The Promise(47)

“I’m sorry,” I cried into her neck, my voice thick and clogged, muffled by her hair.

“No, I’m sorry,” she cried into mine, her voice the same.

“I’m an idiot,” I told her, holding tight and still crying.

“I’m a dork,” she told me, holding tight and also still crying.

“No, you aren’t,” I blubbered.

“You aren’t either,” she blubbered back.

“Jesus.” I heard Cal mutter.

“Shut up, Joe,” Violet snapped but did it in my neck, not moving a centimeter away from me.

We just held on.

For my part, I held on because she felt good. She felt alive.

And we’d made it through.

Suddenly, Vi’s body jerked and she asked, “Am I hurting you?”

I lifted my head, she lifted hers, and we caught each other’s eyes.

“I’m fine,” I whispered.

“I’m glad,” she whispered back, and I knew she meant she was glad I was fine in more ways than just enduring her hug.

I smiled at her. She smiled back.

Seeing it, I felt my face start crumbling again, but I beat it back and gave her a shake. “You fine?” I asked.

“Absolutely,” she answered, then asked, “You wanna meet my girls?”

“Absolutely,” I answered.

Her smile came back and she kept hold of me with one arm but turned us toward her daughters. I swiped my hand on my face as I saw one girl was hanging on Cal. The other one was hanging on Benny. Both had eyes to their mother and me and both sets of eyes were wet.

“Katy, Keirry, come here and meet Frankie,” she urged.

They moved forward cautiously, undoubtedly knowing I was convalescing.

I threw out my free arm and they came a lot faster, but they didn’t knock me back to a foot.

What I figured was the older one, Kate, got there first. Vi let me go so she could give me a light hug and say close to my ear, “Cool to meet you.”

When she would’ve let go, I held tighter and said, “Same here, honey.”

She turned her head, looked into my eyes, and her lip quivered, but she held it together and smiled.

I let her go and Keira came forward.

Her hug was just as light, but I knew things were going to go bad when she said in my ear, “Thanks for taking care of Momalicious.”

Then her arms spasmed and I knew she’d lost it.

I tightened my arms around her and my eyes moved to Benny, who was watching us with a warm intensity that would have taken my breath away if Keira was letting me breathe.

I tore my eyes from Ben, turned my head, and whispered in her ear, “My pleasure, baby.”

Keira’s body bucked with her sob.

Kate slid in beside her mom and I heard her whimper. So I caught her eyes and grinned at her.

She, again, held it together and grinned back.

Suddenly, Cal was there, hand wrapped around the back of Keira’s neck, and he asked in a gentle, quiet voice I’d never heard from him in my life, “You wanna let me in there, Keirry?” His voice was so beautiful, if Keira was letting me breathe, again, it would have made me stop.

She let go abruptly, almost like she was embarrassed, nodding and wiping her face.

Vi claimed her and Cal claimed me. He didn’t hold on tight, but he did communicate a lot with his hug and I felt myself begin to lose it again.

I took in a shuddering breath and held it together as Cal leaned away, looked down at me, and asked in a voice meant only for me, “You good?”

I knew what he meant.

“I’m thinkin’ I need to get off my feet,” I answered because all that hugging felt great, but at the same time, it didn’t feel real great against my wound.

Then Cal, Vinnie Junior’s best friend in the world, did something weird.

He let me go but did it leaving a hand in the small of my back whereupon he gently, immediately, and firmly pushed me direct to Benny as he said low, “She’s gotta take a load off.”

That was when Benny claimed me, arm around my waist, turning me to the living room and moving us in, saying, “Let’s get settled.”

Company followed, but I couldn’t see how they did because Benny deposited me in the corner of the couch and instantly bent in, one hand to the seat beside me, one hand to the armrest, his face an inch away.

“You need a pill?” he asked.

“No, I’m gonna tough it out. It might get better when I’m not bawlin’.”

His head went back a bit, his eyes moved over my face, and he said, “Right. You need somethin’, you tell Pop or Ma.”

I nodded.

“Now, I gotta go to the store and get a fuckin’ casserole dish.”

I felt my lips quirk before I nodded again.

He watched my lips quirk before he looked back into my eyes, grinned, and winked.