Chapter 8 Something Real

After the birth of Greyson I had never felt more alone, Rain was effectively dodging all my calls and I knew it was because she didn't want to explain what she had said. This made me all the more cautious around Vincenzo, because I couldn't just deny what Rain had said. 

 "Padre," I heard Leviticus excited voice call one morning. 

I sighed turning to face Luciano who walked through the door, "Where's Rain?" I asked him before any pleasantries could be swapped.

 "She volunteered to handle some of my business back in Italy, I assumed she told you," Luciano replied, seeming genuinely surprised. 

"No, she just goes and leaves. I can't get hold of her and she said something that I need her to explain," I rambled to Luciano upset. 

Luciano's face hardened, "What exactly did she say?" he questioned me.

 I didn't want to tell him but something else compelled me to speak, "That it was Vincenzo's fault Kai got me pregnant," I admitted. 

"I assure you it is nothing to worry about and when Rainflower returns, I'll make sure you know exactly where you fit into our lives," Luciano promised me. 

Yet, something about the way he said it, made me worry slightly. 

Bending down he picked up Luciano who had stalked over and looked him over, "He looks ill Larnika," he commented. 

I had known that, he wasn't the same as before and I had a doctor's appointment tomorrow.

 "Yeah I know, we're going to the doctor tomorrow, it should have been sooner but I couldn't find a babysitter for Greyson," I explained. 

"What have you been feeding my son?" Luciano questioned me, all of a sudden making me feel like it was my fault. 

"Oh I've just transitioned him onto solids," I told him.

 "I see, he will be accompanying me today," he told me not asking, just told. 

"I don't think," I started but I didn't get very far before Luciano interrupted, "your other son needs your care as well." 

Faintly I could hear that Greyson had begin crying, "I suppose, just not to late," I told him. 

"Of course," Luciano agreed, disappearing with Leviticus out the door.  

I ended up taking Greyson for a walk down to the park, needing to just clear my head. 

"See I thought my friend was lying when he said you can meet pretty girls in the park, but I guess I owe him a twenty now," a voice said from above me causing me to look up.

 "Pretty girl with a baby?" I question, nodding my head at Greyson, nobody ever hit on me I had baggage and they had no idea how much. 

 "I don't mind, Jessie," he said holding out his hand.

 "You don't mind?" I asked him in disbelief.

 "Grew up as the eldest of ten," he explained. 

"Wow," I said, "I was a only child, Larni," I finally introduced myself. 

"Beautiful name, Larni," Jessie told me. 

"You new here aren't you?" I guessed, everybody in Bridgeport knew who I was when I told them my name.

 "Yeah, how'd you guess?" he questioned.

 "Luck," I said shrugging. Jessie nodded, "I guess I'll stick by you then." 

My phone rang before I could answer, "Just a sec," I said seeing the caller Id. 

"Hello," I said. "Larnika, I'm dropping Leviticus off, where are you?" Luciano asked me. 

"Just at the park, I'm on my way back," I told him, hanging up. "I have to go," I told Jessie. 

"Boyfriend?" he guessed. 

"No more of an ex," I explained. 

"Oh, any chance of me getting your number?" he questioned me.

 "I'm not really looking for a relationship," I admitted to him. 

"How about a friendship?" he offered. 

I looked up at him, truth be told all I really wanted was friend, not connected to Luciano or Vincenzo. "Friendship sounds good," I told him. 

A couple of days later Luciano and Vincenzo told me they were moving back to Italy and they were unsure of when they would be back. Rain wasn't going to be coming back anytime soon either. I asked Luciano about Leviticus but he simply replied by saying that he would be there for his son when he needed to be. Rain at least called me and simply said she was angry and all she meant was that Vincenzo didn't stop Kai from leaving with me. The only reason I accepted her explanation is because I didn't want to lose my best friend. The first year passed as a lonely one for me and was marked by Greyson's birthday who only had Jessie in attendance, we were quite close friends now even if I felt like he wanted something more. 

"Larni, I need to ask you something?" he told me when I had put the two toddlers to bed.

 "Sure anything," I said. 

"You’re my friend Larni, but I'd like to believe there was something more between us," he said pulling me into a kiss. 

At first I was so shocked I didn't know how to respond. As he broke away he looked at me for my reaction, Jessie was my first real friend, but I couldn't deny there was something between us. 

Sure it wasn't the spark that existed between me and Vincenzo or me and Luciano but at least it was real. So I responded but kissing him back and  put everything into that kiss, "I'd love to be with you," I murmured when we separated.

 Jessie's face reminded me of the little boy who had finally got his favorite toy for Snowflake Day. Touching my cheek he replied, "Me too."

 "Even with all the baggage," I joked. 

"Definitely with all the baggage," he agreed.  

Moving on had never felt so good or right, I didn't tell Rain about Jessie because to be honest I wasn't sure how'd she take it. He helped me with the toddlers and even Leviticus who was cold to him ended up warming up to him.

 I suppose I should say he was back on the formula as well as solids because without it he would get sick. The day for his birthday was fast approaching and it was then I discovered something that for the first time I was happy about.

 "Jessie, I'm pregnant," I blurted out one day.

 Jessie grinned from ear to ear, "Larni that's great."

 "Actually I was also wondering if you wanted to move in with me," I proposed. 

Jessie's smile grew, "I was hoping you were going to ask," he told me.

 I pulled him into a hug, happy that for the first time everything was working out for us. 

Leviticus turned five and I smiled at my firstborn that only thing that hurt was how much like his father he looked. 

"Do you want me to take you to get some new threads tomorrow?" Jessie asked him.

 Leviticus looked over at me smiling, "Only if its okay with Mema," he said. 

"Of course it is," I told him giving him a hug. 

"Are you having a baby?" he suddenly asked me.

 I looked at Jessie puzzled wondering where he had got that from, "Yeah, how'd you know?" I questioned him. 

"I can hear its heartbeat," he explained simply listening to my tummy.

 "Honey, you can't hear people's heartbeats," I tried to explain. 

"Yes, I can," he countered. I wasn't sure how to explain it to him because Leviticus was sure he heard everyone's heartbeat. 

Jessie kept to his word and took Leviticus out clothes shopping while I stayed back trying to teach Greyson how to talk, something he absolutely hated. 

A knock on the door startled me, "Coming," I called picking myself up. 

The three faces at the door, weren't ones I exactly wanted to see. "Hello Larnika," Vincenzo greeted me, followed by a simple, "Larnika," by Luciano. Rain looked like she'd rather be anywhere else. 

Chapter 7 The Trial

I watched the trial from the safety of my home, true to her word Rain and Luciano had got it taken to court and the press exploded with the story. It was the biggest story Bridgeport had had in years.  Nobody had lied Kai Leiko was a popular celebrity, not a big one but a popular one and Lola Belle a celebrity with a similar status to both Luciano and Vincenzo jumped in to support him.  The public didn't know who to support they loved Luciano and they loved Lola, however when Vincenzo stood in as a key witness Kai's fate was decided. The public flocked to Luciano side, Vincenzo may be an unconfirmed criminal but the famous Luciano/Vincenzo rivalry had been going on for years. If they were working together, Kai had to be guilty. My name was never mentioned, it wasn't even required that I give a witness and for that I was glad. I didn't want anything to do with the trial but somehow whenever I flicked the tv on their it was. I had taken to staying away from the tv at all costs. 

Since Rain was so busy with work again it leave me struggling to teach Leviticus how to talk, walk and use the potty with a mountain for a stomach.

 I was tired none stop and sometimes I felt myself falling asleep on my feet. It was during one of these times that I fell asleep on the couch and woke up frantically searching for Leviticus.

 I found him happily playing with his toys, picking him up I cuddled into him.

 Leviticus cling onto me tightly as if trying to tell me that he was fine. "What would I do without you?" I murmured looking into his glowing eyes. 

It was also something else that bothered me, I had noticed a glow in Luciano's eyes and even a faint one in Rain's but Leviticus's eyes glowed fully. Every so often I would walk into his room and catch him biting his toys like some sort of an animal. 

I shook it off as toddler antics, but I was sure it was something more. Not just that I received a special formula for him as I always had but everyone refused to tell me what was in it and why it was slightly red. 

I was determined to get him on solids as soon as possible, who knew what I was giving my son. 

The last day of the trial was around my due date and Rain had come over for the first time in ages the night before. 

"The win's ours," she promised me. 

I smiled but a gut feeling every time I watched a interview with Kai and the press told me something was off. 

"Rain are we sure it was him?" I asked nervously. 

"Of course it is," Rain exploded, "and you can get a paternity test to prove it."

 I held up my hands, "He just doesn't seem guilty," I said quietly. 

Rain snorted, "Like you can tell, you think Vincenzo great and he's a bad as they get."

 "Geez Rain, I'm sorry but I don't have the patience to hear you talk about him like that in my house. He's been good to me," I told her standing up for myself for the first time against Rain. I don't know what compelled me to do it, I never had before. 

Rain looked as shocked as me before her eyes narrowed, "Luciano's been good to you and you don't act like the sun's comes out of his head," she yelled at me.

 "I don't need to because you do that perfectly fine," I argued my voice raised. 

"That's because he's done everything for me and he wouldn't of had to if Vincenzo hadn't ruined everything." 

"What did he do to you?" I shouted at her.

 "He's the reason Kai got you pregnant," Rain yelled angrily. 

I stared at her unsure how to react, "What?" I questioned quietly. 

Rain shook her head, "No just forget I said anything," she told me before leaving. 

The day of Kai's trial came and I was still in complete confusion over Rain's words they made no sense to me. Turning on the news later that night I saw as Rain had been sure that Kai was found guilty. I didn't want to believe Rain's words, if she truly believed that she wouldn't allow an innocent man to go to jail. Rain wouldn't answer any of my phone calls and neither would Luciano and Vincenzo my irritation was on an all time high. My labor pains started at eight o clock that night and I was lucky enough to be able to get Leviticus into bed. 

I tried calling Rain to babysit so I could get to an hospital but it was all to no avail, she wouldn't answer. So I had to deal alone, and have a home birth something I never imagined or wanted. I don't know what I said as the contractions drew closer together but I knew it was something to the effect of having my tubes tied. I must be crazy fertile to get pregnant on my first two times of being intimate. Finally in the early hours of the morning my newest addition was born, a tiny boy named Greyson Butler. I held him to me tightly, any worries that I had of not loving him as much as Leviticus were washed out the window.

 Luckily the second nursery had finished being furnished so I gently put Grayson in his cot, before making towards my bed for a well-earned sleep.

 I loved my boys, but still my last thoughts before sleep took its hold were never again.