promising he would replace on one of his weekends off. His parents needed so much done to the house. A stab of guilt hit him. The duplex smelled of his mom’s wonderful veal Marsala. Likely now tucked away neatly into the refrigerator. “You should be in bed, Mom.”
She tossed up her arms. “I worry.”
“I’m a police officer. I think I got this down.
“No, You know what I do worry. Don’t ignore me.”
It was coming. The same talk they had on a monthly basis. “I do know why you worry, but this is my job. This is what I do. This is how I make a living for me and the kid, and help you guys out, too. I don’t want to talk about it again. Not tonight. I’m tired.”
“I’m going to say it one time and that is all. Luke, he got one parent. One. He loses you, he got none. That’s it. Then when your papa and I gone, he got no one. Orphan. Is that what you want?”
Tony sighed and walked to the fridge, where he grabbed a beer. He needed to get Luke upstairs and into his own bed. Tony would make himself a sandwich later and insist his mom go to bed. There was so much irony here, but he didn’t want to ponder it. He’d moved his family into the upstairs of his parents’ duplex to help them out. His father, in particular, was showing signs of aging. Now Tony’s wife was gone, and he was the one getting help from his mother. She mothered Luke as best she could, but a grandmother was not a replacement.
“I’m gonna say one more thing.”
Of course she was. Tony took a slug of beer and tried not to roll his eyes. “I know what you’re going to say.”
“And you know I’m right. That baby in there needs a mama.”
He walked over to her, gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I love you, and I love that you worry and care so much. Luke and I are fine. We are good. If you need help, I will hire some.”
She slammed her hands onto her wide hips. “I don’t need no help! That is not what I am saying, Antonio.”
Oops. He had pissed her off. She’d used his full name.
“It’s time for bed, Mom.” He gave her his most charming smile.
“Leave Luke here.He’s asleep. You gonna be tired tomorrow morning, and I know you, you gonna work late again. I will take him to school.”
“I love you.”
She waved a hand at him, and he started down the hall. “Now don’t you go in there, Tony, and wake him up.”
“Aw, Mom, I just want to see him before I go upstairs.”
She sighed and gave up the fight, and instead went over to his dad’s chair. She nudged him gently and told the old man to wake up and get into bed. Tony headed down the hall, into the small guest room they’d turned into a room for his little boy. He looked down at Luke. He was beautiful, like his mother had been—so much like her. His hand grazed Luke’s face, causing him to stir slightly.
Tony stayed with him for a few moments, even considered lying next to him, he was so tired. But he knew if he did, neither of them would get a good night’s rest. So Tony reluctantly left his son sleeping.
He locked the front door behind him and started upstairs to his place. His phone rang. For a split second he thought about not answering. At this hour, it could not be good.
“Pazzini.”
He was surprised. It was Dr. Kelly Morales. And she sounded scared.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Night two without Jeanine and the girls had passed. It was a little after six a.m. when Ryan made another frantic phone call begging her to come home. He was still staying in their home, going to work, doing everything as if all that had occurred in his life was the departure of his wife and kids. But he was biding his time, and he knew the clock was ticking faster. “If you don’t call me back, I will be forced to call the police, Jeanine. We have to talk. You can’t just take the girls and go like this. Please call me. I love you and I’m sorry. I have to go to work soon. You can call me any time, but please do.” He hung up the phone, and wiped away real
She tossed up her arms. “I worry.”
“I’m a police officer. I think I got this down.
“No, You know what I do worry. Don’t ignore me.”
It was coming. The same talk they had on a monthly basis. “I do know why you worry, but this is my job. This is what I do. This is how I make a living for me and the kid, and help you guys out, too. I don’t want to talk about it again. Not tonight. I’m tired.”
“I’m going to say it one time and that is all. Luke, he got one parent. One. He loses you, he got none. That’s it. Then when your papa and I gone, he got no one. Orphan. Is that what you want?”
Tony sighed and walked to the fridge, where he grabbed a beer. He needed to get Luke upstairs and into his own bed. Tony would make himself a sandwich later and insist his mom go to bed. There was so much irony here, but he didn’t want to ponder it. He’d moved his family into the upstairs of his parents’ duplex to help them out. His father, in particular, was showing signs of aging. Now Tony’s wife was gone, and he was the one getting help from his mother. She mothered Luke as best she could, but a grandmother was not a replacement.
“I’m gonna say one more thing.”
Of course she was. Tony took a slug of beer and tried not to roll his eyes. “I know what you’re going to say.”
“And you know I’m right. That baby in there needs a mama.”
He walked over to her, gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I love you, and I love that you worry and care so much. Luke and I are fine. We are good. If you need help, I will hire some.”
She slammed her hands onto her wide hips. “I don’t need no help! That is not what I am saying, Antonio.”
Oops. He had pissed her off. She’d used his full name.
“It’s time for bed, Mom.” He gave her his most charming smile.
“Leave Luke here.He’s asleep. You gonna be tired tomorrow morning, and I know you, you gonna work late again. I will take him to school.”
“I love you.”
She waved a hand at him, and he started down the hall. “Now don’t you go in there, Tony, and wake him up.”
“Aw, Mom, I just want to see him before I go upstairs.”
She sighed and gave up the fight, and instead went over to his dad’s chair. She nudged him gently and told the old man to wake up and get into bed. Tony headed down the hall, into the small guest room they’d turned into a room for his little boy. He looked down at Luke. He was beautiful, like his mother had been—so much like her. His hand grazed Luke’s face, causing him to stir slightly.
Tony stayed with him for a few moments, even considered lying next to him, he was so tired. But he knew if he did, neither of them would get a good night’s rest. So Tony reluctantly left his son sleeping.
He locked the front door behind him and started upstairs to his place. His phone rang. For a split second he thought about not answering. At this hour, it could not be good.
“Pazzini.”
He was surprised. It was Dr. Kelly Morales. And she sounded scared.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Night two without Jeanine and the girls had passed. It was a little after six a.m. when Ryan made another frantic phone call begging her to come home. He was still staying in their home, going to work, doing everything as if all that had occurred in his life was the departure of his wife and kids. But he was biding his time, and he knew the clock was ticking faster. “If you don’t call me back, I will be forced to call the police, Jeanine. We have to talk. You can’t just take the girls and go like this. Please call me. I love you and I’m sorry. I have to go to work soon. You can call me any time, but please do.” He hung up the phone, and wiped away real
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