the old furniture that used to be in her house back in Florence before we got married. It was a nice place, just a little closer to the street than I would prefer. But it was near her work and a good school, so it was a nice spot for Andrew.
Sofia shut the door behind me then faced me. “Thank you.”
She had no idea what I was about to put myself through. If she really understood the depth of this torture, she would never ask such a thing. I’d never considered telling her the truth about the gypsy and the curse. It seemed too ridiculous. But sometimes, I wanted to cave…and hope she would believe me.
Just when we were about to take the stairs, Maria appeared in the hallway. Her eyes moved quickly, spotting the bag in my hand and the tense expression on my face. A smile immediately emerged, and she moved toward me with genuine affection in her eyes. She was always kind to me, even a little clingy, so I knew her enthusiasm was real. “Hades, it’s so nice to see you.” She moved into my chest and hugged me, held me the way a mother held a child. There was a tight squeeze, and when she pulled away, that smile was still there. “I hope you’ll be staying with us for a while.”
She’d annoyed me in the past because she smothered me with her attention, but seeing her was actually nice…made me feel less lonely. “I’ll be here until Andrew gets here. Don’t want to miss anything.”
Her eyes softened. “You’re going to be a good father.” She squeezed my arm before she excused herself.
Sofia watched her go before she turned back to me.
I knew we were having a son together, but it hit me hard that we were having a baby. I was about to be a father. I was about to be in charge of a whole other being. It wasn’t just a son, but a boy who would be named after me.
Now, I felt so ashamed that I’d ever taken out the revolver.
What kind of man was I?
Sofia studied my gaze. “Are you okay?”
Not in the least. Just a few weeks ago, I’d considered suicide. But if I didn’t take that way out, what choice did I have? I would be tortured every day until I was lucky enough to leave this earth. I wanted to be there for my son always…but could I?
“Hades?”
My eyes flicked back to hers. “Yeah…just excited for Andrew.”
The last time I was in her bedroom, we were naked and doing what we did best. I hadn’t had the opportunity to appreciate her bedroom, to notice her things in the space. There were paintings on the wall and a couple necklaces on the dresser. I carried my bag inside and put it on the armchair near the window.
Sofia came in behind me. She was in a loose dress with her hair done and her stomach stuck out so far that nothing she wore could hide it. “Are you hungry? I can make you something.”
I’d skipped dinner, but I wasn’t hungry. “You never have to make me anything.” I looked out the window and admired the nighttime view before I turned around and faced her again. “I should be taking care of you.”
Her hand moved over her stomach as her eyes softened. “This is the man that I miss…”
Things had been heated between us. Resentment bottled into rage. I never truly forgave her for leaving me, even though it was the right thing to do. I probably would’ve continued to be angry with her…until she put her lips on mine and forced me to buckle. “Don’t expect me to be this way all the time.”
“Why not?”
Because I was a bitter, angry, and sad man. “Because things change.”
She held my gaze for a long time, the frustration slowly coming to the surface. Her hand slid from her belly and returned to her side. “Some things never change.”
I didn’t want to warn her of the things to come. This was the last time we would be together like this. Once Andrew was here, we would move on with our lives. We would drift apart. She’d fall in love with someone else…and I’d spend my nights with women I would quickly forget. This was the last time I would feel truly alive, the last time I’d want to be alive. I appreciated her faith in me, but it was misplaced. “I’m gonna get in