Laying a Foundation: Bonus volume: Includes series prequel, The Groundbreaking (The Love Under Construction Series) (80 page)

Raffaella took a deep breath, shook herself, and jumped in. “I’ll start by telling you that I loved your father dearly. He was my husband – a good husband – and a good father to you boys.” Nikki could’ve sworn she heard Bennie snort. “But he was a man, just an ordinary man, and he made mistakes that men make. And he made one shortly before Bennie was born. Do any of you remember Martha, the lady who used to watch you?” Freddie shook his head no, but Mark, Bart, and Tony nodded. “Well, your father had an affair with Martha, and she became pregnant.”

Nikki watched Tony’s face as the truth of the revelation sank in; he looked appalled, the other four brothers looked pretty much the same, and Vic didn’t look much better. “So are you trying to tell us . . .” Tony began.

“Yes,” Raffaella interrupted. “John Henry is your half-brother.” John Henry looked at the floor, embarrassed.

“You’re fucking kidding me, right?” Tony bellowed, startling Nikki, and Raffaella visibly shrank. “This guy is my brother? Do you know why this piece of shit no longer works for Walters Construction?” He looked around the room, then started in again. “It’s because he
stole from us!
And now I’m supposed to just say, ‘Oh, well, he’s family.’ Well, no, I can’t do that! Tell them, you shit!” Tony yelled at John Henry. “Tell them what you did!”

John Henry wore a look of total humiliation. “I did – I stole from Walters Construction. But not because I needed money. God knows you paid me well.”

“Damn right I did,” Tony snarled. Nikki patted his hand.

John Henry launched in. “My growing-up years were hell. When I was born, my father knew I wasn’t his child, and he started drinking. He beat my mother and later, me. I didn’t have anybody to turn to. Then, when I was in high school, about sixteen, my mother told me who my real father was, and insisted I meet him. Then I got to see you guys, the way your parents sent you to Europe to go to school, sent you to college. I never had any of those advantages, and I got pretty bitter.

“So I knew Marco was my father, but he told me I could work for the company only if I never told anybody that he was my father. It hurt to know that he was ashamed that I even existed. So stealing from the company was my way of getting what I believed was my portion of the business. I knew I’d never be a partner, or even be part of the family, but at least that way I felt like I was getting something. It was still wrong, though, and I’ve always appreciated that you didn’t call the law on me, Tony. That would’ve been horrible.” John Henry shook his head sadly. “It was bad enough as it was. I lost my job, and everything went to hell.”

Suddenly, Nikki felt bad for the man. She understood how he felt, having a family who didn’t care for him. Even though the reasons were different from hers, she still knew how badly it hurt. “What happened?” she asked him.

John Henry nodded to acknowledge her question, then turned to Tony. “Well, when I lost my job, I started drinking. I was a mean drunk, too; I beat up my wife on a regular basis. When Travis was born, I left. I came back when he was four, and I beat my wife
and
my son. It was horrible; I wound up acting just like the person I despised the most, which made me drink even more.” Tony watched Vic’s face and saw the agony there; Vic was nothing like his father, but John Henry’s story brought back memories of painful days for Vic.

Nikki watched Tony as John Henry spoke, saw his face softening, saw the thoughtful way he was listening to John Henry, who continued. “When Travis turned sixteen, he ran away and we didn’t know where he was. My wife died early last year – cancer. By then, I’d turned my life around, been sober for years, turned into a good, well, pretty good husband, I’d like to think. But Travis never forgave me. Even though he hadn’t been around us in years, when he lost his mother, he kind of lost his mind. He knew the story about me and my family background, and I think that’s why he started targeting you and the business, but primarily you.” He turned to Tony. “He saw you, your family, you firing me, as what caused all the problems, and he was taking it out on you. And for that, I’m really sorry. If I’d had any idea what he was doing, I would’ve stopped him, or at least tried. I would’ve gone so far as turning him in to the police. At least he’d still be alive.” John Henry stopped, steeling himself against the thunderstorm of angry words he was sure he’d hear, especially from Tony.

Tony was hearing all of it, but it was such a shock that he was having trouble taking it all in. “God, John Henry. Your life has been a mess.” He looked at the floor and shook his head. “And all because Papa couldn’t keep his pants zipped. I’m sorry all of this happened to you. If I’d had any idea . . .” He sat for a moment, still looking at the floor, then looked up and reached a hand toward John Henry. The man took Tony’s hand in both of his and just held it, a sad, hopeless kind of clinging that made Tony’s heart sink.

At that very moment, Bennie let loose; he just couldn’t hold it in anymore. “So you’re telling me you didn’t know any of this?” he shouted at Tony. “And I’m supposed to believe that?”

Tony turned to Bennie with his eyes wide and brow furrowed. “No! What the hell? How could I have known?”

“Well, I knew!” Bennie shouted, looking around the room; everyone else was shrugging too. “I knew for years. I found out when I was sixteen. I overheard them talking, Papa and Mamma, and I knew what was going on! And YOU!” he yelled, pointing at Tony. “You worshipped him! Idolized him! And he was an unfaithful bastard! He cheated on our mother and fathered a child with a paid servant!”

“I didn’t idolize him!” Tony yelled back, leaping to his feet.
Uh-oh, this is falling apart pretty fast,
Nikki thought, watching Tony’s face closely; pain was written all over it. “I worked alongside him. I worked to learn the business, since nobody else seemed interested in it. And if it makes
you
feel any better, all I heard was how he thought Mark would want to run the business, or Bart, or Freddie, but no, it was
me
. He was disappointed that it was
me
. And I spent
three years,
the last three years of his life, trying to make him glad it was me, but he never was. I never felt like I was good enough or that he was happy that I was doing everything I could to build the business.” Now Tony was shaking, angry, and hurting. “And he wasn’t a very good businessman.”

“I was there, and Tony speaks the truth; Zio Marco was a
terrible
businessman,” Vic agreed quietly. “The business, all the money, all the success? That’s all been Tony. It would’ve failed without him.”

“Thanks, Vic, and yeah, Papa almost let the business go under. And it turns out . . .” Tony stopped and, looking at the floor, shook his head and let out a sarcastic chuckle, “it was because he was preoccupied with keeping his secret instead of paying attention to his work. I worked
hard
to keep it going, and I think I did a pretty good job, especially considering what I was dealing with at home. And I didn’t do it just for me and my kids; I did it for
all of you,
your wives, your kids, your futures. And I’d do it all again.”

He plopped down beside Nikki. She put her hand on his back and rubbed his shoulders; they were knotted tight, and he took a shuddering, deep breath. “So no, I had no idea. And I assume that’s why you’ve been treating me like shit for all these years? You were mad because I wasn’t mad at him? Punished me because I didn’t punish him? Oh, that’s spectacular, Bennie; just great.” Tony buried his face in his hands, and his shoulders shook. Nikki leaned over and kissed the back of his neck, and he grabbed her hand and held it tight.

The room got quiet. Mark, Bart, and Freddie hadn’t uttered a word, but Bennie was nowhere near finished – he took a deep breath, then started in again. “So, Mamma, you let him just continue on? Stayed with him? How could you do that? Didn’t you have any self-respect?”

“Hey!” Mark jumped up, getting in Bennie’s face. “Lay off her! She did the best she could – she had four little boys to take care of! God, you ass, how could you even go there?”

“My sons, let’s not . . .” Raffaella began. Vic shot Mark a look, and he sat down immediately.

“No!” Bart yelled, leaping into the middle of the fray. “Mark’s right – we’re not going to let him talk to you like that!
You
were a victim too!”

“I didn’t feel like a victim,” Raffaella said timidly. “I just hurt because my husband had been unfaithful with another woman.” Everyone got very still and listened to her. “And it’s true; I had four small boys and no way to care for them. I felt I had no choice. He promised it would not happen again and, to my knowledge, it did not.”

“But you had another child with him, Mamma. Why would you have another child with a man who had done that to you?” Bennie shouted, his face twisted in agony and fury.

“I didn’t,” Raffaella very nearly whispered as she stared at the floor.

“Yes, you did! You had me!” Bennie stated matter-of-factly.

“Yes, I had you.” She hesitated, then told him softly, “But I did not have you with Marco.”

Every head in the room snapped toward Raffaella, and the shame on her face was painful. Bart got up, walked to where she was sitting, sat down in the floor beside her, and took her hand. Before anyone could ask, she explained. “When Marco’s infidelity became known, I was so distraught that I could not stay with him. I went to stay with my family in Italy. Do you boys remember when Zia Angelina came to stay with you?” The three oldest sons nodded; Papa’s sister had stayed with them for six months while their mother was away. Freddie was too young to remember, but Tony could remember crying for his mother every night before he fell asleep.

“She stayed with you while I went to see my family. I was a wreck, as you say. While I was there, I was reacquainted with a man I’d known as a child there in the village. He and I laughed and talked and, well, one thing led to another. After I’d been there for about five months, I realized I was pregnant. I didn’t tell him; I didn’t tell anyone. I just went home and told Marco.” A tear slipped down the face of the toughest woman Nikki had ever met, and her heart went out to Raffaella.

Bennie turned pale; Tony started to say something to him, then thought better of it and closed his mouth. Everyone else sat in stunned silence. Raffaella then said, “When I got home, I told Marco of my indiscretion. I told him I did not do it as retaliation toward him; I was only trying to comfort myself at his betrayal. He told me he understood. He was not angry or blaming, only said each of us had made a mistake, and one cancelled out the other. Then he promised he would raise my child as his in such a way that no one would know the difference. And to my knowledge, no one ever knew, am I right?”

“I’d say that’s right, Mamma,” Freddie told her quietly.

Raffaella held up a small, yellowed photo. “Benecio, do you remember this photo?” Tony recognized it immediately; it was a photo of Mamma, Papa, and a man they’d introduced as Papa’s cousin. He’d come to visit them when Tony was in high school. “This man? His name was Arturo. He came to see us, you, when you were ten.”

“Yes, Mamma, I remember when . . . oh, god, was he . . .”

“Yes, my son. That man was your father. Someone in my family told him about you. He wanted to see you, know you were well. He had no other children.”

“Could I . . .” Bennie started.

“Oh, Benecio, I am so sorry. He died about two years ago.”

Bennie was silent, staring at the floor with an indescribable look on his face, his shoulders slumped.

“And so, Benecio, while you punished Antonio for things he could not have known, you yourself had a secret of which you were unaware. I believe you owe your brother an apology, my son.”

Bennie looked at Tony, who had tears streaming down his face. “Tony, I, I . . .”

“Forget it, brother. Water under the bridge.” Tony’s lower lip trembled and he wiped his eyes. “We’re brothers; we’ll always be brothers. Regardless how you’ve treated me over the years, I’ve always loved you, always tried to be good to you, always tried to include you even when you acted like you hated me.” Tony stopped and, in a painful, broken voice, asked, “Do you think you could try to love me, just a little bit?”

Bennie got quiet, then crossed the room and knelt down in front of Tony. “I’m so, so sorry.” He looked up into Tony’s face, tears pooling in his own eyes. “You deserved my love and respect, even my thanks, and I spat on you. It’ll never happen again.” Bennie reached up and wrapped his arms around Tony’s shoulders and pulled him close.

Tony rested his head on Bennie’s shoulder and quietly said, “Brother, we start over today. If you’ll try, I’ll try too.” When they broke their embrace, Bennie sat down beside Tony.

Then Vic spoke up. “I want all of you to remember that, regardless what Zio Marco did, he was like a father to me. He took me and my mother in when we had nowhere else to turn, and I regret every day the problems I caused him. He was a good man who made a mistake. That in no way negates all of the good things he did for all of us.”

Then he turned to Tony. “Cousin-brother, I want you to know that Zio Marco was very proud of you. After I came to work for the company, I heard a contractor say Zio Marco had told him, ‘If my son Antonio tells you something is a certain way, you can take that to the bank. He’s an honest, hardworking man who does right by his family, and he’s one helluva businessman.’ He should’ve told you himself; he didn’t, but that man was kind enough to tell me, and I’m telling you now. I don’t think he wished one of your brothers had come on board
instead
of you; I think he wanted one or more of them to come on board
with
you to help you. I’m just thankful there was a spot with Walters Construction for me; you’ve helped me be the man I am, and I’ll always be grateful for that.”

“I’m grateful for you too, Vic. I never would’ve made it without you,” Tony said as Vic reached over and grabbed his hand.

Tony turned to John Henry. “So now you’re a Walters brother.”

John Henry shrugged. “My name’s not Walters though.”