Tainted Faith

Thirty Four: Trenta Quattro [re-written 16/07/21]

[RE-WRITTEN]

Liliana had avoided speaking to Marcello as best she could once she returned from her visit with Barbato. She didn't know what to say to him, or how she could look him in the eye fearing what she did. She would not tell him about the possible pregnancy, not yet, not until it was confirmed; not while she was still praying that the positive test had been false.

It was hard to avoid him though, when he had been waiting for her, sat off to the side from her cousins in her aunt's lounge with a drink in hand, while her cousins talked amongst themselves. Marcello didn't seem to care that he was not involved in the conversation, and Liliana suspected he preferred it that way. It hardy mattered anyway, not when Marcello's focus was so resolutely fixed on her.

She sat across the room, curled up in an armchair as she responded to her messages from Sophia. She hadn't told Sophia about the possible pregnancy, and wouldn't until she knew for sure and had spoken to Marcello about it first. Besides, this was hardly news to share over the phone, she wanted to talk it through with Sophia in person. There were sure to be many more tears.

"You're quiet, Liliana," Marco called out to her from across the room, effectively silencing his brothers. Liliana first met Federico's scrutinising gaze and wondered if he had told Marco about their encounter earlier today.

Liliana pursed her lips, muttering, "I'm just tired."

If she were to confide in any of her cousins, it would be Marco. As the eldest he was the most reserved, and the one she could trust the most to keep anything she told him to himself. But she didn't know how well he would react to the news, or how he would react to Marcello as a result. Hopefully he would assume their late night conversation was to blame for her exhaustion, and would not pry any further into her strangely withdrawn behaviour.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay? You look pale," Gavino said, frowning. She was thankful for the assumption; it was better they assumed she was ill, that she had indeed eaten something bad yesterday like she had initially thought, that to know how Liliana and Adelina spent their morning. The only problem was that there was an unmissable look of concern on Marcello's face. She wouldn't meet his eye as she answered Gavino.

"I didn't sleep well, and I threw up this morning. It was definitely something I ate at that café," she lied. She tried to smile reassuringly, but it felt forced and truthfully Liliana felt only numbness spreading out throughout her body.

Marcello's placed his glass on the table beside him, the audible sound drawing everyone's attention as he frowned at her. "Do you want to call Dr. Isaac?" he asked quietly, though Liliana had no trouble hearing him in the now silence of the room. Her cousins all watched the interaction between them intently, and she noted that Marco was eyeing Marcello warily.

"I'll be fine," Liliana assured, swallowing back a lump in her throat. "We'll see how I feel tomorrow."

Marcello nodded tersely, lips pursed in disapproval. He didn't seem content with her answer and when he scanned the faced of her cousins to find them all watching him, his expression settled into a scowl. Without excusing himself, Marcello stood and left the room.

"He's quiet," Gavino commented, being the first to break the silence. "Do you two ever even have anything to talk about?" She didn't detect any malice in his tone but supposed Gavino was trying to mock her husband in some way.

"He can be... reserved when it comes to social situations sometimes," Liliana explained, and nodded towards her eldest cousin.  "He's a lot like Marco. He'd rather watch than speak - he won't dominate the conversation unless he has to." That was something Liliana had observed herself countless times: at their wedding, at his relatives party, and when they had been at the bar especially. He usually had little desire to involve himself in the conversation.