she’d been doing since the attack, where she turned her head and looked at him as if she were surprised he was there. Then she shook her head.
He had no idea what to do with that non-answer, but she was shaking like it took all her energy to stay on her feet, so he used a little more force and got her moving back to the seats they’d had before.
When they sat, she settled against him and was so still he thought she might have fallen asleep.
After a few minutes, one of the women sitting with Donna Pagano—Alex had been introduced earlier, and he was pretty sure she was an aunt, but he didn’t remember her name—stood and came over to them. She was tall, with long hair that had once been dark but was now mostly grey. Like everyone, she looked profoundly tired, sad, and worried.
“Your mom wants you, Lia,” she said. She held out her hand.
Lia shook her head—her only answer.
“Lia, please. Family needs to be together right now more than ever.” The woman’s eyes flicked to Alex, and she nodded brusquely, but in a way he thought was meant to include him. Maybe.
Lia’s chest swelled with a swallowed sob, and Alex felt her shudder before she turned more tightly into his hold, but she still didn’t answer.
“I’ve got her, ma’am,” Alex said. Her narrowed eyes suggested that she wasn’t remotely satisfied, but she nodded again and went back the way she’d come.
Not knowing anything better to do, Alex settled in to hold Lia and simply be here. He tried to make his mind stop spinning, but it wouldn’t. That scene played in a loop—walking out of the house with Lia under his arm. Everyone laughing and chatting, on their way to Christmas Vigil. Being included in the group of Don Pagano’s family. The bright lights of all the headlights as drivers started the vehicles.
And then the shatter of glass. Not an explosion, just a sudden burst, like a drinking glass dropped. Then Mel yelled, and Alex didn’t think again for long minutes. He grabbed Lia and threw her down, dropped on top of her, and time stopped. He heard everything but made sense of nothing. Until it was over, and three people lay motionless and bleeding in front of Don Pagano’s home.
His phone buzzed, and Alex clawed himself to the edge of his spinning mind and pulled it from his pocket. His mom. She’d called him already once, while he was on the way to the hospital with Lia. She’d been at Christ the King for the Mass and, like everyone else there, had noticed the very large empty space in the pews, both sides, where the Paganos normally sat. Their absence had actually disrupted the service; even Father Brennan had been worried.
“Hi, Ma,” he answered softly. Lia wasn’t sleeping, but he still didn’t want to disturb her.
“Honey, I’m so worried. Is this another thing like that summer? Is the whole town in danger?”
“No, I don’t think so. It’s over for now.”
“For now.” His mother laughed, and it became as sob. “Alex, what are you doing?”
“I’m staying with Lia, I told you. I’m safe, though, and I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
“That’s not what I mean. What are you doing with your life? This is not what I want for you. Or me, either. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering if you’ve been shot—or worse—every time you’re late.”
That was absolutely not a conversation he could or would have while sitting in the waiting room at St. Gabriel’s with Lia grieving in his arms.
“Ma …”
“I know. But I’ve got some things I need to say, son of mine, and you’ve got some things you need to hear.”
“We’ll talk, Ma. Promise.”
“Hmpf. Will I see you at all tomorrow—today, I mean? It’s Christmas, Alex.”
Before he could formulate an answer that wasn’t a promise but would be good enough to get the call ended, Don Pagano walked slowly down the corridor, into the waiting room. He scanned the room, saw the circle around his wife and younger children, scanned more, found Lia. His eyes settled there, and Lia sat up.
“Alex?” his mother asked sharply in his ear.
“I’ve gotta go, Ma. I’ll be home as soon as I can, I swear. Buon Natale.” He ended the call before she replied.
As the don came deeper into the waiting room and people noticed, several headed his way, including Donnie and Angie. But Nick continued toward Lia.