Saved in Darkness

Chapter 14

Song above for the chapter: "A Little Bit Yours"--JP Saxe

ELENORA

It feels nostalgic and overwhelming being home in my father's study. He steeples his hands in front of his chin, with his thick eyebrows furrowing as he contemplates. "And you really think that will work?"

"Considering it's the only leverage she has, yes. Unless you know of anything else that she could use against you?" Domani asks my father.

He ponders Domani's question longer than necessary and glances at my mom but shakes his head. "No, nothing, comes to mind."

"Then if you're on board I'll get everything ready to go out as soon as tomorrow." Domani stands and shakes my father's and kisses mother's hands.

"I'm going to go with Domani to see Rico," I inform my parents.

"Does he know you're here?" My mom asks me.

I shake my head. "No, but he has to know the truth about the baby, even if he ends up hating me more than he probably already does."

"Sometimes pain comes across as anger and even hate, piccola, but it's good to get everything out in the open." My mom gives me a tight embrace. (little one)

My father cups my face. "Will you be coming home to have the baby? You're not that far from your due date, five weeks left, right?"

"That's right, five weeks. When I head back I'll pack a few more things to bring while I have the baby here."

"Why not move back, figlia mia?" My mother holds my hand in both of hers. "You're going to tell Rico and we're not going to let Rosetta threaten us any longer, please come back." Her eyes shine with tears. (my daughter)

I glance at Domani and Clara, and they both give me an encouraging nod. "I...I suppose I could." Feeling somewhat hesitant because of the very real possibility that Rico won't want anything to do with me.

Sal was very understanding when I asked for time off, but not knowing how Rico would react to seeing me, I told him I'd only be gone a few days; guilt weighs over me realizing I'll be leaving him even more short-staffed than he already is.

"You know you always have a home with me, girl." Clara offers and I smile back at her.

My mother exclaims happily while also sobbing as she pulls me into another hug. My father smiles as he watches us and then he also joins in the hug. "It's good to have you home, tesoro mio." (my darling)

We continue talking as we walk into the kitchen and my sisters once again start bombarding me with anything and everything about the baby and how they want to throw me a shower and ask who I'm going to pick as the baby's godmother, to which Clara responds. "Duh, that's a no brainer."

"What? You can't even keep the plants in your house alive! You wouldn't know the first thing about taking care of a baby," Jackie jokes, even though we all know she's half serious. It's a running joke that Clara can't keep anything alive from plants to goldfish.

"And you can't cook," Luna chimes in.

"Wow, you guys really know how to make a person feel good about themselves," Clara says grumpily.

"I love finding out all these interesting things about you, Clara," Domani chuckles amused as he wraps an arm around her.

"Well, if you guys actually spent time talking instead of..." Luna makes a squeaking sound as she makes a circle with one hand, inserting a finger from her other hand inside the hole repeatedly. "You'd learn a lot about each other."