Chapter Seventy Three

Trinity

The moment Stephen bolted down the stairs at midnight, I knew he was searching for me. When he finally burst into the living room and found me with Clint and Mia, he stopped in his tracks.

“Baby, what are you doing?” Stephen asked.

“What does it look like, sweetheart?”

“I...I’m not really sure.”

“Did you really think I’ve been your wife all this time and not picked up on your habits?”

He stood there, looking puzzled by my insinuation.

“Shouldn’t you be getting dressed? We need to leave by twenty till one if we’re going to make it on time.”

“We?”

“You thought I was going to let you go alone?”

“Trinity, you’re not coming with me tonight. More importantly, how did you know?”

“A wife always knows her husband, Stephen. Now go get ready, this isn’t up for debate.”

“Why are they here?”

“They? You mean your family? Clint and Mia understood when I called them. They’ll be watching our kids. If you’re going to finish this tonight, we’re finishing it together.”

“Doll, you—”

“No, Stephen. I don’t need to do anything. If you’re going to this meet tonight, then you’re going with me. Otherwise, you’re not going at all.”

“And if this goes wrong? Then our children grow up with no parents.”

“And if you go alone, our children grow up without their father.”

I could tell he was getting irritated with me challenging him. But I’d warned him enough times not to do this. Now the ball was in his court.

“What will it be, husband?”

“Clint, Mia, would you mind if I had a moment to speak to my wife?”

“Sure thing, bro. We’ll go upstairs and check on the kids.”

We watched as Clint and Mia headed upstairs, then Stephen came and sat down next to me.

“Doll.”

“Yes, baby.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve told you before, I can’t live without you, Stephen. And you know what lengths I’ll go to protect you.”

“I’m not comfortable with this.”

“I’m not comfortable with you going alone into a setup.”

“I love you.”

I thought my husband was leaning in for a kiss, but instead, he turned his head and whispered something to me. When he pulled back, he saw the shock on my face.

“So, what do you say, my queen? Are we doing this?”

I nodded at my husband, letting him know I was on board, and he kissed me deeply.

“Let me go get dressed, okay?”

“Okay, baby. I’ll make you a coffee.”

As I watched my husband head upstairs to get ready, I went into the kitchen to make us both a coffee. I soon found myself lost in my thoughts. I thought about the dynamic Stephen and I have. My work has given me insight into dealing with conflict resolution. The key is to solve the big problem first to prevent the small problems from snowballing. It might sound backward, and impossible to pull off in the heat of battle, but it isn’t.

One thing Stephen and I have learned throughout our relationship is that once our emotions are working with us, not against us, we can figure out any number of ways to deal with the mess in our lives. We can also address the deeper issues, making sure we always put each other and our family first. I’ve learned from past mistakes not to attack Stephen or make him feel like his decisions are insignificant or wrong. Because at one time, they felt like the only way out for him.

Instead, I wonder why he felt that way and I ask about it, so we can constructively work together towards a resolution. Not because these life matters are the most crucial—in some cases, they’re quite trivial—but rather because we never want to dish out more than our relationship can take. So when Stephen told me why tonight was so important to him, he understood why it was so important for me to be there, to protect him, to stand as his life partner and finish this together.

Loving someone can be described as valuing that person immeasurably, and two people in love value each other equally immeasurably. Finding out who you are can take a lifetime. If you’re self-aware and proud, that’s the first step in guiding your spouse to respect you as an equal. Once you know who you are, you can better manage how other people see you.

So when Stephen explained to me what was really happening tonight, I knew the man I loved and adored, the man I vowed to spend a life devoted to, had finally grown into the man I always knew he could be. Not because I wanted him to, but because he finally saw it in himself.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I felt him wrap his arm around my waist and kiss me softly. Leaning into my ear, he whispered,

“I’ll never understand how you do it, but I’ll never question it. You’re everything I never knew I needed. I knew I wanted you, but I never truly appreciated how much I needed you.”

“Stephen, we need each other. It’s what we do best. Please don’t ever question that.”

“Clint and Mia are waiting outside.”

“Okay, baby. Help me carry out these drinks.”

We took out the coffees and before sitting down, I saw Stephen go over to Mia and Clint. I watched as he extended his hand to Mia. She took it and he pulled her up. My heart swelled for my husband’s growth as he pulled Mia in tightly.

“Don’t ever question how important you are to me, Mia. To Trinity. To our children. I love you.”

“I love you too. Come back safely, okay?”

“Always.”

He turned to Clint.

“And you, brother.”

“Nothing more needs to be said, bro. I got you always.”

“I love you, man.”

“I love you too, bro.”

After hugging it out with Clint, he came and sat back next to me and put his arm around me. We enjoyed a few minutes with our friends while finishing our coffees before we got ready to leave.

“We’ll see you soon,” Clint said.

“Soon, bro. No longer.”

“No longer.”

We headed outside as we watched Clint and Mia lock up, knowing our kids were safe with our family. We got into Stephen’s car to head off.

“One more ride, little momma?”

“One more ride, daddy.”

Stephen reaches over, our fingers intertwining, as we drive in silence towards our destination. After a brief journey, we pull up and park. Stephen gets out of the car, then comes around to my side, opening my door and offering his hand. I take it, and he helps me out of the car. We walk around to the front of the vehicle, hand in hand, and begin to wait. The air grows thick with nervous tension as each minute ticks by.

As the time draws near, I start to question if this was all just a trick. But then, the door opens and he steps out.

Stephen’s grip on my hand tightens as he approaches. Without needing to look, I hear him say,

“I love you, Trinity Joyce Gotti.”

“And I love you, Stephen Luciano Gotti,” I reply.

We stand our ground as he comes closer.

“I thought we AGREED this was between you and me, Stephen! AT THE DOCKS! Not at my house!” he shouts.

“I thought by now you’d realize, I don’t make any move without my Queen,” Stephen retorts.

“You are a foolish man,” he sneers.

“It takes a fool to know a fool, Chief Walis,” Lachie interjects.

We watch as the FBI swarm him, fully armed, with Lachie standing directly behind him, the barrel of his gun pressed firmly against the base of his skull. Over a dozen FBI agents and sharpshooters, all armed and ready, their guns trained on their target.

“Checkmate, motherfucker!” Stephen declares.