As good as I’ve been getting at my “fake smile,” Ezio knows the difference. There is no way that he doesn’t know what I’m upset about. How could he not? He talks to Viktoria about this, and now I’m mad… he might be irritating me right now, but he’s not stupid!
When we got home from the party, I stormed straight to the bedroom. As mad as I was, I couldn’t let the kids see us argue. Ezio followed me, and put his hand on my arm. I whipped around, “don’t touch me!” I hissed.
“What do you think you are doing? Asking Viktoria to turn you? Oh my god! Not only would you be a vampire, but you ask your EX-wife to do it?” I yelled.
Ezio stepped back from me. “So you were eavesdropping? I thought you were above this petty jealousy, Melissa!”
“Are you kidding me, right now? That’s your response to this? I find out you’re sneaking around behind my back, trying to become a vampire… and you think I’m being jealous?” I was already having a hard time fighting back tears.
“Damn it, Melissa! Can’t you see I’m trying to do this for us?” he yelled, and threw his hands up in exasperation. His raised voice and sudden movement startled me. I think the look on my face must have made him realise he needed to get himself under control, because he lowered his voice. “I just don’t want to leave you,” he almost whispered.
Ezio might have calmed down a little, but I wasn’t ready to. “What hurts me most is that you didn’t talk to me about it first. You just decided that this is what’s best for our family!”
I tried to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from crying. This was not a fight I wanted to lose.
“So I need my wife’s permission? Oh, I’m sorry… after so many years of being a successful businessman, I thought maybe I was allowed to make some decisions on my own. Apparently not!”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I picked up a pillow off of the bed and threw it at him. “JUST GET OUT!” I yelled. “I can’t even talk to you right now!”
“Fine!” he said, as he picked up the pillow and walked out.
Throwing myself onto the bed, I finally let all of the pent up rage and frustration come out in tears and sobs. How could he do this to us? I kept thinking.
After I had finally stopped crying, I got up and changed into some pajamas, and threw myself back on the bed. I didn’t even cover myself up. I didn’t feel like I deserved covers. Even though it was Ezio that I was mad at, I still felt guilty for my part in the argument.
I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I remembered was waking up, and wondering where Ezio was. The memories came flooding back, and I groaned. When I thought about it all, I almost started crying again. Instead, I took a deep breath, and sat up.
Moving a little stiffly, I decided to go find Ezio. It was wrong of him to keep this from me, but we needed to resolve this. I can’t stand being at odds with him.
Walking into the living room, I found him asleep on the couch… the pillow lay on the loveseat nearby. I looked down at him sleeping, and felt like my heart began to beat again. I thought about waking him, but I decided to let him sleep.
Just then, he opened his eyes. He sat up and quickly grabbed my hand as if I would vanish if he waited. “Mia bella,” he said, “I’m sorry!”
I rushed into his arms. “No, I’m sorry,” I cried. I kept crying as he planted little kisses all over my face.
“I should have told you,” he said. “I think that maybe I didn’t, because I knew how you would feel about it. I wanted to have it my own way, but I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Leaning into him, I put my face near his neck. “I’m sorry too. I just panicked and was angry. I wasn’t thinking at all about how you might be feeling. What a terrible wife I must be, if you don’t feel you can tell me these things!” I could feel the tears starting to spill out of my eyes again.
Ezio put his hands on my face. “You are my life, cara mia. You could never be a bad wife to me!” and he kissed me. He pulled his face away a little and looked in my eyes. “No more vampire stuff! I promise.”
*
One morning, a few weeks later, I climbed back into bed with Ezio. I watched him sleep for a few minutes, and anxiously waited for him to wake up.
He took a deep breath and sighed, as he opened his eyes. “Where were you?” he asked. How did he know?
“Just the bathroom!” I smiled.
“Then why do you look so… awake?” he chuckled.
I sat up a little, and looked into his eyes. “Lover, I have some news!”
“Good news, I hope! No need to rush to the hospital?” he joked.
I smiled. “No hospital just yet!” I replied.
Ezio’s eyes searched mine, as he tried to work out what I was trying to say. In a moment, his eyes lit up.
“There it is!” I played. “Are you happy about it?”
He put his hands on my face, and pulled me closer. “Bella rosa, I’m ecstatic!”
*
Later, that evening, I went to find my phone. I had left it in another room, and as I ran to get it, I noticed Tigger. He’s just lately become obsessed with the robot vacuum. He will sit on it and wait for it to turn on, so he can ride it around.
“Tigger, you strange cat!” I laughed as I grabbed my phone.
I snapped a quick pick of a bottle of Moscato, and sent it to Viktoria. She quickly replied, “Heck yeah!”
I sat on a couch near the door, so when she walked up, I jumped up and opened the door.
“Your Moscato awaits!” I said, and jokingly bowed and gestured towards the living room.
As we sat and sipped our glasses, Viktoria told me her own news. Vivian had gotten herself pregnant. I felt bad for everyone involved… except maybe that boy! The boy who got her pregnant, and then broke her heart, was none other than an Auditore! Ezio’s great-nephew.
I hugged Viktoria, then suggested she talk to Ezio about it. He was the head of the family now, after all. Maybe he could talk some sense into that nephew of his. She said she’d think about it.
As I poured another glass for Viktoria, she suddenly noticed my glass didn’t have wine in it. Just sparkling water.
“Umm, Melissa?” she pointed at my glass.
“Yeah!” I grinned.
“Does this mean what I think it means?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeeaaaaah!” I bounced excitedly on the couch, grabbed her and hugged her again.
“Well congrats, Momma! When, what, how, who, where?” she joked, and we both laughed.
“All righty,” I said, “still early on, so when would be many months from now. What, not sure yet, but other than that I will only tell you you know who and the rest is strictly confidential!” I expanded on her joke and we both laughed again.
After I put the twins to bed, I brought Viktoria another bottle. I will admit that I kept refilling her glass. She seemed like she needed it. She vented to me about the whole situation. I just let her pour her heart out to me. She laughed, and cried, and every emotion in between. It kind of made me dread the day Juliet would be a teenager, but that was a long way off.
After a while, Ezio came home. He smiled at us, and suggested we move the party up to the raised deck.
Viktoria had some more wine, and told Ezio the whole story… if a little less coherently than when she told me.
The pregnancy was already wearing me out, and it was getting late. I asked Ezio to see that Viktoria got home ok, and hugged her again, before going to bed. I really wish that I could have seen what was coming, and the part I played in it.
Note: This story was inspired by and is connected to the Sims Legacy Stories. Please read that blog for Viktoria’s point of view. Coinciding chapter found here!
Maiden Lissa's Stories 
💕 another great one! Loved it.
LikeLiked by 1 person