To Love and Obey (21 page)

“We need to go back to the function, baby,” Zerrin breathed.

“Yeah, we do,” Nick breathed.

“They probably need a lot of help with the clean-up.”

“Probably.”

A small silence passed between the pair until they both spoke again. “They can handle it.”

Nineteen

Zerrin took Faith’s advice and didn’t eat anything all day. As she sat at the D’Amato family table, she wondered if she should’ve not eaten anything for a
few
days.

Her eyes widened and were stuck in a perpetual ping-pong match watching all of the food handed from one person to another. There were two baskets of garlic bread, a big bowl of tortellini, a large tray of lasagna, and
cannelloni al ragù bolognese. Nick fixed Zerrin’s plate for her and she wondered how in the blue hell her boyfriend expected to finish that off. She couldn’t even see the edges of her plate.

“I thought the same thing as you,” Tiana glanced over to Zerrin. “My first visit here, I wondered what in the hell were they thinking giving me all that food?”

“This is ridiculous,” Zerrin continued to stare at her plate. Maybe Nick was testing to see if she would really eat up everything. If it was a test, they were going to have a little chit-chat later. “How am I supposed to…?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Faith chimed in, “if you don’t finish it, they will. Trust me on that.”

“All right, everyone!” Nicola gathered everyone at the table. “Let’s say grace and then dig in. I’m sure everyone has questions for Zerrin.”

Zerrin immediately felt everyone’s eyes on her. She respected that Nick was so private he didn’t let his family know about certain details regarding his personal life, but what she was experiencing at the moment was utterly ridiculous. “Baby…” she whispered.

“You’ll do great,” Nick whispered back.

“You owe me,” Zerrin muttered.

“I know,” Nick bowed his head for grace. “I know.”

Once grace was said, everyone began eating. “So Zerrin, let’s just get it all out of the way because everyone is thinking the same thing…” Tony chewed on a piece of garlic bread. “…how much is Nick paying you by the hour?”

“I am
so
kicking your ass,” Nick sharply replied.

****

“So what do you think?” Tiana sat on the bed with Zerrin. “I hope we haven’t scared you off, did we?”

Zerrin softly laughed, thinking about how crazy the dinner was. Once the
new shiny toy
factor about her wore off, everyone seemed at ease with her and Nick together. The brothers had a dynamic with each other that was heartwarming and loveable. No matter what wisecracks were said or how annoyed they were with each other, they always came together at the end of the day. It reminded her of the bond she had with Jake. “Everyone is wonderful! I feel like I’m a part of the family already.”

“You are a part of the family,” Nicola answered from her bathroom, “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“It’s just so…so…” Zerrin paused.

“So…what?” Faith asked. “What’s wrong?”

“So soon,” Zerrin got up from the bed and leaned against the wall, “like I was expecting this camaraderie after being in the family for years and years.”

Nicola returned to the bedroom. She was wearing a sparkly black evening gown. “I look nice, don’t I?” She twirled around.

“You are going to knock Art off his feet!” Faith whistled.

“He won’t be able to keep his hands off you!” Tiana smiled and snapped a picture.

Nicola grabbed Zerrin’s hand and led her to the bed. She sat down beside her. “I’m sure Nicky has told you about his father, right?”

The sperm donor also known as my father left when we were all young
. “He briefly mentioned him.”

Nicola patted Zerrin’s hand. “Nicky was ten, Kieran was nine, Eli was seven, Joey was four, and Tony was probably six months old when their father just decided he had enough. You see I got pregnant when I was still in high school, only seventeen at the time. Giorgio, the boys’ father, was a little older than me, by a couple of years. When we got pregnant, our parents were furious and forced us to get married and we did. Having five children in ten years is a lot for any family, but we didn’t believe in birth control. We were raised Catholic. We were also taught not to believe in divorce. Well, I paid attention to that lesson.

“I remember one morning Giorgio woke up and just started on me about everything. I probably hadn’t been up for a few minutes when I heard him complain about the house, about my appearance, about everything. And then he dropped the bombshell—he was leaving me and the boys. I told him he was overreacting and that he needed to go cool off. He left, all right, and never came back. Not even for his clothing. I found out later he ended staying with a girlfriend he had on the side. He had a friend of his serve me with the divorce papers about a week later. It was planned all along. I signed them and sent it back. I can’t be with someone who doesn’t want to be with me.

“Years ago, I won the lottery and a big chunk of money. We were all over the press and I had my sons with me. And wouldn’t you know it, the moment that story hit the paper, guess who I get a call from?” Nicola shook her head. “My number had never changed and I couldn’t tell you the number of days I’ve waited by the phone waiting for him to call to come back home. And the moment I won the lottery, he miraculously found my number.”

Zerrin was speechless. She knew heartache and distrust but what Nicola went through was above and beyond anything she had experienced. “So what did you do?” she asked.

“I told him unless he needed the money for his own imminent funeral, he should stop calling,” Nicola smiled. “My point is, ever since then it was me and the boys, we always took family and commitment seriously. You never know when you’ll have absolutely everything and then one day, it’s all gone like you never had it. Sure, my boys irritate me from time to time; there’s five of them—someone is bound to work the
good
nerve on any given day. But I always remember when I went through my darkest days, it was just me and my boys.”

Zerrin smiled. “I understand.”

Nicola grabbed Zerrin’s hand and looked at her. “Fall in love, Zerrin. Fall in love hard. Fall in love until you feel like you’re about to burst. And if you get hurt, well, give yourself sometime to dust off your shoulders and move on. You never know when you won’t be able to love this hard again.”

“Thank you, Nicola,” Zerrin gave her a hug, “it means a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome, Zerrin,” she hugged back.

“Oh, I want to get in on this!” Tiana wrapped her arms around the women.

“Me, too!” Faith joined in.

A few minutes later, Nicola made her way downstairs. Her sons were sitting at the dining room table, partaking in a game of poker when their mother made her appearance. “Yo, ma,” Tony’s nose was scrunched up, “why the fancy get-up?”

“Are you going somewhere, Mother?” Joey asked.

“I have a date tonight,” Nicola smiled.

“A date?” Nick looked over at his brothers. “Did you know about a date?”

“A date with who?” Kieran asked.

“Yeah,” Tony cracked his knuckles and adjusted his neck, “a date with who?”

“A date with none of your damn business,” Nicola smiled. She turned around and noticed her daughters-in-law behind her. “And I can thank Faith, Zerrin, and Tiana for helping me get ready.”

“Doesn’t Mamma Nicola look great?” Faith smiled as she put the final touches on her hair.

“No, she doesn’t,” Eli shook his head.

Kieran walked up to his wife. “We’re going to have a chit-chat in a minute.”

“Your mother is a grown woman, Kieran,” Tiana smoothed out Nicola’s dress, “she can do whatever and
whoever
she wants.”

The thought of his mother participating in
any
sexual activity made Kieran shudder. “She is too old be out so late.”

“Kieran, I’m going to excuse that comment coming from you because the next time you make another one like that I won’t hesitate to knock you into the middle of next week.” Nicola smiled. Just then there was a knocking at her door. “Now excuse me, that might be my date.”

Nick opened the door and was met with a familiar face. It was the police commissioner, Arturo Rodriguez. He was an older Puerto Rican man with salt and pepper hair, smooth brown skin, and a commanding presence at over six feet tall. “Commissioner, good evening. What brings you here?”

“Good evening,” Arturo stepped inside the home. He was carrying a bouquet of a dozen red roses. “I’m here to pick up Nicola. Is she ready?”

“You’re dating the commissioner?” Joey asked his mother.

“Yo,
Сommish, I thought you were married?” Tony asked.

“He’s divorced, and you’re itching to join your brother for his trip next week if you don’t shut it,” Nicola politely warned her son. “Arturo, I’m glad you came.” She walked over to Arturo and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

“Anything for milady,” he presented the bouquet of roses to Nicola, “A rose for the most beautiful flower.”

Nicola giggled like a schoolgirl while her sons made faces and gagged. “You’re so romantic, Art,” she snuggled against him.

“So yeah, you’re gonna have our mamma home by ten, right?” Joey asked.

“9:59.” Tony countered.

“Screw that,” Eli objected, “9:30.”

“Why don’t you just stay home and eat here? Everything’s so expensive lately,” Nick offered.

“Nicola, please go out and have a good time,” Faith took the bouquet away from her.

“And stay out as long as you need to!” Tiana handed Nicola her coat.

“I’ll see you later,” Nicola waved to everyone, “good-bye!” She closed the door behind her.

The five brothers stood by the front windows and carefully watched their mother get into Arturo’s Cadillac and they sped off. They then turned to Faith, Zerrin, and Tiana with angry eyes. “All of you have some serious explaining to do,” Nick commented.

“Your mother needs a life besides the five of y’all and our kids,” Faith explained.

“She has the shop and her non-profit,” Eli shrugged, “she’s busy enough as it is.”

“She needs someone special in her life,” Tiana walked over to her husband and hugged him, “don’t you agree, baby?”

“No,” Kieran shook his head.

“Anyway, we’re going to go out and get some ice cream,” Zerrin gathered jackets for her and the women.

“
Can you watch the kids for us?” Faith commented.

“And calm down while you’re at it,” Tiana smiled. “Does anyone want anything?”

“Yo, pick me up some butter pecan,” Tony said.

“I want some rocky road, please?” Joey asked.

“French vanilla,” Eli pulled out some money and gave it to his wife. “Thanks, babe.”

“Not a problem,” Faith smiled. “Come on, girls. Let’s let these boys calm down while we’re gone.”

“They’re this protective over their mother; I wonder how they’re going be with my daughter?” Tiana rubbed her growing tummy.

“It’ll be worse,” Eli added.

“Much, much worse,” Kieran folded his arms.

Twenty

Now I know why I always went to the cleaners. This is just too much work.

Zerrin was carefully paying attention to Stacey giving a demonstration on how to sew. Stacey used to take care of all of Nick’s household affairs—making sure His laundry was done, His shirts were pressed, and His bed was made. Now Zerrin was taking over Stacey’s duties.

“From under the shirt, push the needle up through one of the holes in the button and pull the thread all the way through till the knot anchors on the back of the button.” Stacey demonstrated. “Push the needle through the next hole and through the shirt. Just keep repeating until the button is secure. Make sure you tie a double-knot at the bottom, securing the button. It’s really that simple.”

“It doesn’t look that simple,” Zerrin grimaced.

“You just have to keep practicing,” Stacey demonstrated on another button. “Practice makes perfect.”

A small silence passed between the women as Zerrin practiced on one of her shirts. She was afraid of ruining one of her Master’s shirts and facing His disappointment. After a short while, she stopped and presented her work to Stacey. “How is this?”

Stacey examined Zerrin’s handy work. “That’s perfect! I told you you were a natural!”

“If it wasn’t for you and Whitney, I don’t know where I would be,” Zerrin set down her shirt and turned to Stacey. “I really appreciate all of the work both of you have done for me. You didn’t have to train me or guide me at all. I really, really appreciate it.”

“We did because we respect our Master and what He has done for us. We would’ve done anything for Him, no matter what He asked.” Stacey warmly smiled. “He chose a good one in you, and if we didn’t approve of you, He wouldn’t be with you.”