All or Nuffin. The sequel of If I have to.

Chapter 15

"Yolanda are you sure you don't want to call the boys; let them at least know that you're doing better." Lance Gallo said while grabbing the last of his wife's luggage.

"For graces sake if I do then it'll just ruin my surprise. Besides my sons, I'm sure have their minds on someone else." Yolanda said swiftly.

Lance sucked his teeth in response.

"Speaking of the boys did you have Keith do what I told you?"

"Yolanda you can't force him to side with you." He said with a sigh.

"And you can't just let James get away with this. He knew what he was doing."
She turned to face her vanity mirror as the room fell silent.
For a while Lance and Yolanda Gallo sat there in her teenage bedroom. Thinking of who they once were and who they became. Both reflecting on how it's shaped them for the better or worse.

Lance's voice cracks through the silence.
"Let's go love our flight is ready."

"I'll be right there let me just tell mom bye." she said. Lance nodded and understood. He began to grab her bags and take them to the car.

Yolanda looked at the photo on her nightstand. There was a photo from her childhood. It was a picture of her mom and dad on her seventh birthday. A parent at each side smiling brightly. A young Yolanda Bianchi blew out her candles and made a wish. One that would unfortunately come true for the almost family of four.

A tear fell from seemingly nowhere. As she remembered later that year her mother would lose the baby. A baby boy her parents prayed for died the day he was born. Leaving her to be their one and only child. The feeling of grief weighed on them as a family. Mother became distant and cold. Her father became a workaholic. Leaving Yolanda to blame her self in silence.

As the years went on, working began to take a toll on her father. He worked as if they would go hungry, yet they've always had much more than most can spend. Then came the day after Yolanda's sixteen birthday party. The party she begged her father for despite her mother's detest. Yolanda got her way
once again.

Her father Carlo would do anything and everything for his little girl. Spoiling her was his second nature.
Carlo came home with one more gift for Yolanda. He held the jewelry box in his hands and called for Yolanda to come downstairs. Sofia her mother stood in the kitchen doorway waiting to see what he had gotten her this time. As she went downstairs Yolanda's face went from happy to horrified.

She watched as he clutched his chest and collapsed to the floor. Both Yolanda and her mother rushed to his side. His body shook slightly while he tried to gasp for air. "Yolanda get the phone I think he is having a heart attack!" Her mother commanded.

Yolanda remained on the floor next to her father;sobbing in a state of shock. Standing to her feet she dashed to save her dying husband. Despite Sofia's efforts it was too late. Authorities pronounced him dead upon arrival.

The Bianchi family was never the same.
Carlo was the glue that held the small family together. Without him Sofia struggled emotionally and turned to alcohol.
The rocky relationship with her daughter worsened. She refused to give Yolanda the gift her father got her that day.
Which only caused more tension between them.

"You can't be here anymore Yolanda." Her mother said from her mug full of whiskey; Carlo's drink of choice. Her voice was low filled with sadness.
It was a beautiful Sunday morning when Sofia told her daughter about boarding school. She said that she couldn't look at her much longer. "This will be good for us. We can still see each other on the holidays. I'll call you and you'll call me" she rambled off.

A sixteenth year old Yolanda sat at the table in disbelief. Her father hadn't been dead a year yet. Now her mother was sending her to a boarding school in
a different country. Miles and miles away from the only home she's ever known.
"Your things are packed you leave tonight." Her mother voice snapped her back into reality.

Stunned she stared her mother in the eyes searching for something that she knew was gone. "I rather leave now" she said after a while.

"I tried to give you sometime to accept this." Her mother said.

"A whole afternoon, a flight halfway around the world. I don't need all those hours to realize that you don't love me!" Yolanda screamed.

" I loved you!" Her mother's response ended the argument.

When a cab arrived to take Yolanda to the airport she knew she was going alone. Once her belongings were in the car and ready she realized she was forgetting something.

Sofia stood in the foyer waiting for her daughter. Before Yolanda could build the courage to ask for the last time.
Her mother handed her the gift her father died trying to give her. "Don't come back until I'm dead." Sofia said sharply as her eyes brimmed with tears.

For a moment Yolanda question should she take it. What she wanted most is for her mother to hold her as they both cried. She knew that wouldn't happen. She knew since the day her mother read that diary entry. The one were Yolanda wrote how she regretted wishing for no baby brother.

"Unfortunately my mother died years ago." Yolanda said as she left the only home she ever knew.

Beep Beep. Yolanda looks up from the photo she's been clenching.  Lance called for her downstairs. She got up from her seat photo still in hand.
"Did you wanna see them once more?" Lance asked before they leave.

"Um. Yes." She said sadly.
He led her to the backyard. A place where he has seen her spend hours. There under a willow tree was two headstones.

Carlo Bianchi a hard working man who loved his family first

Sofia Bianchi a deep respectful soul
May she rest with those who loved her

Yolanda began to cry again. Her mother's tombstone always bothered her. It always a reminder that she never forgave her. She looked down at the photo still in her hand now wrinkled. Yolanda tore the photo right down the middle. Then into what looked like a thousand pieces.
Turning to her husband who held her hand once she was finished.
She told him "Don't bring me back here unless I'm dead."
He nodded as they finally leave her childhood home.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIA !"
We all cheered. I can't contain my smile as I watch Masia blow out her candles.
It's a sight I'd thought I would never see again. Yet here we are;together.

"Thank y'all so much." She said biting into her cake. I prepared her favorite Chentilly cake the night before. As we all sat around the kitchen table laughing and joking. I realize how long it's been since I felt comfortable. Felt somewhat in control of my life.

Masia walks over and gives me a tight hug. I smile and embrace that she's always been a hugger.

"Thank you sweet pea thanks for being here." I laugh a little and retort "where else would I be."

She playfully rolled her eyes. "Not you. My sweet pea." Masia placed her hand on my belly and smiled.

"Come on let's take a little walk. I gotta tell you what I have planned." She said leading us out of the kitchen.