Song above for chapter: "Certain Things"--James Arthur

ELENORA

The week has been a blur.

I spent the first week driving all over the state hoping to lose whatever trail I may have left and even crossed the Canadian border at one point and used an ATM, pulling the rest of my money. I figure if I'm being followed they'll think I ended somewhere up there.

But I'm still in New York. Long Island, to be exact.

After being incognito for seven months why not try hiding in plain sight? Knowing my father he's probably hired a few private detectives. I'm still dealing with the anger for not being told the truth, so I've held off on calling them for the time being.

"How do you want your eggs, mama?" Adrian asks me from the kitchen in his modernized, splanch-style home.

"Scrambled." I sip the small cup of coffee I allow myself in the mornings. The baby seems to like it too with all the movements he's doing. It's like he's doing somersaults in there. I've been having Braxton Hicks more and more recently.

However, last night each time they came, my stomach would tighten, and it's still happening this morning. I breathe in deeply and exhale as the pain radiates from my belly and travels to my lower back.

I scan the great view of the backyard, sitting on the back deck as Adrian walks out with two plates out, setting mine down in front of me.

"Wow, this looks amazing!" My eyes roam over the plate of potato hash with bacon and scrambled eggs.

"Wait till you try my pancakes, girl!" He dashes back in the house and then comes out with a plate piled high of small pancakes. "The best part is my homemade syrup."

"I've found some listings not too far from here." I take a bite of the hash and moan in pleasure at the savory deliciousness.

"I told you, you can stay here as long as you like. I can help with the baby, too, since I work from home."

"No, Adrian. I would never impose on you like that. I appreciate you letting me crash her as long as I have already." I rub my stomach as another wave of pain starts to build.

He's about to argue, when his phone rings from inside the house. He sets his fork down to go grab the call.

I shake my head, chuckling when he shrieks with excitement. How did I not ever clue in to the signs that he was gay while we were dating?

"You are never going to believe who just called me!" He says from the doorway before he groans. "Hang on, someone's at the door." He rolls his eyes and walks further into the house.

I grin when he returns a few minutes later. "Dude, these pancakes are no joke and I have to get the recipe for the syrup! I'd marry you just to get pancakes with this syrup whenever I wanted."

His nervous chuckle has me looking up at him again. "Nora, there's someone here for you."

I let out a half-hearted laugh. "That's impossible no one knows I'm here."

"About that...Clara was the one on the phone just before I answered the door and now..." He steps to the side and I drop my fork when Ciccio, Mostro and Ricco, step through the doorway.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" I ask, avoiding Federico's hard gaze. I wipe my mouth and bump the table with my belly when I stand, the silverware and plates shake before I waddle my way over to them.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Nora," Mostro smiles before he squeezes me in his arms.

"You're glowing and gorgeous," Ciccio adds when he hugs me, too, kissing my head.

"Stop it; I'm chubby and swollen," I argue blushing.

I lift my foot up for them to see my huge feet in the sandals I'm wearing. "My toes look like little smokey's. But I feel good and can't stop stuffing myself, so that's fun."

They laugh while Rico stays quiet. His eyes trained on my stomach with an emotion I can't read.

"I'm sure you all introduced yourselves already, but this is an old friend of mine, Adrian Palermo."

"I'm not old, Nora," He winks as he wraps an arm around my waist. I glance at Rico who's fierce glare is zeroed in on Adrian's hand on my hip now.

"We used to date," I clarify and the glare on Rico's face changes to something else, something dangerous.

"Nora's the first girl I've ever loved," Adrian kisses my head.

"And the only!" I add, winking back at him.

He laughs. "Well, besides my mom and sister, and my crazy aunts and my even crazier nonna."

I chuckle along with him and then we notice the tense faces of Ciccio and Mostro. If it were possible, I'm pretty sure Rico could shoot fire beams out his eyes if he wanted to.

"You know? Because I'm gay." Adrian points out when no one says anything.

They all visibly relax and nod in understanding. I sigh, shaking my head while I massage my tightening belly.

"Met some interesting friends of yours, in Skaneateles." Mostro tells me.

"Who?" I ask confused, as another wave of pain comes through me and I try to remember how often they've come in the last little while.

"Viola and Olive," Ciccio answers. "Held us up at gunpoint, too."

I laugh. "You're joking!"

"Nah, it was pretty hilarious and I'm sure Domani has a new fear of grabby old ladies!" Mostro nudges Ciccio bellowing in laughter and he joins in.

"Gentlemen." Rico's authoritative rich, smooth voice silences them.

"Always the killjoy." I mutter, turning to pick up my plate and walking past them as I head back into the house.

"Maya's in the hospital, Elenora."

Rico words stop me when I reach the doorway. "She was grazed by a bullet...meant for me."

I turn around and Adrian moves in to grab my plate. "What?" My voice is quiet; I'm sure I heard him wrong.

"The bullet cracked her skull and fragments were almost embedded into her brain. She was in surgery for over five hours. She...she hasn't woken up," Rico explains.

"When?"

"A week ago, the same night you left," He tells me as tears fill my eyes thinking of my sweet baby sister and then I feel a rage fill me.

I let out a scream of frustration, shoving him.

A choked sob escapes as I rush back into the house going to the room I've been staying in and start throwing my things in my bag.

"Nora, you can't leave upset like this, girl," Adrian tells me.

"I have to go see her." I wipe at the falling tears. "She has to hear my voice, she has to know I'm there."

I head back to the kitchen where my phone is charging and drop my bag, gasping when a gush of fluid runs down my legs. I move my hands over the wetness in between my legs, and as I look at my hands I'm relieved it's not blood.

"Did you just pee your pants?" Adrian's eyebrows are raised high.

"No, dummy, my water just broke." I tell him, trying to stay calm.

"What?" Mostro and Ciccio speak at the same time. They look at each other and both start talking, they separate, both still muttering and then turn and run into each other.

"Idioti," Rico mutters. He walks up, lifting me into his arms. (idiots)

"Rico, put me down! My water broke, I'm not crippled, stronzo." (asshole)

"Grab her bag," He says over his shoulder. "One of you drive her car back to the house."

What house? But I'm distracted as Mostro and Ciccio argue over who takes my car and who drives us to the hospital.

"I'm feeling faint from all this excitement, anyone want to carry me, too?" Adrian questions and the guys stay silent. "No? Fine, but I'm still coming. No way I'm missing my godson being born!" He claps excitedly.

Rico sets me down inside the large SUV they came in, while Adrian moves around the outside to the other side. "Like hell he's being my son's Godfather," Rico mutters before he closes the door and then climbs in on the other side. Mostro gets in the front of the SUV and pulls out of Adrian's driveway.

"It's not up to you now, is it?" I snap at him, even though he doesn't know Adrian was joking. Rico's jaw tics in response. I wince as sharp pain erupts from a contraction and I breathe deeply.

"Which hospital, Boss?" Mostro questions.

"Take me to where Maya is, please," I say breathing through the contraction.

"I'm no Dr, babe, but your contractions are coming in four minutes apart. We're an hour away from the hospital in the city," Adrian says from the backseat.

"Can...can I feel?" Rico's quiet voice surprises me.

"No," I lash out at him, trying to focus on relaxing. I close my eyes and take in slow deep breaths.

"Call Pia, please." I plead, panting; my body begins to relax with the contraction dissipating.

Rico moves closer to me and holds my hand; I pull my hand from his, but he grabs mine again and then he brushes my hair away from my face as a phone trills through the car system.

"Rico, have you found our girl?" Pia's soft voice comes through the car speakers.

"Yes, she's in the car and I think she's having the baby now," He tells her.

"Pia, I'm not due for three more weeks," I say, not hiding the shakiness in my voice. "Could something be wrong?"

"Not necessarily, sometimes babies come on their own time, though it's more common for first baby's to be late, but that doesn't mean something is wrong." Her confident voice is calming.

"Where are you?"

"Long Island, trying to head back to the city," Rico tells her.

"How far apart are your contractions, Nora?" She asks.

"Four minutes."

"Boss, traffic's a mess out here," Mostro says and I look out the window realizing we are at a stand still. I try not to panic, but I know I'm breathing too hard.

"Nora, focus on your breathing. Stay as relaxed as you can in between and during your contractions. The more you tense up during the contractions the more pain you'll feel. It doesn't make sense because your instinct is to brace yourself to the oncoming pain, but resist doing that."

I'm scared out of my mind. "I don't think I can."

I look down at my hand when Rico squeezes it and notice he's wearing his wedding band.

"You can do it, Elenora."

"Rico, you'll need to find another hospital close by," Pia tells him.

"I'm on it," Adrian says. "There's Mount Sinai, it's ten minutes from where we are." He crawls from the back seat and makes his way up next to Mostro. He turns his navigation and his phone directs Mostro where to go.

"I'll head there as quick as I can, but I have some news; Maya woke up."

"She did?" My heart swells at the happy news.

"The first thing she asked for was you and if you had the baby," Pia tells me. "She'll be so happy. Do you want me to tell your parents you're having the baby?"

As upset as I am at them, I can't be cruel to them.

"Yes, but tell them not to worry. I don't want them to leave Maya."

"I'll let them know. You'll be in good hands until I get there, Nora."

"Thanks Pia."

The call ends and I gasp as another wave of pain hits me and I grasp Rico's arm.

"Elenora, I...I'm sorry. What I said, I didn't mean it. I...I was angry."

"When aren't you angry?" I say in between my deep breathing.

"Whenever you're with me."

I scoff but when I open my eyes, I'm surprised to see how close he is to me. "Why the change of heart, Federico? Is your new girlfriend meeting us at the hospital?"

"I don't have a girlfriend. She—"

"Oh, I see. Another one of your on call sex bunnies."

"No, she...it's not what it looked like or what I wanted you to think."

"It doesn't matter. You can do what or who you want." I look out the window, trying to breathe my way out of this painful contraction; they're getting longer and stronger. Rico's fingers grasp my chin and turn my face to him.

"I only want you, mia patatina." (my little potato)

"Don't call me that, please." Tears fall, and he wipes them away.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you, baby. It's no excuse but I was angry and still hurt that you left me. That last phone call, I was trying to come to terms with hearing we lost the baby and then what you said...it broke me, Elenora." He dips his face, his tears fall onto my neck.

"Rico, I...I think it's too late for us," I whimper as the pain increases and I squeeze his hand trying to breathe through it. "We've both said things we can't take back."

"Please don't say that, Elenora. You're seared into my heart and my soul. I love you and I know you still love me."

"Rico, now's not the time for all of this." I pant after the contraction passes, letting go of his hand.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what to do," he says with dejection in his voice. The baby moves and kicks me and I reach for Rico's hand again and place it on my stomach. When the baby kicks again, his face lights up.

"Wow."

He moves his hand over my belly, tenderly and the baby pushes against my stomach again. "Does it hurt when he does that?"

"Sometimes, but right now the contractions hurt more," I tell him. He leans down to place a kiss on my stomach and I try to hold in my sob.

He brings my hand up to his lips and gives me a soft kiss and another on my head. "I love you, Elenora."

He looks deeply into my eyes and I glance down as he slips the wedding band on my finger. "I'm still your husband and you're still my wife, amore. The longer you stayed away, I convinced myself you wanted the divorce."

"Yeah, well, you're an idiot."

He chuckles, kissing my hand again. "As long as I'm your idiot forever, I don't care."

***