Fever by Autumn Archer
20
Five Years Ago
I take a second to process the news. “Have you told him about the baby?”
Her lower lip wobbles, and my sister looks just like she did when our world fell apart all those years ago. She was fourteen when I had to break the news about our parents. “No.” Her ponytail swishes. “What if he wants to get rid of it?”
“Then he’s a fucking asshole. If he respects you, Gabs, he won’t want that.” And if he’s that sort of guy, I’ll strangle him myself. “A real man takes responsibility for his family and his actions.”
“I’m scared, Dante. This isn’t how I planned my life. Not yet, anyway. I’m trying to make a go of the business. A baby only complicates things.” Worried eyes well up, and she flings herself into my chest. At twenty-three years of age, she’s still my kid sister.
“Look, I’ve taken care of you for years. I won’t stop now. Remember when you accused me of watching porn on my laptop night after night, and I told you I was working for some guys, and you had to keep it a secret. I did that for us. To get us out of the slums. I wanted you to have a fighting chance at a better life. Having a baby won’t fuck that up. If anything, it will make our family bigger and better, right? I’ll be here for you, Gabs. Always.”
She sniffs and rubs her eyes. “What if you get caught? You’re skimming so much money these days. They’ll come after you. People will find out who you are.”
“And by that time, I’ll be out of the game, and we’ll be living in Costa Rica with a pool for the kid and a garden full of tropical flowers for you to make those table setting things you love so much.”
Her smile widens as we both indulge in the dream we’ve designed for so many years. I’ve stored my earnings in an offshore account, amassing a substantial amount of reais for a rainy day. For the day we finally break free.
“I love you, Dante. Promise me the dream will come true and Miguel can be part of it.”
My stomach knots. Who knows how the guy will react? If I wanted to be brutally honest with her, I’d put a wager on him fleeing like a fucking coward. “You should tell him about the baby first. Then we’ll see if he’s worth including in our plans. Otherwise, it's you and me, like it’s been up until now.” I glance at the hand pressed to her belly. “And this little dude too.”
“If it's a boy, I’ll call him Dante after you.”
I laugh. “I don't think the world is ready for another Dante.”
She laughs too. “If he gets your killer looks and big heart, then the world will be a very happy place. Well, the women will be anyway.”
We had so many dark days in the beginning. Eventually, we found light at the end of the darkness and helped each other. We’ll get through this too. Bringing a new life into the world should be celebrated, especially when there’s so much death. I drag her in for another hug. “It’ll be okay, Gabriela. Trust me.”
