Accept My Baby

“Mio dio,” he heard his mother say in a low voice.

“Yeah, I think I should get you that juice,” Lola said and Amanda nodded before she led her daughter and Amanda out of the kill zone leaving Rafael alone with his family.

“Un bambino, Rafael? When did this happen?” his mother asked.

“Yeah, just how long have you been with this woman?” Paolo asked and he shrugged.

“A few days…maybe a couple of weeks,” he said.

“And you managed to get her knocked up in those few days?” Alberto asked.

Rafael shook his head.

“Actually, she was pregnant when I met her.”

“So, it is not your baby?” Susanna pressed and Rafael nodded. “Don’t you see what she’s trying to do here? She is trying to get to your money.”

“She did not even know who I was,” Rafael pointed out.

“It might have been all an act,” Alberto pointed out.

“You cannot assume the opposite,” Paolo said and Rafael sighed loudly.

“So, let me get this straight. You would rather have someone who lives her life going to parties with rap stars and tycoons be my wife rather than a decent woman…” he started.

“A decent woman who just happens to be pregnant,” Susanna said. “By another man no less.”

“And what does she do anyway?” Paolo asked.

“She is a travel journalist,” Rafael said quickly. “We met because she is here on assignment.”

“Convenient,” Susanna said.

“But wait, Mama,” Alberto said. “This is the first girl Rafael has brought home. Shouldn’t that count for something?”

Susanna shook her head and walked to the bar. She poured herself a drink and looked at Rafael.

“The father of the child,” she started. “Who is he?”

“Her ex. She had been with someone for a long time before things went south….she took the job out here to get away from everything.”

“Did she tell you about the baby or did you find out?” Paolo asked.

“She told me,” Rafael said.

“Fanculo!” Susanna cursed loudly.

“Per fevore, Mama. My daughter is in the next room,” Alberto said in a loud whisper.

“Si Susanna,” Paolo said as he walked towards the bar. He sat down on one of the bar stools and looked at Rafael. “Figlio, do you love this girl?”

“Paolo!” Susanna said, sounding obviously upset.

“Susanna, he brought her here. He obviously wants to have us involved in this,” Paolo pointed out.

“I think so too, Mama.” This was Alberto.

“But he brought Isabella here,” Susanna pointed out.

“We have always been friendly with the Benassi family, Mama. Isabella has always been around even when I did not want her to be,” Rafael said in a soft voice.

“So son, do you love her?” Paolo asked again and Rafael shrugged.

“I don’t know but I do know that I am falling for her, hard, Papa. And I have never felt like this for anyone. That much I know.” He looked at his mother. “Plus, even though I might not know what I feel for her yet, I know that I want her in my life so much that I am willing to have that child take my name.”

“But the baby will not be an Imperioli,” Susanna said.

“I don’t care and I am no longer an Imperioli heir anyway. He or she will get my oil wells,” Rafael pointed out.

“That should not be a factor, Rafael,” Paolo said before he turned to his wife. “This girl has grounded our son. We have not seen anything in the tabloids lately.”

“Yeah, I was beginning to think the hard partying finally got to you,” Alberto said in a low voice.

Susanna looked at Rafael and realized that her husband and son was right. She had not had a reason to worry about Rafael in a long time and as much as she did not like the idea of her son with a pregnant foreigner, the truth was that Amanda had indeed changed her son.

“She makes you happy?” she asked and Rafael nodded.

“She does,” he said as he looked at Amanda who was sipping on what looked like cranberry juice as she talked with Ariadne. “She really, really does.”

“Then I guess we should have dinner served and get to know Amelia better,” Susanna said.

“Amanda,” Paolo, Rafael and Alberto said in unison before they all walked towards the living room where the girls were. And for the first time in a long time, Rafael was actually at peace in the company of his family.

The end.