I stare at the ceiling, my heart sitting completely in my stomach. I’ve been feeling off the last few days. My mood has been horrendous, and I’ve been overly emotional about everything. Antonio fell over last week, and you would’ve thought the world was ending with the way I cried, convinced he was in the worst pain imaginable.
I glance at my husband, sleeping soundly beside me. The tension in his features has completely melted away, and he’s finally found rest. The sound of the waves is a beautiful backdrop to our sleep.
“Could I be…” I whisper to myself. “No. We just started trying again.”
But there’s only one way to know for sure.
I peel myself out of bed, the soft sheets cool against my skin as I slip into the quiet of the morning. The sun hasn’t even risen yet, but I can’t sleep any longer. My heart is pounding in my chest as I tiptoe to the bathroom, careful not to wake Matteo. I don’t want him to know I’m taking the test—no point in giving him false hope.
I close the door gently behind me and head to the drawers beneath the mirror. I take the box out and stare at it for a moment. The last time I took one of these, our lives looked a whole lot different than they do now.
“Okay, let’s see.” I walk over to the toilet, slip my shorts down, and get on with it. I tell myself not to overthink it—just take it one step at a time.
Everything I’ve been feeling lately—the dizziness, the nausea, the strange cravings—has been leading me to this moment. But still, I’m nervous. What if it’s negative? How will I handle that disappointment? I love having Antonio, but I would really love to give him a sibling—like I had.
As the minutes tick by, I stare at the test in my hand, my heart pounding in my ears. The wait feels like an eternity.
I close my eyes and wait for the beep to alert me that it’s done. I brace myself for whatever I’m about to see on that tiny screen. I peel one eye open, slowly, cautiously, and…
Pregnant.
It’s positive. I blink, unsure if I’m seeing it right. My hands tremble as I stare at the word in bold, clear writing. I can’t believe it…
“Oh my God…” My hand flies to my mouth in pure and utter shock. I had a feeling—and now I know I was right.
Tears well up in my eyes before I can even process them. We’re going to have another baby. Our family of three is about to grow to four, and I…
I laugh through my tears, clutching the test to my chest. My silent prayer to the heavens has been answered, and I can feel the joy radiating through my entire body.
I stare down at the test again, wanting to make sure I read it correctly.
“I need to tell him,” I whisper to myself, the excitement bubbling up inside me. “But how…”
I want to do it in a special way, but I also know I won’t be able to hold this in for more than an hour—it has to be this morning. The last time he found out I was pregnant, I was lying in a hospital bed, barely clinging to life. He deserves a joyful experience now—one we can look back on with warmth in our hearts.
I take a few deep breaths to steady myself and quietly leave the bathroom, walking down the hall to our son’s room.
He’s still asleep, his little body curled up in the ‘big boy bed’ we assembled when we arrived at the vacation house.
I smile softly as I watch him. My baby boy. He doesn’t know it yet, but soon he’ll be a big brother—and he’ll form one of the most sacred bonds between two people: the love of a sibling.
I go to his dresser and grab one of his white tees. Carefully, I pull a marker from one of the drawers and write the words “Big Brother” across it. I hold it up, admiring my work.
This will do nicely, I’m sure.
“Mamá?” His tiny little voice cuts through the thick fog of emotion. “Mamá?”
I turn to face my little one and smile. His eyes are so bright and vibrant—just like my brother Antonio’s. It’s uncanny how much of him I see in this little face.
“Buongiorno, tesoro.” Good morning, my treasure. I walk over to his bed and kiss his little head. “Come on, we have a surprise for Papá. Do you want to help me?”
Immediately, the sleep vanishes from his face and he beams up at me, nodding with enthusiastic little jerks of his head.
“Good,” I say, kissing his chubby cheek. “Let Mommy help you put this on.”
I carefully dress Antonio in the shirt, my hands shaking slightly with excitement. Once he’s ready, I scoop him up and tiptoe back to our room. He rests his head on my shoulder, his small hand laying over my chest in the sweetest gesture.
I never knew the capacity of my heart until I brought my own into the world in human form. There is no love quite as potent and intense as the love a mother has for her child.
I bring Antonio onto the bed and gesture for him to wake his father. He smiles and toddles over to where Matteo’s head rests, placing his little hand on his face.
“Papá,” he says softly. “Wakey ups.”
Matteo stirs, groaning as he blinks his eyes open, still groggy. I quickly scoop Antonio off the bed, making sure to cover the shirt from Matteo’s view. I don’t want him to see it just yet. We need to go down to the beach first.
His voice is thick with sleep. “Amore?”
I smile down at him, my heart racing as I hold Antonio up for him to see. The moment Matteo’s eyes land on his son, his expression softens.
“Let’s go watch the sunrise.”
He blinks up at me, looking like I’ve lost my mind. “You? Want to watch the sunrise? Since when do you like mornings?”
I shrug. “Well, just not today. Come on, let’s go.”
He sighs and rubs his eyes. “Do we really have to?”
“Yes. Come on or we’ll miss it.” I give him a no-nonsense look, and he lifts his hands in mock surrender before peeling the sheets off and pulling on a shirt.
“The things I do for you.” As we head toward the sliding door, his palm gently smacks my bum. “It can only be love.”
We step outside onto the private beach, the sun’s rays just starting to kiss the edge of the night sky, slowly giving way to dawn. I breathe in the sea air and press a kiss to my little boy’s head as he babbles to his father, excited as ever, while we make our way down to the shore.
Once we’re far enough from the house, I feel my heart pick up pace. The jitters settle into my limbs, and Matteo pulls me into his side, kissing the top of my head. He breathes in my scent and lets out a soft, satisfied sigh.
“I didn’t take you to be a morning person,” he says, breaking the silence between us. “You’ve been sleeping a lot, actually.”
I lick my lips, nerves consuming me. “I think there might be a reason for that.”
Now or never…
“Here,” I say softly, placing Antonio in his arms—careful to turn him just enough so the words on his shirt are clear.
He chuckles, eyes still on our son. “What’s this little guy wearing today?”
His gaze drops to the shirt.
“Big brother…” he reads aloud, the words trailing off into silence.
There’s a pause. His brow furrows, lips part slightly as the realization begins to sink in.
He looks up at me, eyes wide. “Wait… Maria—are you…?”
I nod, tears stinging the corners of my eyes, my voice thick with joy. “We’re having another baby.”
His expression softens, tears gathering in his eyes. “Are you serious?” His voice is filled with awe, and I nod again, tears now spilling freely down my cheeks.
“I’m sure,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. “We’re going to have another little one.”
Matteo pulls me into his arms, and for a moment, everything feels perfect. His warmth, the scent of his skin, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my ear—it makes everything else fade away. I let myself sink into him, closing my eyes as the reality of the news settles in. We’re going to have another baby. A sense of peace washes over me—one I haven’t felt in a long time.
He pulls back slightly, his hands framing my face as he looks at me, his smile wide and full of joy. “I can’t believe it,” he whispers. “I thought we were going to have to keep trying… This is everything. You’re incredible, Maria.”
I let out a shaky laugh, brushing away the tears that continue to fall. “I guess we didn’t need to try for long. I’m so happy… Are you?”
He blinks away his own tears and kisses our son, who remains blissfully unaware of what’s happening—but happy just to be in his father’s arms. Matteo’s gaze softens as he looks at Antonio, still nestled against his chest.
“He’s going to be the best big brother,” Matteo says, glancing back at me with that familiar twinkle in his eyes.
I nod, my chest swelling with love for the little boy who’s already captured so much of our hearts. I can already imagine the bond they’ll share—the way Antonio will hold his little sibling, teach them everything he’s learning. A bond like the one I shared with my brother.
I turn my gaze to the rising sun, the sky painted in shades of gold, pink, and soft orange. I know they’re both watching with smiles on their faces.
“We’re so blessed,” I whisper, reaching for Matteo’s hand. “I love you, amore.”
Matteo presses a kiss to my forehead, his thumb gently stroking my cheek. “I love you more than you’ll ever know, Maria. You’ve given me a life I never imagined I could have.”
“And it’s only just the beginning,” I reply, my heart full of hope and excitement for what’s to come.
We still live in a world laced with danger—one that will always linger at our doorstep because of the life my husband leads. But I am prepared to stand beside him through every battlefield, every fire, every storm. Because no matter what we face, I believe in us. And I know we will emerge on the other side not just surviving, but stronger than we ever were before.
“Papá, pretty.” Our son points to the sunrise, his little chubby cheeks rosy from the whipping wind that kisses them. “Mamá, look!”
“I know, baby. So beautiful,” I say, looking toward the horizon. “I know they would be so happy.”
I don’t need to explain—I know Matteo understands I’m talking about Daniele and Antonio. They are huge missing pieces in our lives, but they live on, and every time I look at the sky, I find them in every ray of sunshine and every painted horizon.
I lean into my Matteo and savor this precious little moment on the beach. “I think it’s a girl.”
Matteo hums in agreement. “I had a dream you were playing with a little girl last night.”
I turn my head to look up at him. “Really?”
“Yup. And she was the spitting image of you. Perfect in every way.” He leans down and kisses me, which makes Antonio squeal and bounce in his father’s arms.
“All right, all right—enough from you, little one.”
Matteo pulls away and starts tossing our son into the air, making him laugh. They run around on the beach, and I sit on the sand, watching my tiny, perfect family.
I glance down at my still-flat belly and place my palm over my womb. “You are so loved already, baby girl. I can’t wait to meet you.”
Who would have imagined that marrying a mafia boss would lead me to the very life my soul had always craved? Life has a curious way of coming full circle—guiding us to where we were always meant to be. And just when you least expect it, it gives you exactly what you never knew you were searching for.
As the sun continues to rise, casting its warm glow across the shore, I wrap my arms around myself, still holding onto the bliss of this morning. A new life growing inside me, laughter ringing out from my boys on the sand, peace woven into every breath I take. For the first time in a long while, I feel like maybe—just maybe—we’ve outrun the shadows.
But peace, in our world, is always fleeting.
A sound breaks the quiet—the hurried crunch of footsteps on the gravel path leading from the house.
I turn around just as Valerio appears, breathless, his face pale with something that doesn’t belong here—urgency.
His eyes land on Matteo.
“Val?” Matteo says, suddenly alert. He sets Antonio down gently in the sand and strides over to meet him. My heart drops.
Valerio grabs Matteo’s arm and pulls him aside. His voice is low, but the wind carries enough of it to reach me.
“Someone’s found a woman—alive—locked inside a room in one of Giacomo’s old properties.”
He pauses, eyes flicking toward me for the briefest moment.
“She claims her name is Beatrice Davacalli.”
The world stills.
Matteo turns, slowly, his eyes locking with mine.
And just like that, the past—one we thought buried—begins to stir again.
Hope is no longer the only thing rising with the sun.
Something else is coming. Something we never expected.
Something that could change everything.
Forever.
THE END
