Mafia Heir Turns Me Gay novel · Chapter 11 of 32

Chapter 11: Grilled Cheese

They were at Northwestern by a quarter to three.

The Don was alive.

A new machine had joined the others by his bed.

The night nurse said the word "stable" twice, like she was trying to make them believe it.

Santino sat in the chair and took his father's hand again.

Mickey stood in the doorway in his unbuttoned waistcoat and didn't know where he was allowed to be.

Near dawn Santino looked up at him.

"Go home," he said. "Sleep. Take your sister. My driver will take you."

"You need to sleep too."

"I'm staying."

So Mickey went.

At nine in the morning, before he even showered, he called the number on the cardiologist's card taped to the Don's chart.

He said he was family.

The receptionist was kind.

Yes, the doctor had spoken to the Don's son late Thursday night. Yes, it was a long call. Yes, it started a little after midnight.

Mickey hung up and sat on the edge of the tub for a while.

Monday afternoon Mandy and he went home to Bridgeport for the first time since the party.

Santino's driver parked across from the two-flat and stayed in the car, eating a sandwich and watching the street.

The house smelled the way it always did. Coffee, radiator dust, Mandy's vanilla candles.

Kelli's coat was still on the hook by the door.

Mandy took it off the hook, opened the front door, and threw it down the steps onto the sidewalk.

Then she went into the kitchen and got out the bread.

"Grilled cheese," she said. "Sit."

Mickey sat.

She made them the way Mom used to, butter on the outside.

And a slice of tomato in the middle that you weren't supposed to tell anyone about.

She cut his in triangles.

She slid it across the table and sat down across from him with hers.

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