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“Angelo, can’t you make her stop? Tell her we don’t have to go!”
I kneel down to her level, my heart breaking. “I’m sorry, Louisville. I tried, but your mom… she thinks this is best.”
Lou’s face contorts with frustration and anger. “But it’s not fair! We were happy here!”
I can see the tears welling up in her eyes, and it takes everything in me not to just scoop her up and refuse to let them leave.
Before I can respond, Lou turns to me again, her voice determined. “Can you still walk me to school? And pick me up?”
I see Fee about to object, but I quickly cut in. “Absolutely. And we’ll go out for dinner too, if you want.”
Lou’s face brightens at that. “I would like that. Only the two of us, though,” she says before she throws a venomous look at Fee. It’s so full of hurt and anger that even I wince. I’ve never seen Lou look at her mother like that before, and it’s clear Fee feels the impact of it.
Fee’s voice is strained as she says, “Lou, tell Angelo goodbye and thank you.”
But Lou pointedly ignores her, instead throwing her arms around me in a tight hug. “See you later, Angelo,” she says before marching out the door.
The silence that follows is deafening. Fee and I stand there, a thousand unspoken words hanging between us. I want to beg her to stay, to reconsider, but the words stick in my throat. The air feels thick with tension and unsaid goodbyes.
Fee clutches her bags, her knuckles white. “Thank you for everything, Angelo,” she says softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
I can’t help myself. In two strides, I’m in front of her, pulling her into a searing kiss. I pour everything I’m feeling into it—my feelings, my fear, my desperate need for her to stay. My hands cup her face, fingers tangling in her hair as I try to convey everything I can’t say out loud.
Fee gasps against my mouth, and for a moment, she melts into me. Her bags drop to the floor as her hands come up to grip my shirt. The kiss deepens, becoming almost frantic. I can taste the salt of her tears, feel the trembling of her body against mine. Her lips are soft but insistent, moving against mine with a desperation that matches my own.
For a moment, I think maybe, just maybe, I’ve gotten through to her. I can feel her resolve wavering, her body leaning into mine as if she’s fighting the urge to stay.
But then she’s pulling away, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Her lips are swollen from our kiss, her cheeks flushed. “Goodbye, Angelo,” she whispers, her voice breaking on my name.
And just like that, she’s gone, leaving me standing alone in a house that suddenly feels too big, too empty. The ghost of her kiss lingers on my lips, a bittersweet reminder of what I’m losing.
As the door closes behind her, I feel something inside me break. But alongside the pain, a fierce determination takes root. This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.
I’m a Pirelli and Pirellis don't give up. I’m going to fix this. I’m going to bring Fee and Lou home. And God help anyone who tries to stop me—especially Gino Timpone. He has no idea what he’s unleashed.
Because now, it’s not just about business. It’s about family. And I protect what’s mine, no matter the cost.
Once Fee and Lou leave,I fall into a new routine. Every morning, I’m there to walk Lou to school with Marco as our shadow. It’s a small thing, but it’s become the highlight of my day.
One morning, as we’re walking, Lou drops a bombshell. “Did you know Nonno Zip is staying with Grandma Cher?”
I nearly trip over my own feet. “What? I thought he was going back to his apartment.”
Lou shrugs, kicking a pebble down the sidewalk. “Nope. Grandma Cher’s got him at her big, fancy house for ‘round-the-clock care’ or something.”
I’m actually stunned. Cher had always seemed too self-absorbed for that kind of gesture. “That’s… surprising. I thought your grandma was…”
“A selfish witch?” Lou finishes, grinning up at me.
A surprised laugh bursts from my mouth. “Shit, Lou. Are you even supposed to say that?”
Lou shrugs. “I didn’t call her the b-word, at least.”
I can’t argue with that.
Lou’s face turns thoughtful as she kicks an errant pebble on the sidewalk. “Mom says Grandma Cher’s had a change of heart. I dunno. Adults are weird.”
Despite this news, I make sure to keep security on Zip’s apartment. I may respect Fee’s need for space, but I’ll be damned if I don’t keep my girls safe.
