Page 99 of The Godfather’s Christmas Twins

"I made mistakes," I admit. "I should have been honest with you years ago, Nic. But I won't apologize for loving her or for wanting to be with my children now."

Nic's jaw clenches. "Your children. My niece and nephew who I've helped raise while you were in Vegas. If you loved her then, why did you abandon them?"

“Fear, Nic. I didn’t know about the kids until last week, but I knew what it would be like with Aldo. You did too. We talked about it.”

“Right, and I killed that motherfucker long ago. Where were you then?”

I understand his anger. It’s because he doesn’t know the truth. Because I never told him. “Gino only died last year.”

“So?”

“Gino sent me to Vegas to get me away from Gia.”

Nic’s mouth gapes. “He knew?”

I shake my head. “No. Or, I don’t know. What he told me was that he knew Gia had a crush on me and that we were spending a lot of time together. He worried it would look bad, that Aldo wouldn’t want to marry her.”

Nic’s eyes are still dark.

“He threatened her, Nic. He said any hint of impropriety and Gia would be worth less than nothing to him. What else could I do?”

He flinches. “He said that? Why didn’t you tell me?”

I close my eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe I was afraid you’d see my feelings for her. We were together only once back then, but I knew then that I was in love with her. Those few months that summer, everything changed for me. And for her. And I did my best to ignore it, Nic, I swear to God I did.”

“So now you love her when last year, you couldn’t wait to get away?”

I nod. “I let fear drive me away. Fear of betraying you, fear of the age difference, fear of what others would think. But staying away was the real betrayal to Gia, to the kids, to myself. I can’t do that anymore. I’m hoping you don’t ask me to because I really don’t want to defy you.”

His brow arches. “And you would defy me?”

“Yes. For Gia, I’ll do anything.”

"You could have told me." Nic's voice is rough with emotion. “Gia could have told me.”

“Gia made her choices too. She chose to protect our children by letting everyone believe they were Aldo's. She chose to build a life without me. Those were her decisions to make. I don’t think they were wrong, either. Gino would have killed us both."

Nic sucks in a breath, and I know he agrees with me. Gino wouldn’t have tolerated my being with Gia. “So, what are your intentions now?”

"I want to marry her. Give the twins my name. Build the family we should have been all along." The words flow easily now, truth replacing years of careful silence. "But only if she wants that too. Her choice. Always her choice."

Something shifts in Nic's expression. He turns from me, looking out the front window of her home. I’d spent many hoursat that window last year, using it as a distraction from my yearning for Gia.

Finally, he turns back to me, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small velvet box. "It's Gia's mother's. She gave it to me before she disappeared. Said to save it for when Gia found real love. It wasn't from my father, so it's not tainted. It was passed down in her family."

My throat tightens as Nic places the box in my hand. The simple gesture carries the weight of his acceptance, his blessing.

"You should give it to her,” I say. After all, it was given to him to give to Gia.

He shakes his head. "Whether you give it as an engagement ring or not, you should give it to her. "

I take the box and then look at him. My brother.

He rolls his shoulders as if he’s uncomfortable by the mushy moment. He starts to leave but then stops at the door and turns. “Oh, what about Benny?”

I shake my head. “He’s a dumb ass motherfucker, but I’d feel bad killing him in light of everything. Gia is going to want to hand over the money Aldo left the twins. Technically, it’s not theirs.”

Nic nods. “I guess that’s fair. Tell Gia I’ll talk with her later.” With that, he’s out the door.