The Good Girl Meets Bad Boy
Felicia
I coat my lips with the peach coloured lipstick. This will be a change for Nero to see me dressed in the gown, heels, and makeup. I lick my lips in a nervous gesture, hence why I keep having to recoat them with lipstick. In a few moments, I am going to have to walk down those stairs and meet my future husband and greet the guests. My mind is dizzy with thoughts of reflection.
Past Reflection…
I recall waking in the hospital, my eyes felt heavy, my throat was dry, and that constant beeping was causing my head to ache. I lifted my lids but then shut them again. I remember the bright lights hurting my eyes.
“She’ll be fine, Teresa. The doctors assure me of that,” my dad’s voice was the first I heard.
“My baby girl,” my mom sobbed.
I wanted to make her feel better and stop crying, so, while my voice croaked, I managed to get out one word, “Mom.”
It took me a minute or so before I could fully focus on their faces. Mom’s face was tear stained. She had been crying even though she put on a brave smile. Dad held my hand firmly and sighed.
“Grazia?” I chocked out.
“She’s fine, my dove. You saved her. And yourself,” Dad told me quietly.
“Good,” I whispered. “I want to go home.’
Mom kissed my forehead. “Soon, sweetie.”
“I am going to go grab a doctor and see how quickly we can get you out of here,” Dad said before heading toward the door.
When I heard him talk to one of his men, I remembered Lorenzo. I jerked into a sitting position. “Dad! Is Lorenzo okay?”
He walked back stand at the end of the bed. “Lorenzo is currently in ICU. He’s getting the best of care. I am seeing to it. His family is here with him and they are being safely guarded as well.”
Tears formed in my eyes. ICU? That meant he was not out of the woods yet. I thought of his poor family losing their minds. His two boys were six and eight years old. His wife would be lost without him. A tear tracked down my cheek. “I want to see him. He gave us time to run. If it weren’t for him, I don’t know if we would’ve made it.”
Mom enveloped me in her arms as I cried. Dad looked like he wanted to do the same thing, but his men entered the room and there was no way he would show any sign of weakness in front of them. Instead, he straightened his shoulders and said, “Once the doctor gives us the okay, I will take you to him.” He turned and left room, his men falling in behind him.
I cried for quite some time and Mom let me. Maybe it was all the pent-up emotion, the fear of what could have happened to us, the adrenaline of trying to save each other, the death of Joe, the janitor, and, of course, Lorenzo. It was all too much; I cried for a very long time.
True to his word, Dad took me to see Lorenzo as soon as I got the go ahead. The doctor explained that I was a lucky girl and my injury was minor. He put in some stitches and expressed his concern over my mental state of mind after such a scene. I recalled he offered therapy which I quickly turned down. La Famiglia handles their problems internally. We stand strong and show no fear. I thanked him for his assistance and told him I’m ready to go home. He reluctantly signed the release papers and we made our way to see Lorenzo.
I was wheeled into the waiting room for families with patients in ICU. The site of Lorenzo’s wife, Diana, along with Davide and Cristiano, his boys, sitting on a sofa incited new tears that I held in check.
“I’m so sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say.
“He did his job. Once he hears you’re well, it will boost his spirits,” Diana replied.
Dad pushed my wheelchair to Lorenzo’s room and toward his bed. I stood beside it with Dad and I touched his hand. All the tubes and wires affected me. I had heard that, even if a patient is unconscious, they could still hear us, so I gave it a try.
“Lorenzo, it’s me, Felicia. Thank you for giving us time to run. Thank you for fighting to protect us. We wouldn’t have made it without you. I need you to come back to us now. I want you to get well because I won’t have another bodyguard. I need you; your wife and boys need you. Please Lorenzo, open your eyes.”
Dad hugged me and kissed my temple.
“Come, bella. Let’s get you home. I will make sure that we are informed of his progress.”
Fresh tears blurred my vision. I turned my head to bury my face in Dad’s chest to hide my fresh tears welding.
Diana gasped. “He moved his hand!”
Dad ran to the door and called in the doctor.
A while later, we were blessed to see Lorenzo with his wife and children gathered around him. At the sight of my father, Lorenzo tried to rise into a sitting position, like a good soldier.
Dad raised his hand to stop him. “I think you’ve done enough for one day, Lorenzo. Take the rest of the day off.”
Lorenzo smiled weakly.
Mom looked Lorenzo in the eyes. “I cannot thank you enough…” She quickly erupted into tears.
“My job,” Lorenzo croaked.
I walked up next to his bed and I touched his hand. I wanted to say Thank you, but the words were clogged in my throat.
He covered my hand with his. “It’s my job.”
I understood. It might have been what he was supposed to do, but we were all happy it had ended well.
Present Day…
It brings a smile to my lips now to know that Lorenzo is here to celebrate with our families tonight, along with his boys and his pregnant wife. Here to celebrate the union of Nero and Felicia.