Honoured with love

Chapter 03

Sixteen years of age...

Thirteen weeks later...

Celeste rang me up and was crying over the phone asking me to meet her at our special spot down by

the lake. I got here twenty minutes early not wanting my love to show up and have to wait for my arrival

when she is already feeling down and out. I pace the path covered in leaves anticipating what the

cause is for her sudden outburst of cries. When I see the girl I love hurt it drives me wild wanting to

cause bodily harm to some unlucky Bastardo.

"GIO!" She calls out running into my open arms.

"Baby, what's the matter?" I hold her tight breathing in her sun-kissed hair.

" I'm sorry., I'm so sorry." Tears were streaming down her beautiful face.

"Va bene baby- It's okay baby." I try to soothe her.

" I got sick from the mussel chowder and I didn't know... I didn't know." She breaks down.

"Baby, What are you trying to tell me. I don't understand." I feel hopeless not knowing what she is

talking about.

She reaches into her pocket and produces a folded piece of paper. I take it from her trembling fingers

and open it. Shock slams into me like a tidal wave and I stumble back.

Fancùlo - Fuck

She's pregnant!

I look at her through hooded eyes.

What am I to say to her?

How do I react?

I pull her in and kiss the top of her head.

"We will grow to love our baby." I finally say to her.

Because it is the truth.

"How Gio? We are only kids ourselves. I didn't know, me being sick would stop the birth control from

working." She looks at me through her tears.

"Ssshhh... We got this baby. We got this." Fear strikes me across the chest.

I can go to jail for statutory rape, leaving my new family behind is out of the question. I need to tell my

parents. I need to man up and take responsibility for my actions. No matter the price.

********

We're sitting at the dinner table finishing our meals. I look at my mama then at papa. Sweat beads my

head and my nerves are a wreck.

I take a deep breath.

"Mama, Papa," I announce keeping my voice as firm as I can. "We need to talk." My eyes switch

between them.

"Gio, Is everything okay?" Mama asks.

"There's no easy way to say it and I'm not gonna sugar coat it."

I take another deep breath.

"You're going to be grandparents," I announce.

My mama drops her silver utensils against her plate making a loud clinking sound.

My papa stared daggers at me and Luca sat there laughing like a Hyena.

Lil turds gonna cry in his dreams tonight.

I thought to myself.

"Giovanni Alberto Venturi." My father bellowed trying his best to keep himself plastered to his seat.

"This better be a joke." His lips thinned.

"I'm sorry." I bowed my head in shame.

"Gio baby, what have you done?" Mama cried shaking her head full of curls.

"He was thinking with the wrong damn head! That is what your Gio was doing." My father said looking

at me with disappointment.

"I love her and we will raise our child together," I said with determination.

"You're damn right you will boy. Us Venturi men don't turn our backs on our women and children." He

declared.

"I know papa."

"We will go to her family tomorrow night and ask for her hand. No grandchild of mine will be born

without bearing my name."

"It doesn't work like that here papa." I sigh.

"I don't care if we lived on Mars and you got an alien pregnant, we would still go and ask for HER

hand."

He pushed back in his chair, the legs scraping along the floor. He stood placing his hands on the table

and glared at me.

"This is what happens when kids try to play grown-ups. They fuck up and fuck everything up along the

way."

He banged his hand against the table, we all jumped with fright. He continued to stare at me for a

couple of breaths before he spun around and left the kitchen.

I looked at mama and tears were running down the sides of her cheeks. I hated that I was the cause of

her tears.

"Mama, you have to stop him." I pleaded.

"Why Gio? Your papas right, where is your honour?" She uses her white napkin to pat dry the corner of

her eyes.

"Celeste Maddison is why mama," I mumble

"Gio! You know what her parents will do." She exclaimed.

"I do mama, I do." I look at Luca who is surprisingly quiet.

"So... I'll be an uncle?" He asks proudly.

"Si, you will. We will have a baby to take care of, you and me fratello-brother." I smile at him knowing

deep down he'll be a great uncle.

"So... Does that mean Vanessa will be my sister?" He looks disappointed. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

I chuckle. "Si, no more googling at Nessa. She is off-limits."

"I don't google at her Gio!" He abruptly stands and leaves the table muttering how many ways he's

going to murder me in my sleep.

Me too fratello, me too. I snicker in my head.

"Gio," Mama says sternly getting my attention. "This is serious. Why didn't you use protection?"

"She was on the pill. But she fell sick and she didn't know the pill would no longer work." My heart

aches for my love, knowing how upset she'd be right now. How alone she must feel.

"Do they not teach this in health class!" She says massaging her temples.

"I guess not," I say getting up from the table.

I walk into the kitchen and open the top cupboard pulling out a small bottle. I open the lid and take two

small white pills out. Putting the lid back on and replacing it in the cupboard I walk back towards my

mother and hand them to her. She takes them and graces me with a faint smile filled with gratitude. I fill

her glass up with the jug of cool water that sits on the table. She slips the pills into her mouth and

swallows them with her water. I sit down next to her and take her hand in mine.

"I know I'm only sixteen mama and I stuffed up big time. But I promise you I will make you proud, I want

to be a good father to my baby. I just need your help to make it possible, if not for me then for your

nipote-grandchild." My eyes fill with tears.

I do not know what my future entails and it scares the crap out of me. I could still end up in jail for all I

know. I wouldn't be surprised by Mrs Maddison. If given the opportunity she would put me on a plane

with a one-way ticket back home to Italy. I know she never liked me, now she will have a reason to

loathe me forever.

"I will talk to your papa Gio. You know he will come around eventually." She pats my hand, kisses me

on the head and gets up from the table leaving the room.

I clear the table and minutes later I can hear my father yelling and cursing me out in Italian. I flinch

when I hear their bedroom door jerk open and slamming shut. My mother walks into the kitchen looking

at me with a smile on her face and raises her thumbs before she winks at me and walks away.

My mama knows how to get what she wants when she wants from my papa. It's the kind of marriage I'll

strive to have with my darling Celeste when the time is right. I finish clearing the table and I go to my

room with the hopes of getting a good nights sleep so I can figure out my next move.

I'm going to be a papa. I think to myself.

If the Gods could grant me one wish, I'd wish to be blessed with a daughter as beautiful and smart as

her mama. My heart will be full and complacent forever and always. I close my eyes and fall asleep

with a smile on my face.