Chapter 0358

When Daniel and Jerome come home with the news of the sentencing, I don’t say much. Honestly,

there’s not much to say. I had been fairly certain that it would go smoothly - and I’ve certainly got

other things in my mind to worry about.

So I just nod to them, and turn back to the paperwork that’s spread out all over the table,

concentrating especially on the big calendar I’ve drawn out before me.

Because what this sentencing actually gives us, which I’ve been waiting for…

Is a timeline.

One month. One month of Kent spilling his guts to Ivan (which I’m sure Kent will absolutely hate),

and then…we move.

“Okay,” I say, looking down at my notes as Daniel and Jerome come over to the table, but before I

can say anything else –

My hand flies to my mouth as my stomach turns over.

“Oh no,” Jerome says, going tense before dashing into the kitchen, looking for the popcorn bowl

that I’ve been using in emergencies when I can’t get to the bathroom –

“I’ve got her!” Daniel shouts, taking me by the shoulders and rushing me to the half-bath off the

kitchen, where I skitter to my knees before the toilet. Luckily, we make it in time for me to neatly

throw up my breakfast directly into the toilet.

Daniel, ever sweet, holds back my hair and pets my head softly until I’m finished. Then I fall back on

my butt with a groan and he hands me a tissue.

“You okay?” he asks softly, his eyes full of concern.

“Yeah,” I reply, sighing and frowning down at my stomach. “Stupid baby.”

“In baby’s defense,” Jerome says, leaning against the door frame, “she’s probably really smart.”

“Well, then she’s just a jerk,” I murmur, sighing again and working to stand up as Daniel flushes the

toilet. Then he pats me on the back as I reach for the toothbrush and toothpaste I keep in here – I

keep a spare set in all the bathrooms now – so I can clean the vomit taste out of my mouth.

As I brush, I stare at myself in the mirror, wondering how the hell I’m supposed to plan everything I

need to plan if I’m running to the toilet five times a day, overwhelmed with nausea. There’s just…so

much that needs to get finished. And with only one month…

As I lean over to spit out my toothpaste, I look down at my little belly. “You’d better not screw this up,

kid,” I murmur. “Or else both of your parents will be in jail. And then you’ll get raised by Aunt Janeen

and you’ll turn out really weird.”

I run a hand over my stomach, almost waiting for a reply but…nothing comes. Obviously. So, I just

straighten my shoulders, take a deep breath, and get back to work.

The days pass quickly now that we have our timeline. Natalia and Alessi gave us a tearful goodbye

and headed back to Italy, promising to come visit when the baby is born. With them gone, and

without ever formally agreeing to it, my little household falls into a simple routine. We get up early to

share a breakfast together, and then Daniel goes off to work with my father. Daniel always sighs

when he comes home because I’m always waiting for him with a plate of food and a notebook. He

groans, mumbling something about his second shift, and then he sits down with me and I make him

tell me absolutely everything he learned that day – everything he saw, everyone he talked to,

everything they said. And then I ask questions, and I make him do it all again.

“Why do you need to know this, Fay?” he asks one night, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

“I’ll tell you when you need to know,” I murmur, writing in my notebook and checking the map of

international shipping routes that I had Daniel bring home for me. He just sighs, I think a little sick of

hearing it, but…well.