Fire in Her Veins
I froze.
My fingers, still intertwined with Alessandro’s, tightened.
“The baby? What baby?”
A heavy silence fell. Even the cicadas seemed to stop.
I saw Lorenzo’s gaze darken, Matteo’s blur slightly.
But it was Alessandro who spoke.
His voice was low. Trembling, almost.
“You were pregnant. About four months. The doctor told me after the surgery. They… they couldn’t save it.”
I didn’t move. Not right away. My heart started pounding harder. A pressure in my chest, my throat, my temples.
Then I blinked.
And I breathed out.
“Oh…”
I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I stood up.
I took two steps across the terrace, facing the sea. Drew a long drag from my cigarette.
Then crushed it out.
I turned back.
“Alright.”
Three pairs of disbelieving eyes stared at me.
“It was fate. It wasn’t the time. He or she passed through me. But… it wasn’t meant to stay. It’s hard, I know. It’s even horrible. But it’s done.”
Alessandro jumped to his feet, shaken.
“Hope… you can cry. Scream. You don’t have to—”
I stepped closer to him and cupped his face in my hands.
“No. I could. But I choose not to. Because if I do, I’ll collapse. And I need to be strong. For me. For you. For us.”
I kissed him.
“We’ll have others. When it’s time. When I’m ready. When we’re ready. And they’ll live. They’ll be free. And protected.”
I turned to Lorenzo and Matteo.
“We don’t look back, boys. We move forward. All four of us.”
And there, in the soft Sicilian morning, with the scent of coffee and salt in the air, I saw raw admiration in their eyes.
Not because I was me.
But because despite everything, I was still standing.
I could feel their eyes on my back before I even set foot inside the villa.
One second. Two.
No one spoke. Not a breath. Not a sound.
They were looking at me like I was a mirage, a glass bubble that needed protecting.
I rolled my eyes internally.
Then I stopped in the entryway, turned to them with a mischievous smile.
“Guys… I’m just gonna pee.”
(Dramatic pause.)
“I’ve had trouble holding my bladder since the coma thing. There. Mystery solved.”
Silence.
Then a laugh. Another. Matteo cracked, Lorenzo followed, Alessandro looked away with a smile.
I nodded seriously.
“I’m not kidding. You should see the state of my medical logbook.”
And I disappeared into the bathroom, thrilled to have shattered the tension.
As soon as the door closed behind her, I turned to Lorenzo and Matteo.
“Tonight. I want it to be tonight.”
They froze.
“The proposal?” Lorenzo asked.
I nodded sharply.
“And the wedding in a week. Not a day more. We’ve waited long enough. And I refuse to waste another second hesitating.”
Matteo exchanged a glance with Lorenzo, surprised but already calculating.
“We can do it,” Matteo said. “We’ve got the contacts. The venue. We just need her size.”
“That’s where you come in, Lorenzo. Take her to town now. First, a dress for tonight. Elegant, but not bridal. You know her style. And in a few days, a white dress. But keep it a surprise.”
Lorenzo nodded, already typing on his phone.
“She’s going to suspect something…”
“That’s why I’ll keep her busy a moment.”
The bathroom door opened. She came out with a sigh of relief and a wink at Matteo, who handed her a glass of water like she’d just returned from hell.
I approached her gently.
“Hey. Before you go with Lorenzo… can you come for a second?”
She raised a brow, curious, but followed.
I led her to a quieter corner of the house, a hallway bathed in golden light.
There, I stopped. And pulled her into my arms.
No words. Just that.
A simple, complete, essential hug.
She stiffened at first. Then melted against me.
“It’s okay,” I murmured against her temple.
“I think so,” she whispered. “It’s just… all of this is insane. I feel alive. Finally. Whole.”
I held her tighter. My heart pounding.
“I want you to be happy, Hope. To enjoy every moment. To stop questioning everything.”
She looked up at me, curious.
“You’re hiding something?”
“No. Just… let yourself go today, okay? Lorenzo’s already waiting like a kid at Christmas.”
She laughed, shaking her head.
“You know I hate being rushed without an explanation.”
I leaned in and kissed her gently, just once.
“For once, trust me. Tonight, I want to see you shine.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“That’s suspicious, Romano.”
And she left. Laughing.
Without knowing that tonight… she’d become my fiancée.
I hadn’t been into the city since… before. Before the coma. Before Dario. Before the bullets, the blood, the escape.
And now I was in a car. Next to Lorenzo.
Windows down, sunglasses on, cap pulled low. And that strange feeling of lightness I hadn’t felt in months.
“So? You gonna tell me why you’re smiling like an idiot?” he said, glancing my way.
I shrugged.
“I’m just happy.”
“That’s suspicious,” he replied, mock serious.
I laughed. Hard. And damn, it felt good.
We reached the center of Palermo. It was lively, bright, alive. Like my heartbeat.
Lorenzo led me into a small, chic, discreet boutique where he promised I’d find the perfect dress.
And he was right.