The Dancer and the Don | ✔️

Chapter 28

TWO updates in one night? I hate making the end of the book go by so fast, but I'm also so eager to see it finished. I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter, even though it isn't my favorite writing.

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Francesca felt like she was losing her mind slowly and painfully.

Gabriella was two months old now, but lately she wasn't sleeping through the night at all. She was awake all day and she was awake all night. There wasn't a single thing that would make her stop crying, Francesca had tried everything except sitting on the couch and crying about it.

Scratch that, she was trying that now.

Gabriella was wailing in her little rolling cot next to the couch Fran was sitting on. Maran quietly walked into the room and stood behind the couch.

"Are you sure you don't want me to—"

"No, Maran. If you can't take the screaming, wait outside. I'll figure it out," Fran shouted over her baby's cries. She felt so guilty she really felt like the worst mother in the world because she couldn't help her child.

Fran picked Gabriella up and started bouncing her around the room like she'd been doing for the past three hours. It was two o'clock in the morning and this at least quieted her cries a little.

"Mrs.Romano? Boss is on the phone for you," Maran said. He winced at Francesca's glare and walked away as soon as she took the phone from his hands.

"Fran? What's wrong? Why is Gabriella crying?"

"I don't know," she sobbed into the phone, holding it between her head and her shoulder.

"Hey, hey, it's alright," he soothed, "Have you tried feeding her? Changing her?"

"I've tried everything, Tony, I don't know what else to do."

"What about Maran or Nathan trying to hold her? It could give you a break."

"I can't," she sniffled, "I don't want her to think they're you."

"What? That doesn't make any sense," he said. She laid Gabriella back in her cot but picked her back up quickly when her shrieks got louder. More guilt filled her when Nathan came tiredly stumbling down the stairs.

"I don't want her to think they're her father," she whispered, not wanting the two unbelievably nice men in the kitchen to hear her admission.

"Fran, babe, I promise you that won't happen. I promise you. Let one of them hold her, alright? Stay on the phone," he suggested. She sniffled and slowly walked into the kitchen and gave both men an embarrassed smile.

All she had to do was hold Gabriella out a bit and Maran was there in a second to scoop her daughter out of her hands. Her cries slowly quieted down to little whimpers as he shushed her and bounced her around.

Francesca's mouth dropped open and Nathan gave Maran a small smile.

"Will—will you sit in her nursery with her?" The bags under Francesca's eyes were speaking more than her words were. Maran didn't even hesitate before nodding his head quickly.

"Of course I wouldn't mind, Mrs. Romano," he answered.

"Go to bed, Fran, and call me in the morning. Alright?" Tony's voice filtered through the air and Fran found herself nodding automatically.

She curled into the warmth of her bed as her husband said goodnight before hanging up. It wasn't hard to fall asleep at all.

It felt like she'd only slept for two hours, but when she woke up it was past lunchtime. The entire house smelled like food and she was greeted by the sight of Nathan cooking grilled cheese when she went downstairs.