my way.

"You're really pregnant?" He asked slowly and I slowly nodded. A smile creeped onto his face and that little dimple that I love popped out. "You're having my baby?" His smile is shining this whole bathroom up.

"Yes," I blandly said. I tried again to leave the bathroom but he wouldn't move. "Stop with the excitement because I'm not going to give into it. When I found out I didn't have you there to share it with! No way to contact you or anything! Do you know how bad it was for me when you just up and left?! Without a warning? I was hurting, Alessandro," He didn't want to look me in my eyes now.

"Every single night, I couldn't sleep. My mind was too worried about you and your safety. Up wondering if all you did for me was just a game for you to get over losing-"

"Stop!" He raised his voice at me. By now tears are freely flowing down my face and I feel like there's a lump in my throat. "You don't think that I genuinely love you?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "If you love someone you don't just up and leave,"

"I left because I love you and Rico so much, if anything happened to you guys," He didn't finish saying what he was saying. "I had to take care of something before I could come back,"

"Did you?" I asked with an attitude.

"No. I couldn't keep myself away from you, I love you Grace. Whether you want to believe it or not," Now he's directly in front of me and his cologne is drawing me into him. His body energy the same it's always been. Warm.

"Prove it to me first," I told him then tried to leave once again. "Can I please go?"

"After this," He said. His big hands gently touched my stomach. I'm guessing he can feel my little bump because he chuckled. "Do you know the sex?"

"I find out tomorrow," I said.

"But then we couldn't have a fun revealing party like this," He smiled.

"Alessandro, there's no we," I scoffed. "Hasn't been for almost five months. It's going to take more than just a smile and a rub of my belly to win back my trust and my respect,"

The smile is no longer on his face. It's replaced by a sad frown, as if I just told him that his dog died. He nodded then pulled me into him. "Can I come with you?"

"No need to ask, it's your kid too. Either way, invited or uninvited, you'd show up," I mumbled into him. In heels I'm always at his chest, this man is tall as hell. I hope this baby doesn't get his tall genes at birth, and kill me.

"You still love me though right?" He asked and I nodded. "Thank you," He kissed my temple then let me go. He went in the direction of the party, leaving me in the bathroom alone.

"Jesus," I sighed. I headed back to the party too, so we can open gifts.

*

*

*

"Boss," The doctor said. "Nice to have you back,". This is why Dro doesn't know I'm pregnant. I haven't gone to an outside doctor, I've only been to the mobs doctor because I trust him the most. Dro nodded but focused on the screen.

"He's never heard the beat," I smiled at Dr. Velez. He turned up the sound of the baby's heartbeat and Dro's face turned red.

"That's the baby's?" He asked in awe. Watching his reaction warmed my heart. I can't help the gigantic smile on my face.

"What do you want it to be?" I asked him and he chuckled.

"I actually want a girl," A lot of men wish for sons, but I guess not him. "What do you want?"

"A girl. I already have my boy," I smiled at him.

"Looks like you both got what you wanted," Dr. Velez said and analyzed the screen. "Definitely a baby girl,"

There's names to be picked, clothes to buy, decorate her room. I'm ready for all that. With Rico, I didn't get to do that 100% because I didn't have the money I'm making now. But I'm making up for lost times with him. Now, I'm going to have a mini me around. Personally, I don't think that I'm ready but at the same time I think that I am. Rico wasn't a hand full for me because he was always so calm.

When he was born, he never cried or nothing. Even now, he's a calm child who doesn't act out. The only time I stressed with Rico is when Andre became abusive and when he left to Jamaica. Those were the hardest times.

"Congratulations," Dr. Velez smiled at us. Dro held my hand and I wanted to snatch it back but I didn't because it felt good. It felt like five months ago when we were riding in the car to pick up Rico up from school and it was just peace and serenity.

"I know I'm not forgiven," Dro said and the doctor excused himself. "But I just want us to go back to normal,"

I snatched my hand from his. "Why'd you leave?"

"I guess I owe it to you," He made a face then sighed. "You know how this goes, with this whole "mob". Death comes with,"

I stayed silent. "Someone wanted our territory and tried to kill my grandfather for it but failed. In response, I killed him. That day when the car caught on fire? It was my fault that you got stuck in that burning car, that's why I avoided you after that. His wife tried to kill me but again, failed. Instead I killed her,"

He looked at me then continued. "Now their little orphan of a child is trying to avenge their death. Five months ago he had surveillance of your house then threatened you and Rico's life. He really did scare me with that. Deena was enough for me, I couldn't deal with the possibility that both of you guys would be gone too. So I left. I didn't want to tell you because he had everything tapped,"

"So you just left us with no protection? We could've died! Why do you think leaving would make him not want to come after us?" I asked him with a 'wtf' look on my face.

"Trust me, you're more protected than the Queen of England," He rubbed his temple. "I'm here because I couldn't stay away from you any longer and I miss you,"

I ignored his sentimental bullshit. "He probably knows you're back by now,"

"I give him another 48 hours of air. Trust me, he's being handled. Everyone in that pathetic "mob" he has are being-"

"I don't want to hear. As long as we're safe," I sighed. He should've just stayed wherever the fuck he was because now I'm even more stressed about my son and unborn daughters safety, even more than I was.