“A mistake I will live with for the rest of my life. I’m her mother, Luca. I have rights and you know it.”
His jaw tightened. “Be careful.”
Antonia softened. “We split amicably, and we can do this the same way. I don’t want to fight you.”
All he could think about was fighting her.
The phone in his pocket buzzed. He pulled it out and looked at the screen.
Brooke’s name popped up. He forced the call to voice mail.
He considered the woman in his life. Look at the effort she was putting in for the parent that was absent nearly all of her childhood. Did she despise her mother for keeping her away from her father in her childhood? Is that even what happened? How would Franny feel as an adult if he forced Antonia to go away?
He wiped his hand down his face, scratched at the stubble on his jaw.
“What is your plan, Antonia? Where are you going to live? Do you have a job, or did you invest the money I gave you and don’t need to work, what?”
She blinked several times; her half smile never fell. “I have some provisions. I need a little time to figure the rest out.”
“Time? How much time?”
“You sound so angry, Luca.”
“I am angry. But more, I’m worried for my daughter. She’s learned to live without you. To have you come back into her world just to leave again could scar her for life.”
Antonia recoiled. “I’m not a monster.”
She was to him.
Antonia looked away. “I haven’t been well, Luca.”
He paused. “What do you mean?”
She closed her eyes. “I promised myself I wasn’t going to tell you about this. I don’t want sympathy to rule you here.”
He hated how sincere she sounded. “Tell me.”
“I’ve been ill.”
He hesitated. “What kind of illness?” She didn’t appear sick to him.
“It started with fatigue. The doctors ran blood tests, haven’t completely ruled out cancer, but haven’t found anything definitive yet.”
“You’re tired.”
She narrowed her eyes. “They looked for autoimmune issues, and things I couldn’t even pronounce. I had managed my money well. Better than before I met you.” She smiled briefly as if the statement was a compliment. “But the money dissipated quickly as the medical bills piled up. And then I simply kept having problems. The experience has changed me, Luca. Made me realize that I may not live forever.”
For the first time since he laid eyes on her, he started to feel something other than anger.
Luca looked around the courtyard. “I’ll pay for the hotel for a week.”
She nodded once, then said, “Wouldn’t it be better for me to stay in the upstairs apartment?”
“You can’t. It’s rented. My family wouldn’t want you there anyway.”
“I could change their minds with time.”
He doubted that.
But this was Franny’s mother, and didn’t he owe her something for that? The time she asked for, at the very least.
“A week, Antonia. And you’ll need to figure something else out.”
“And Francesca?”
He scooted his chair back. “I need to speak with my family. Find the best way to do this.” As much as he hated it, he didn’t see a way around it.
“Thank you.”
With a nod, he stood and walked away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Luca paced his mother’s living room with Chloe, Gio, and his mother staring at him. “Antonia is back. She showed up last night, called me from outside the restaurant and wanted to talk.”
“What?” Chloe asked.
“She told me she wants to see Franny.”
His mother cussed in Italian, something she rarely did, and they all looked her way.
“I put her up at a hotel. She wanted to stay here—”
“Absolutely not,” Mari said.
“I know, Mama. I told her that.”
“Does she think she can just walk back in like she’s been gone for the weekend?” Chloe asked.
“Sounded like it to me,” Gio said. He looked at the women. “I overheard Luca and her last night talking.”
Luca knew his family’s reaction would mirror his, but he also needed them to understand the limits of what they could do to keep her away. And should they?
“She’s been sick, apparently,” he told them. Luca looked at Gio. “I went to speak to her today, she told me she hasn’t been well.”
“Sick? What kind of sick?” his mother asked.
“They’re looking at everything from cancer to chronic illnesses. She didn’t offer many details and I didn’t ask. She says it changed her. Made her want to be a mother.”
“Did she look sick?” Chloe asked.
“No,” Gio answered. “Not from what I saw.”
Luca shook his head. “I can’t say she looked bad. But I didn’t try and stare.”
Mari clicked her tongue.
“I know, I’m skeptical, too.”
“Now she wants to be a mama?” Mari asked.
“I don’t believe I’d stand much of a chance at keeping her out of Franny’s life if she truly wants to be a part of it.”
“Oh, Luca,” Chloe said.
“It needs to be on my terms. Supervised. I’ll need all your help with that.”
“Of course, brother.”
“Is she really going to stick around?” Chloe asked.
“I don’t know.”
“What are you going to say to Franny?” his brother asked.
Luca pressed his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose. His head had been pounding since the phone rang the night before. “That her mother wants to see her.”
“Let us know what we can do,” Gio said.
Luca nodded, glanced at his watch. It was time to pick up Franny from school. “I need more time to figure out how I’m going to tell Franny about her mother.”
“I don’t like it,” his mother said with a scowl.
“Neither do I, Mama. Neither do I.”
Brooke sat in her hotel room surrounded by clothes.
Not hers, but the designer’s.
She lifted one of the dresses up and tried to see where in San Diego she’d find a woman wearing it. It was meant for a woman without curves, little waist to show off, almost a pencil-cut length. The fabric didn’t give. It belonged in an office or under a designer coat in cool weather.
Nayla had purposely given Brooke all the clothing meant for slender frames and almost dared her to come up with models and ad ideas that didn’t fit the high-fashion mold of New York.
It was frustrating.
At least Mayson had her back, and they were working together to achieve the vision Brooke had given to Downes.
What Brooke needed was a fresh set of eyes, ones that didn’t see six-foot-three runway models staring down a camera.
She picked up her phone, found Chloe’s number for a video call.
Chloe picked up on the third ring. “This is a surprise.”
Brooke smiled, happy to see a familiar face. “I hope it’s okay. I’m working on a problem I think you might be able to help with. Is now a good time?”
“I have a few minutes before I’m expected downstairs.”