All Grown Up (26 page)

Dom
made love to me that night. Twice. Since that moment, he struggled to keep his hands off of me and my stomach. The first time he felt the baby move, his face was like a kid in a candy store and I had to force him to wait until we were home from the restaurant before trying to attack my body.

Roni, Mina, and I had gotten much closer again. We spent an obscene amount of time together. Roni and Max had a small wedding with a few friends and family. I had been put on bed rest due to early contractions so I wasn’t able to attend
. I had pouted for a week about it.

A week before the baby was due,
Dom and I had started going back and forth with baby names. When Dom mentioned that his grandfather’s name was Anthony, I instantly perked up. Dom worshiped his late grandfather and I also had selfish personal reasons for my attraction to the name, it was the one thing that I could give his biological father.

Anthony Kenneth Fiorello was born
, weighing in at six pounds three ounces and twenty inches long. His head was dusted with light red hair and it only took one look into his beautiful little face for Dom and me to fall in love with him even more. Mina and Roni had come bearing gifts, along with Christy, Randy, Michele, Elaine, Robert, Judith, and Kenneth. Kenneth was completely flattered by the middle name we chose. The day after little Tony, as Dom had nicknamed him, was born, Dom’s mother and father arrived with his three sisters.

Once we got home, time seemed to fly
. I finished school, pushing myself to graduate early. All the while, Anthony had gone from bottles and diapers to sippy cups and training pants.

I didn’t continue on towards
getting my Master’s Degree, my career plan completely forgotten. Dom wanted Tony to have me at home and I was too content to be with him to fight him on this. Dom was an extremely proud and doting father, even when ‘little Tony’ started to look less like a Fiorello and more like the ghost of the man who haunted me daily.

As Tony grew
, his appearance changed. He looked like me, but had the hazel eyes and dark hair Elaine and Leo shared. At the age of nine months, these were two dead give-a-ways that he was Leo’s son.

When he turned one, Roni announced that Max and she were adopting a one year old little girl from China named Lin. I made instant plans with Roni to bring her over frequently to play with Tony.

When Tony was eighteen months old, Dom pleaded for me to get pregnant again. After everything he had forgiven and accepted, I couldn’t deny him his own child. I also knew the love that I had for Anthony and the thought of another child, a child with Dom, thrilled me.

By the time Tony had turned two, we were not successful in conceiving, which resulted in a visit with a specialist who told us that
Dom could not have children. He was crushed and I was crushed for him. We had been struggling with each other ever since the discovery had been made.

Tony was two and a half by the time we had finally accepted that we would never have a biological child of our own.
He had my nose, my skin and my lips, but his eyes and hair became more and more like Leo. Sometimes it was hard to look at Tony without a tear streaming down my cheek.

Leo

When I overheard my mother talking to Judith about Chloe and
Domenico expecting a baby, my stomach turned. I couldn’t believe that I had let it all get away from me. It could have been her that I married and was having children with. I sat thinking back to everything that had happened. I had been so stupid and selfish.

Over the past few years I had focused on my company and becoming a man. Scarlett had hinted at wanting to get involved but I quickly and easily turned her down
, stating that we worked together. I had dated a few different women, but never let anything serious develop. I needed the time to be on my own, to grow, live my own life without someone else defining me.

I was proud of where I had taken
my company. Mack Sound Studio was a highly respected and sought after production company. We had signed quite a few new artists and even had established recording artists coming to us. The company had grown from a fifteen man team to over two hundred employees requiring an expansion to our office space, which Elaine helped to design and decorate.

Now that I was comfortable with the company, I devoted more time to my family and friends. I spent at least two nights a month with Mina and Oliver
. We’d have dinner or go out. It didn’t matter, staying connected was the key. Roni and Max had adopted a little girl named Lin, who I completely adored. She was like my own daughter and Roni often yelled at me for spoiling her. I would always show up to their house with gifts and junk food. I also kidnapped her often, taking her on our little Leo and Lin dates to the playground or ice cream parlor. On the days that I would show up and Roni had Lin at Chloe’s to visit with her, I would honestly say that I was upset, both because I knew Lin was playing with Chloe’s son and also because Lin made me happy.

When Lin turned three,
Roni and Max announced that they were expecting a baby. The whole family was absolutely ecstatic. Roni was already five months pregnant. They had kept it to themselves since there was the risk that she would miscarry. When she was seven months pregnant, Roni was put on bed rest, so I took over with helping out with Lin. Since Max still traveled a lot for football, Roni needed as much help as possible. I knew that Chloe was helping her out, but I figured this was the perfect chance for me to spoil my little Lin.

One afternoon
, I decided to stop by unexpectedly to kidnap her. When I arrived, I noticed an unfamiliar car in the driveway. Stepping out of my car, I heard laughter and loud giggles coming from the back yard.

Walking around the house
, I unlocked the childproof fence and saw the large bouncer that I had bought Lin for being completely potty trained.

That’s
right, Uncle Leo spoiled her a little bit. Just a little bit.

I could see Lin’s brown hair bouncing around inside, but there was also an unknown reddish-brown head. I stepped closer
, looking at a familiar hair color.

"Leo?" I snapped around quickly to see Mina and Roni sitting on the back porch, both of them wide e
yed.

"Hi
, I was going to pick up Lin but I guess she has a friend over." I smiled and walked over to the porch. "How are you feel…" That’s when she appeared in the back door. Brown hair pulled high on her head and eyes as deep and beautiful as they always would be. She stopped abruptly, one foot outside the door. She bit her lip and Goddamn it if I didn’t feel a twitch behind my zipper. She still could make me react to her without a single touch.

"Uh…hi
, Chloe," I forced out.

"H-hi," she stammered.

"Well, Leo," Roni broke the deafening silence. "Lin has company today. How about tomorrow?" I turned to Roni and smiled at her.

"Sure. I’ll call you tomorrow before I stop
by." I turned back to Chloe and Mina. "Bye." They both nodded and I turned to leave. A small, disheveled, brown haired boy stopped me in my tracks. He was running after Lin who was heading straight for me.

Lin jumped into my arms and squeezed me tightly as she giggled and planted a k
iss on my cheek.

"How’s my girl today?" She laughed as I tickled her stomach.

I was suddenly distracted when I heard Chloe’s voice.

"Tony
, come here, baby," she said in a loud whisper. I watched as the little boy walked to Chloe and climbed into her arms. She quickly disappeared into the house with him. Placing lots of kisses on Lin’s head, I put her down, said goodbye again, and headed to my car.

The car ride home was uncomfortable, thoughts of Chloe going through my mind. There was one more thing that kept nagging at me, that
little boy. I think Chloe called him Tony. He was so familiar, yet unfamiliar. I thought maybe it was because he looked like Chloe, or maybe even Domenico. I gave up and brushed the thoughts out of my head. Instead, I thought about what I would plan for Lin tomorrow.

Chloe

After the run in with Leo
, I almost had a nervous breakdown. I stood in Roni’s kitchen praying that he would leave and not come in the house. I was sure that he was going to see his own eyes looking back at him. Once Mina told me he had left, I packed Tony and myself up and headed straight home.

A month later
, Roni gave birth to Brandon Jonathan Gallagher. He had the bluest eyes and his head was covered in thin, wrinkled, strawberry blond hair. I was sure that he would have curls or wavy hair as he got older. Mina and I lavished numerous gifts on the newest arrival.

Several months had passe
d since Brandon was born. Tony and I were home alone while Domenico was in Italy. Domenico was supposed to arrive back to Seattle tomorrow morning. I packed up a travel bag of snacks, DVDs, books and toys to occupy Tony in the car and at the airport when we went to welcome Domenico home.

I woke the next morning to the sound of the home phone and my cell phone ringing in synchronization. After stretching
, I yawned and started to sit up. Mrs. Jones burst through my bedroom door in tears, sobbing loudly.

I jumped out of bed.

"What it is?" I yelled. I ran to her as she collapsed on the floor. "What is it, Mrs. J? What?" I don’t know why but terror instantly filled my body and I began to shake.

"The plane…" she sobbed. I could feel the tears burning my eyes before they started to fall. "It crashed," she cried in agony.

I felt my chest rip apart in that instant.

Chapter Twenty-Five
Diagnosis

Chloe

It was Tony who snapped me out of my ‘space out’ as I sat in my bedroom staring at the black dress laid across the bed for me to put on.

"Momma." I looked over to him and smiled as he held his arms out to me. I pulled him into a tight hug and kissed him firmly on top of his head.

He was too young to understand what had happened. The man he knew as his father would no longer walk through our front door, no longer teach him Italian and no longer lay next to me. I felt the tears start again and saw Tony’s confused face as he looked at
me.

"Hey
, Tony, why don’t we go get you dressed?" Mrs. Jones had come and lifted him from my lap as I wiped the tears away.

"Thank you," I looked up to her and tried to smile
. It just wasn’t working. She nodded and carried him away.

Mina appeared a
moment later wearing all black. I felt like I was trapped in a black and white movie.

"Come on
, Chloe, we need to get you dressed." She took my arm and pulled me over to the bed where she helped me into the black dress and shoes.

I met Tony in the hallway before we both headed to the large
, black limousine. Aron, Dom’s business partner, helped us both into the car and climbed in next to us. Dom’s family was following behind us.

The church was packed full of family, friends and business associates. There were also reporters posted out
in front of the church trying to get pictures and interviews. I sat clinging to Tony in the front row with Kenneth’s arm wrapped around my shoulders. Judith was on the other side of Tony. I wiped away so many tears that I knew Mina’s make up job had been pointless.

After everyone had listened to the speakers, prayers and priest
, it was time to approach the closed casket. My heart ached knowing that underneath that lid was my husband, my lover, my best friend. I would never hear him sing to me in Italian or be surprised by one of his grand gestures again.

One hand quickly went to the top of the casket to hold myself up. Kenneth appeared next to me and walked me out of the church. Judith brought Tony out. The camera flashes were annoying and I hurriedly climbed into the limo with Tony. When I saw Roni, Christy and Mina climb into the car with me
, I broke down into a sobbing mess.

The burial went smoothly and
, once Dom’s body was laid to rest, we all gathered at a large country club in Seattle. Mina had planned the whole thing while I had laid in bed all week like a zombie. His plane was struck by lightning over Kansas.

I sat at a table with
Dom’s family and my own as guests conversed and offered their condolences. Watching Tony play with his cousins was the highlight of my afternoon.

Standing at the bar
, waiting for my second glass of Chardonnay, I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I turned around and looked into the grown eyes of my son. My breathing hitched. I hadn’t even thought about Leo attending. Now I stared him in the face, feeling disgusted with the choices I had made in the past.

"Chloe, shit, I am so sorry for your loss
." His eyes dropped to the floor. "I can’t…I really don’t even know what to say." I tried to smile, I just couldn’t muster the expression. The only thing that made me smile was Tony.

As soon as I thought ab
out him, he appeared next to me.

"
Momma." I looked down to him. "Cookie?" He requested.

"Hey there
, little Tony. Let Aunt Mina get you a cookie, okay?" I set him down and Mina led him over to the table.

I turned back to Leo w
ho was watching Tony with Mina.

"Thank you
," I said quickly, trying to pull his attention away from the little boy that was his. The child that I had selfishly kept from him. I didn’t need this to go down today. I couldn’t take any more right now. No matter how selfish I had already been, I was continuing for now.

He turned his attention back to me with a calculat
ed look. We hugged briefly and I returned to the family table.

Leo

I almost ran to her when she was about to collapse by his casket. I still couldn’t believe that
Domenico was dead, that his plane had gone down because of lightning. I was still in shock. However, I could see that Chloe was in more than just shock. She was lost. I wanted to comfort her but I knew it wasn’t my place.

Once we arrived at
the country club, I sat down with my mother and father, Mina and Oliver, Roni, Max and K.C. I saw Chloe approach the bar and I excused myself from the table, heading straight to her.

Not knowing what to say
, I cleared my throat and she turned around. I was offering her my condolences when her son appeared at her side. When she lifted him into her arms, I got a clear look at his face. He looked like Chloe except for the hair and the eyes. When Mina appeared calling herself ‘Aunt Mina’, something clicked in my head. The boy looked absolutely nothing like Dom or his family.

After our brief conversation
, I headed back to my table. I sat there watching the boy with Mina and as he ran off to join the other little kids. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my mother looking at me. I turned to her.

"
Mom?"

"Hmm?"
She answered.

"What is Chloe’s son’s name?" I looked at her intently.

"Uh...Tony. Why dear?" I shook my head.

"How old is he?" I asked while keeping my eyes locked on Anthony.

"He’s about the same age as Lin, three and a half or so," she answered nonchalantly.

I went silent, the wheels in my head spinning at maximum overdrive.

Elaine

I watched Leo as he approached Chloe. I would be a horrible mother if I didn’t realize how he still felt about her. She was the one that would always come first in his heart. For so many years I watched the bad timing in their relationship; her being so young, his marriage, her marriage, his divorce, and then her pregnancy.

When Tony was a year old I started to notice familiarity in his features; the eyes, the hair. However, looking at Leo standing there while Chloe held Tony in her arms I would be a fool not to recognize my son’s traits in that boy. I had to bite the side of my mouth so that I didn’t gasp at the table.

Leo returned to the table, but his attention was captured by the boy. I wondered if he saw what I now saw plain as day. When he began to question me about the boy I figured that he was connecting things, but he didn’t say or do anything else. He just went silent and said nothing else. Once I had Mina alone, I turned to her.

"Is Tony Leo’s son?" Mina’s head snapped
around so quickly I thought she may have whiplash.

"W-what?"
She stuttered. A clear sign that I was probably correct.

"I’m right
, aren’t I?" I gasped. "Mina how could you keep this–"

"
Mom, look, I don’t know anything for sure. Honestly. I asked her the same thing and she didn’t answer the question." I watched her sigh heavily and squeeze her eyes closed before continuing. "I had my suspicions, but it’s not my story to tell or even gossip about. Not when I don’t know the entire story."

"I won’t say a thing, for now. But I will talk to Chloe about this soon." I turned and walked out of the restroom. I returned to the table
, keeping my mouth shut, but I couldn’t help but look at Tony with complete adoration.

Chloe

After another week of zombie behavior
, I took a deep breath and pulled my ass out of bed. I walked aimlessly around the house feeling how cold it really felt. I entered Dom’s home office and sat in his chair for almost an hour, staring into nothing.

"That’s it
, Chloe! Enough!"

I
didn’t care that I was speaking to myself out loud, I needed to snap out of the state I was in. I showered, got dressed and headed downstairs to where Mrs. J was feeding Anthony lunch. Both of them greeted me with a warm smile and Mrs. J looked a little surprised at my appearance.

After a cup of coffee
, I decided that I needed to do a few things. I walked around the house again and this time decided that I couldn’t live here, not without Dom. It was that moment that I started to make a lot of decisions. I sat down at Dom’s desk making a list of tasks that I wanted to accomplish.

Three hours later
, Mrs. Jones came into the office with a tray of food. I smiled at her warmly and she left the room. My cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Fiorello?" A deep voice asked.

"Yes," I answered hesitantly.

"Ma’am, my name is Angelo Botticelli. I am a senior member of the Botticelli Law Firm here in Seattle." I stayed silent. "We represent your late husband," he clarified. "I would like for you to come to our office tomorrow morning to go over Mr. Fiorello’s Last Will and Testament. His family’s presence has already been requested as well."

"Um
…sure. What time tomorrow, Mr. Botticelli?"

"Nine?"

"Okay, I will see you at nine tomorrow morning. Thank you." We hung up.

I hadn’t even thought ab
out the legalities involved with Dom’s money and estate. I had signed a pre-nup before our wedding and I surely didn’t expect too much from his will.

The next morning
, I dropped Tony off at Roni’s and headed to the law firm. Once I arrived, I was shown into a room with a large oval table. Dom’s family was already seated. His mother and father were both smiling at me as I sat down. Aron was also in attendance which surprised me.

"Thank you all for coming," Angelo spoke loudly from the head of the table. "Today we will be discussing the last wishes of Mr. Fiorello." I felt the tears start to form in the corners of my eyes. I took a deep breath and sat quietly
, listening to everything Angelo had to say.

The meeting had ended and I was in shock.
Dom left his parents his Italian assets, a large sum of money for their foundation, and his mother’s jewelry that he was holding. Aron had been granted forty nine percent of the record label and I gained fifty one percent. I had gasped, but Aron quickly grabbed my hand and squeezed. The house, cars, and Seattle assets were mine, along with fifty percent of his net worth. This was roughly six million dollars. The remaining money was to be split between charities and foundations of his choice.

Three weeks following the reading of
Dom’s will, I decided to contact a realtor to sell the mansion. I couldn’t take living there any longer. I also started looking for another home in or around Seattle.

As for the record label, I let Aron run it for the most part
. He kept me very involved in the decision making. I was surprised at how much I had learned during the short period of time I had been married to Dom.

It was five weeks after the will reading that Tony got sick. At first
, I simply watched over him. When his fever spiked to a hundred and four, I called the doctor. The doctor saw him that day and prescribed antibiotics along with pain and fever reducer.

Two weeks
later, he was still having problems. The fever was gone but now he was complaining about pain when he went to the bathroom. The doctor ran some tests and found kidney stones. He prescribed Anthony medication to help pass them through his system, yet, he continued to develop stones and urinary tract infections.

After a month of treatments
, the doctor finally sat me down to ask me more detailed questions about my medical history and his father’s medical history. We discussed everything I knew, which wasn’t much on his father’s side, and he bluntly laid it all out there on the table.

"Mrs. Fiorello, you will need to contact the biological father if possible. We need that medical history. I am admitting your son to the hospital to keep him under watch for kidney failure."
All the breath left my body as shock settled in.

My poor little baby.
Tears streamed down my face.

"
I suggest that you, as well as other family members, get tested. We need to find a blood match, possibly even an organ match, just in case. I am going to run a few more labs on him but it would be best to be prepared for the worst.
Not
that it will be the worst. We only want to be prepared for anything. Do you understand?" I nodded, tears still pouring out.

I talked about every detail with the doctor for over an hour before I went to be with Tony in his room. He looked so helpless and worn out, it made my heart ache. I curled up in bed with him until he fell asleep. Mrs. Jones came to stay with him so I could make a visit that needed to be made
; a visit that was years past due.

I pulled up to Elaine and Robert’s house and took three deep breaths before I got the courage to walk to the door. It opened before I could knock.