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“Oh Brice,” Lily said, seeing him.
“Go on, go see Brice, I know he needs to feel you against him as much as I did.” I whispered in her ear.
Once he was settled and the nurse left, Lily crawled into his bed and they hugged for what felt like forever when I wanted her near me again. “So how long do we have to stay in this place?” Brice questioned, finally letting Lily up for air.
“Doctor’s said it could be about a week for both of you. We kept Tanner and Porter informed of what happened and Kelan is on his way out here.” Hudson informed us.
“I-is T watching over t-things then?” I asked, noticing it was becoming a little easier to get the words out.
“Yes, she...” A knock on the door cut Carter off.
When it opened, the last person I would have ever thought to be there was standing behind it. “May I have a moment alone with these two gentlemen?” Lily’s father asked.
Looking back at me, Carter raised his brows in question. “It's fine w-with me, you B-Brice?” I asked.
“It's fine with me.” He answered in a gravelly voice.
Both Carter and Hudson reluctantly left as Lily stayed right where she was. “Lillian, I just need a few minutes please, then you can come back in.” Her father assured her.
Kissing Brice on the lips, she got up and walked over to me doing the same before she turned to face her father. “Please don't upset them Papa, I love them.”
Kissing her forehead he ushered her towards the door. “Wait outside for me, okay?”
Nodding her head, she turned to look at us both once again, mouthing the words, “I love you,” before leaving.
Turning our attention back to her father, who now stood at the foot of our beds, I watched him take in a deep breath. “In my time a man fell in love with a woman and a woman fell in love with a man. Now in these times you have men falling in love with men and women falling in love with women. These are not things I am comfortable with. I come from a time of certain traditions and expectations, so it's hard to keep up with you kids today and the new rules you’ve made up in the language of what a relationship is. This idea of sharing one woman between the two of you was what back in my day we called prostitution.”
“Mr. Martinez...” I started to say, but he held his hand up, cutting me off.
“I'm not calling my daughter a prostitute, Mr. Martinez. My daughter, Lillian, has always been a good girl, nothing like that sister of hers, or myself for that matter. She's a woman like her mother and I thank God, every day for that. Somehow deep down I always knew she wouldn't be part of this world I've created one day. She's loyal to her family to a fault, even willing to give up a year of her life to fulfill her duty to marry a man she feels nothing more than a friendship with, though I would guess after what happened back at the house yesterday she probably wouldn't even call him a friend now. Hell I’m thankful that she even still calls me her Papa after the way I reacted to the news of you three.” Pausing for a moment, he paced to the side of the room and took another deep breath. “Do you know what my Lillian said to me after you left that day? She told me that if I forced her to marry Vitale, knowing how much she loved the two of you, she would still do it as the duty she knew she owed the family. But then she said when it was done she would no longer be a part of this family and pray that you two would welcome her back into your arms, and if you didn't, she would live out the rest of her life a lonely woman, never to love again or bear any children.” Chuckling he began to pace the room again for a moment, then turned to face us again. “Would you wait for her, knowing for that year she would be fulfilling her duties as a wife in every way to her husband, to Vitale?”
Looking over at Brice, he just nodded to me, silently conveying the same thoughts that were in my head. “Yes we would.”
“You would? You love her that much that you would allow her to be with another man, knowing what they would be doing together in their bed?”
Finally having enough of his bullshit questions, I told him. “L-Lily is the love of o-our life, and something t-tells me you know what that f-feels like with your wife, yes?”
He nodded his head in agreement. “Yes.”
“Would you have t-turned your back on your w-wife and stopped loving her, k-knowing she was being f-forced to be away from you for a y-year with another man, and at the end of t-that you would have the r-rest of your lives together? Would you chance ever f-finding that kind of l-love again, knowing all y-you had to do was wait for h-her?”
Thinking for a moment, he finally spoke. “I did. I waited for Lillian’s mother. When we met she was already married to another man, a powerful man. I worked for her father and fell in love with her the first time I laid eyes on her, but I couldn't watch him touch her over and over in front of me, knowing she felt the same way I did. So I made a deal with her father that he couldn't pass up and a divorce was granted so we could marry, but the cost of what I had to give almost killed me... literally. If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't hesitate one second, knowing what I'd have for the rest of my days here on this earth. What you did, sacrificing yourselves the way you did, not only saved my daughter, but gave me more time with the love of my life, the one who keeps my heart... and for that I can't thank you enough. So I'm going to repay the favor. I've just come from a meeting with Vitale and a few of the other captains and we were able to strike up a new deal.”
“So that means?” Brice asked.
“That means that while I do not understand this relationship you have with my daughter, I can see that you both love her very much and will protect her with your lives, so I am letting her out of her duty to this family to start one of her own. You gentlemen have my blessing.
The elation I felt at hearing his word was beyond comprehension and the tears that welled up in my eyes threatened to fall over. “Are you s-saying what I think y-you’re saying, Mr. Marchetti?” I asked.
“I am. She is no longer engaged to marry Vitale.”
“Thank you so m-much Mr. Marchetti, t-thank you.”
“Yes, thank you.” Brice added with a scratchy voice.
“Well, I've said what I came to say, but lastly, take care of my baby girl and at least encourage her to stay in touch with her mother. It would break her heart to never hear from the only daughter she has left now on a regular basis.”
“She will be staying in touch with both of y-you. While I know she's angry right now, I know s-she loves you both very m-much, and you and your wife a-are both welcome to come v-visit anytime.”
“Thank you. Well I’d better let Lillian back in here before she breaks the door down.” Stopping for a moment, he turned to face us again. “Being with you two has strengthened her, she would have never stood up to me in the past. I think you two might be good for her.” Were his last words before he closed the door behind him.
Not even five seconds passed before Lily was bursting through the door with Kelan hot on her heals. “What did he say?”
“He said you are r-released from your family d-duty of marrying Vitale and gave u-us his blessing.” The happiness that spread over her face was the best gift ever, after what her father gave us of course.
Kissing me, telling me she loved me, she moved to Brice’s bed to do the same. “You two really scared the shit out of me brother, but I’m glad you're both okay.” Kelan said.
Looking over to Brice and Lily hugging, I told him. “Yes we a-are brother, y-yes we are.”
