Sempre (Sempre 1)
“I was outside your grandparents’ house after the funeral, and your mother sat down beside me. Your mother . . . she never liked to come near me, so for her to do it was a big deal.” He paused. “When she gathered the courage to speak, she said those exact words: You have to help her.”
Carmine gaped at him. “Haven?”
Corrado nodded. “I told your mother it wasn’t my place, but I should’ve tried. I owed her that much.”
“You owed her?”
“Yes, I did, but why is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is I never made it up to her.”
“Does that mean you’re gonna help?”
He cut his eyes at him. “I vouched for her, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, you did, but . . .” Carmine trailed off, glancing out at Haven in the yard. “What about her mom? Can’t you help her?”
“I can’t help everyone. There will always be someone, somewhere, who needs something.”
“I know, but this isn’t just someone,” Carmine said. “This is her family, like we’re family.”
Corrado’s stare was hard. “You’re playing the family card?”
“I, uh . . .” Carmine hesitated, but there was no point denying it. “Yes.”
“You’re certain you want to do that?”
Corrado’s tone made Carmine question it momentarily. Did he? “Sure.”
Turning to the window, Corrado shook his head. “The most I can do is let her live in my home. It’s a risk, but frankly, after vouching for your girlfriend, I doubt it’s possible to dig myself in any deeper. If I die, that’ll be what kills me. Everything else is extra.” Corrado turned to Michael, who still sat quietly in his chair. “Any objections, Antonelli?”
Michael stammered. He hadn’t heard a word of what they’d said. “Uh, I . . . well, I don’t know.”
Corrado raised an eyebrow, the look on his face enough to make Carmine balk. “What do you mean you don’t know?”
“I mean . . .” He shook his head. “Sure, it’s fine with me.”
Corrado turned around. “We’ll handle it all tonight, then. Drop Haven off at the hotel and come back. It should be settled by then.”
* * *
Carmine finally made his way outside. As soon as Haven spotted him, a cold sense of dread settled deep within her. He paused a few feet away. “I’ll give you a minute.”
Her mama pulled her into a hug, tears streaming from her eyes, but a radiant smile shined from her lips. “You don’t know how much it means to me to see you like this. My baby girl, with the world at her fingertips.”
Haven squeezed her tightly. “I love you, Mama.”
“I love you too. I always have. I want you to go out there and live your life.”
Her chest ached at having to leave her again. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too, but the world is a better place with you in it,” her mama said, pulling from the hug. “Now get away from this place. I’m happy to see you again, but I’ll be happier knowing you’re out there living.”
“But I can’t leave you here, Mama. Not again.”
“Hush,” she said sternly. “Don’t worry about me.”
Haven tried to speak, wanting to object, but her mama didn’t give her a chance.
“Go,” she said again. “You found your place in the world. Don’t let me hold you back from it.”