stuck in oblivion

[lucacostello]

Natalia was on a jog; the park was beautiful and served as perfect scenery for her run. She wore the matching spandex shorts and sports bra set Nike sent her to promote, planning on a sweaty photo shoot later for her Instagram. 

When she spotted Luca walking with Tallulah, she ran up to him and took out one of her earbuds. With the glasses and hat, he looked like he was in hiding. “Dude, you’re not Leo DiCaprio. You don’t need to hide from the paps,” Nat joked, bending down to give Tallulah all the love and attention she deserved.

“Hello, pretty girl. I missed you so much,” she cooed, planting a kiss on the top of her head. Nat stood and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand as she slowly caught her breath.

“Let me have my fucking moment,” he teased, watching as Nat greeted Tallulah with plenty of affection. Lulah happily wagged her tail, tongue sticking out of her mouth as she reveled in all of the attention. She was pretty spoiled. 

“I busted my face and don’t want people asking questions,” he explained. “Also didn’t feel like running into someone I know. You don’t count,” he said, which was true. He’d known Natalia for most of his life. Luca felt somewhat anxious, wondering how Nat would react to the news that he’d be a father. He didn’t have any romantic feelings for her anymore, but he wondered if she’d be disappointed that Luca’s partying days were pretty much behind him until his kid was eighteen.

Shit. That was a long time.

“Tallulah’s a great running partner. You should take her sometime. She likes you.”

[lucacostello]

It had been a pretty good day. The addition of Tullulah was about to make it even better. Ezra beams when she tugs forward, waggling his fingers in invitation. He was never upset about seeing a dog- especially this one in particular.

“Well that’s because she smelled her favorite uncle.”

He gives Tallulah several solid pats on her tummy, runs his hand over the soft crease of her ears. She pants happily.

Now that was a perfect dog! Eyes trailing up, he straightens to finally look Luca.

Ezra squints lightly at his brother, a small line forming between the middle of his brows. Huh. He wondered if his brother was trying to avoid someone.

“You’re kind of dressed like a celeb trying to sneak through a grocery store.”

Ezra wasn’t wrong – Tallulah loved Ezra, probably preferred him over Leon. So yes, he was definitely the favorite uncle. Luca smiled, pulled the hat off of his head to brush his fingers through his hair. 

“Just trying to hide this sick bruise on my face,” Luca explained, pulling the shades down slightly. Luca wasn’t sure if Leon had told Ezra about the baby yet, but he was going to go ahead and assume that his brother was clueless. Breaking the news at the dog park wasn’t necessarily ideal, but – Luca wanted to see how things went.

Luca gently pulled on Tallulah’s leash, guiding her back onto the path. He looked over at Ezra.

“Would you believe me if I said I punched Johnny Sinclair in the face? I mean, he went at me first, and he definitely won, but I got a hit in. Anyway, if that fucker ever kills me, you’ll be Tallulah’s legal guardian.”

[lucacostello]

Luca tells Leon that he and Paityn are having a baby.

It’d been a little less than 24 hours since Luca had confronted Paityn’s father. His face was hurting, his neck bruised, and his right hand was swollen. There was a possibility that it was broken, but Luca didn’t feel like seeing a doctor. He didn’t want to do anything, really, aside from finally talking to Leon. Marcel was in Italy for a few months, so talking to him face to face wasn’t an option, and Leon was the next best thing, anyway. He was his big brother, his mentor. He’d been patient with Luca while he tried to manage the stress of the last few months. Leon had been patient, and Luca felt like a burden – taking time off of work to be with Paityn, getting shot... now this. 

Luca was sitting on Leon’s couch, bouncing his leg a little nervously. He hadn’t said a word in the last five minutes, and he could tell that Leon’s patience was wearing thin. 

His older brother exhaled impatiently, folded his arms and Luca knew he had to say something or risk making things worse. 

“Alright. You can start by tellin’ me who fucked you up like that.”

Luca swallowed, stared up at Leon, already dreading the response he was about to give. 

“Johnny Sinclair.”

There was a brief moment of silence, a look of confusion on Leon’s face, as if he didn’t quite hear Luca correctly. But once that passed, Leon looked ... angry. 

“The fuck do you mean it was Johnny Sinclair? What the fuck were you doing around Johnny Sinclair?”

“I went to see him with Paityn. Jack was there, too. We had to –”

“And you didn’t take security?”

Luca shook his head. Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, forced both eyes shut as he very obviously tried to calm himself down. But there was no use. Luca could feel the anger. Leon was probably wondering why his youngest sibling was such a fucking idiot.

“I”m sorry. I had to go though,” Luca explained. Leon remained silent. If Leon responded now, he probably would’ve blown up. So Luca kept going. “Paityn and I... we’re... she’s pregnant.”

As if Leon didn’t already have enough on his plate, this had somehow catapulted things over the edge. He didn’t say anything. He was still processing the idea that a Sinclair had laid hands on Luca. Now this?

Leon clenched his jaw as he tried to figure out how exactly he was supposed to handle this. Luca’s wife was pregnant, and her father (who happened to be their fucking enemy), had assaulted him. Was there a way to move forward from this cleanly? 

No. Leon saw red – he wanted war. 

Luca felt his stomach twist the longer that Leon went without speaking. So he opened his mouth again. More word vomit. 

“It wasn’t planned. It just happened. And I’m not gonna be a deadbeat, so I had to go with her to tell her father. I had to defend her, and the baby, because Johnny was saying some shit that–”

Leon waved a hand in the air, forcing Luca to shut his mouth, as if on command. He’d heard enough for now. The amount of stress weighing on Leon’s shoulders was enough to drive any sane person crazy. But he was the Costello patriarch, which meant that his shoulders would always feel this heavy. A Costello-Sinclair baby would change things significantly. There was a part of Leon that wished he’d never allowed the wedding to take place in the first place, but he also knew that Luca would’ve found a way to be with Paityn regardless.

“A baby changes everything, Luca,” Leon finally said. “Do you know for sure that she’s pregnant?” 

“We went to the doctor a few days ago. She’s pregnant.”

“That’s an entire fucking life that you’ll be responsible for. Are you ready for that?”

Luca rubbed at his eyes, exhaled shakily. Finally, he shook his head. No. He wasn’t ready. 

“No... but I will be. When the baby comes, I’ll be ready,” he promised.

A child was... permanent. Leon knew that Luca loved fiercely, and he knew that his brother’s love for his wife was real. But they were both so young – and who knows what they might’ve felt for each other ten years down the line? There was a point in time where Leon couldn’t have imagined being with anyone else besides Violet. Now, he found himself actively avoiding any thought of her, as if she never even existed in his life. 

“I’ll deal with the Sinclairs. You don’t go around them again. You get that? That was fuckin’ stupid, Lu. Don’t ever do that shit again, or I swear I’ll ship your ass to Italy for the rest of your fuckin’ life.”

Leon’s words were harsh, stern, but he needed Luca to know that he meant them. No more unsupervised meetings with the Sinclairs, whether his wife was there or not. Luca just nodded.

“What about your job?” Leon wondered. A baby was a big responsibility. And taking time off for Paityn seemed to be the norm, so he figured the same would follow during her pregnancy. Leon had cut Luca some slack because of everything they’d been through, but at this point, there was no way to be half in and half out. If Luca wanted out of the organization, Leon would allow it – but he’d never let him back in. This was a commitment, and Luca needed to understand that. 

“I can do my job. I’ll be there every day. That was never gonna change. I’ll make it work.”

Leon believed him. At least that wasn’t changing. But now he had to settle things with the Sinclairs. They’d laid hands on a Costello. That wasn’t something that Leon would forgive so easily.

[lucacostello]

The last few weeks had been... interesting, to say the least. Luca was doing his best to process the news of his wife’s pregnancy, all while trying to ease into his job full time. It all felt extremely overwhelming initially – and sometimes it still did – but worrying only made things worse. So he was trying to take things one day at a time, no matter how impossible that felt.

He climbed out of his vehicle with Tallulah. He’d brought her to the park to hang out for a while. Luca wore a light jacket, a hat, and some sunglasses. He wanted to remain somewhat anonymous – he was still sporting a nasty bruised eye from his run-in with Johnny Sinclair. He didn’t really feel like answering any questions. 

He walked by a small group of people, and immediately, Tallulah wagged her tail, pulling the leash and Luca along with her. She wanted to say hi to whoever was passing by.

“Sorry. She gets excited. She hasn’t been to the park in a few weeks.”

[lucacostello]

When Luca stood up, Paityn knew things were going south fast; though, she didn’t want to stop him. In that moment, Paityn wouldn’t care if Luca shot him between the eyes without a word. She covered her mouth, avoiding her father’s fury and gaze. 

Johnny stood when Luca finished his outburst and Jack took a step forward, ready to intervene should the conflict escalate too much. Paityn locked eyes with her brother and he gave her a reassuring nod. He promised he wouldn’t let anything happen to the father of her child. Paityn could see in Jack’s eyes how angry he was; he didn’t think it was fair for his father to project his hatred onto Paityn and her baby. Even if that child was part Costello, it was also a part of his sister, Johnny’s daughter. 

Paityn’s father approached her husband slowly but as soon as Luca was in reach, Johnny’s hand clutched his throat. He squeezed just hard enough to bruise. “Fuck you,” he spat. “She’s not my daughter anymore. You made sure of that.”

“Dad, stop!” Paityn shouted as she stood to her feet. “Let go of him,” she begged as Jack stepped in. Touching Johnny’s shoulder, the man’s reflexes meant Jackson got an elbow to the nose before Johnny sucker punched Luca.

As the three men fought, Paityn just watched at a distance crying and she pleaded for everyone to calm down. 

“Please, let’s just leave, Luca, he’s not gonna stop!”

Luca had a feeling that this was coming. Maybe he’d fucking die, but he wasn’t going to let Johnny talk about his wife and baby this way. Even if Luca had no chance of winning in a fight, it didn’t matter. He had to do something. Johnny’s hand wrapped around his throat, squeezing, and Luca struggled. It fucking hurt, made him choke on his own breath, before he felt Johnny’s fist. He stumbled backward, and Luca saw Jack move forward, attempting to pull Johnny off. 

Luca miraculously freed himself, and if he were smart, he would’ve listened to Paityn. Just leave. He won’t stop. No.

Luca charged Johnny, shoving him back with as much force as he could muster, all while he coughed, tried to catch his breath and see straight. Luca had to get one hit in. He pushed the man again, and he stumbled back. Luca took advantage. He balled his right hand into a fist, swung hard and fast into the side of Johnny’s face. He felt a sharp sting in his knuckles, and he knew that once the adrenaline wore off, he’d be hurting. 

He didn’t want to stop. Luca was angry. This isn’t how things were supposed to be. He felt Jack intervene again, separating the two of them right as Johnny was getting ready to go after Luca again. 

“Fuck you,” Luca spat, feeling the dull aching in his hand. “Fucking piece of shit. Stay away from my family.” 

[lucacostello]

Paityn gave her husband a reassuring smile as he spoke about their child and the future. She knew how nervous he was but Paityn was proud to see Luca be so calm in the face of her father. 

“You don’t get to tell me my priorities,” Johnny said to Luca, bringing Paityn’s attention to her father. “Keeping the baby,” her father echoed. “That’s the fucking mistake.”

Paityn wrapped an arm around her torso as the words left her father’s mouth. “Dad,” she started, though she was at a loss for words. “You don’t mean that,” is all she could say. Paityn could feel Jack tense up in the corner of the room as tears started stinging her eyes.

“Of course I mean it,” Johnny said, staring daggers at Luca before he turned to focus his attention on his daughter. “It’s bad enough you betrayed this family once. I thought you’d come to your senses and leave him but now you’re reproducing. More fucking Costello spawn.” He shook his head. 

“That’s your grandchild you’re talking about, dad,” Jack said, feeling how upset his sister was with their father’s words, trying to calm the room.

Johnny scoffed. “That’s no fucking grandchild of mine.”

Paityn was stunned. Totally silent. Her worst fears came true. She clutched her abdomen as tears started to fall down her face. She just turned to Luca; the expression on her face pleaded for him to find some way to fix all of this. 

Though, Paityn knew her dad was dead to her. Nothing could erase what her father said.

Luca didn’t want to overstep. This wasn’t his house, and at the end of the day – Johnny was a fucking boss. Retired or not, Luca needed to watch what he said. But Paityn’s father was crossing lines, upsetting his own daughter and, in turn, upsetting Luca, too. And then Paityn looked at him, and Luca didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t fix this, couldn’t force her father to love their child no matter how badly she wanted it. Luca wasn’t looking to challenge anyone, but he stood up, mainly out of sheer frustration. He looked at Johnny.

“That’s your fucking daughter,” Luca said, voice harsher than intended. He couldn’t even his voice out, finding it difficult to keep his emotions in check. There was a lot going on inside of him. Even if he didn’t feel like a father yet, Luca felt the need to protect Paityn and their child. 

“She’s pregnant with your grandchild. Costello or not.”

A child belonging to both sides could’ve changed everything for the better, but Johnny didn’t give a shit. Luca could tell. 

“It’s fine. I’m always gonna take care of my family. And I know that no matter how tough things get, I won’t ever be a piece of shit dad like you.”

Luca should’ve tried harder to be levelheaded, but it was fucking impossible. Her father was an asshole. And Paityn didn’t deserve this. Neither did their baby. 

[lucacostello]

Jack stood in the corner of the room, a mediator of sorts, arms crossed over his chest as the couple wait impatiently on the living room sofa for Paityn’s father to come downstairs. The last time her father was in a room with her husband in that house, it resulted in broken dishes and the biggest Sinclair family dinner argument in history. 

Though, Paityn was with child; she had to tell her dad his baby was going to have a baby. Even if he hated the man who fathered it. Her knee bounced wildly, even with Luca by her side, she felt terrified. Johnny Sinclair was far from a gentle man and decent father. Still, rough edges aside, Paityn loved him.

He burst through the wooden doors and Paityn could already smell the whiskey on his breath that served as his cologne. A familiar scent when Johnny Sinclair entered a room. 

“Why the fuck is he here?” he asked, pointing to Luca as he sat in a lounge chair. “Thought you wanted to talk to me, princess.”

“Dad,” Paityn started. “We have something to tell you.”

“You’ve divorced? Otherwise I don’t really want to hear it.”

Paityn paused, biting her lip as she contemplated her words. She made her peace with the fact that her father would never approve of her relationship. She could live with that; that was normal. Plenty of fathers of daughters hate their sons-in-law. 

Maybe not always so violently.

Surely, Paityn thought, he could love their child. A part of her, a part of Johnny. It would be a beacon of light in the fog of night. Hope. 

“Daddy, I’m pregnant.”

She could tell he wasn’t pleased. At the very least Johnny was livid. Paityn knew because he stayed quiet for a bit too long. He chuckled, raising his brows and smirking as if he was bitterly impressed. “Didn’t think the kid had it in him,” Johnny sneered. Her father gripped the armrest of his seat, clearly resisting some sort of urge to pounce. “You knocked up my daughter?”

@lucacostello​

Luca had been in shock for days, it seemed. There were a lot of emotions that he was dealing with – excitement, fear, worry. Some of them were louder than the others, and he was patiently waiting for the day that everything inside him leveled out. He wasn’t good at keeping secrets, but he’d somehow miraculously kept the pregnancy from his family. He wasn’t ready to tell them yet, wasn’t ready for whatever judgement they might throw his and Paityn’s way. Luca also didn’t want Leon to know yet, because if he knew, he would never let Luca go see Paityn’s family to deliver this news. Not without an army of Costello loyalists for protection. This felt personal – something his wife just needed him there for. 

Luca sat next to Paityn, perfectly still as he tried to manage the anxiety that he felt ripple through his body. Her father was intimidating, but Luca was still a Costello, and he had to imagine how Leon would've handled a situation like this. 

Luca remained silent as her father barged in, insulting Luca within seconds of being in his presence. Awesome. 

There was no beating around the bush, no dragging it out. Paityn told her father, plain and simple. She ripped off the bandaid. And Luca waited, braced himself for a violent reaction, for a fucking bullet – but Johnny stayed quiet, and that was a million times worse. Now, Luca was being addressed, and he did his best to keep his voice even. He rested a hand on Paityn’s knee, squeezing – he just needed a little bit of courage.

“We’re having a baby. We wanted you to know. We didn’t plan this, but we’re both very happy. I’m gonna take care of Paityn, and the baby.” 

Luca was choosing his words carefully, afraid to overstep. He glanced over at Paityn, then Jack – before looking back at her father. 

“Keeping the baby – and Paityn – safe should be the number one priority. For her family and mine.”

[lucacostello]

Sofia felt bad that Luca was feeling so stressed out from work; she wished there was something she could do, but Sofia knew how tough Leon could be. Though, when he promised they could do something come the weekend, Sofia perked up. “Really? That sounds great. It’s been a while since I’ve been in the headlines in a bad way. Gotta keep my rep spicy,” she said, playfully teasing her brother with a wink. 

Sofia worried about Luca, wondering if he was taking on too much too quickly. She really didn’t want to add to his problems demanding he party with her. 

“We can always keep it lowkey,” Sofia was sure to add. “You know…just in case it’s too heavy.” She shrugged. “Like trash a hotel room or something.”

“No, fuck lowkey. We’ll do something big and loud and piss everyone off.”

Luca smiled at Sofia. He was excited to spend time with her, to go back to their roots for a bit – he really was. But he was also keeping a big secret, and now didn’t feel like the right time to tell Sofia. She already felt like she was losing him. Luca was trying to fix that. Letting her know that he’d be a father soon was probably... too much. As much as it was killing him, he could wait. Sofia needed this. He could be patient. 

“You pick what we do, and I’ll make it happen. Paityn can hang with Felicity for the night, and we’ll cause so much shit that Chanel will probably wanna murder us. Or resign. But she won’t.”

[lucacostello]

Sofia’s jaw dropped as Luca poured his heart out. He was scared and Sofia didn’t make his life easier. She should’ve been his rock, not another problem he had to solve. “God, I’m such a bitch,” she said, leaning forward, wiping a stray tear off her cheek. “I’m so sorry, Luca. I just miss you, is all.”

Sofia bit her lip, thinking of what she could say to justify her joyrides and out-of-control drinking, but there wasn’t any good reason for it. “I just…I want to be able to live my life. I’m not a part of the business…and I know I’m in danger anyway just because of my name, but…I just want to have fun while I can. With you, preferably. Even if it means putting up with Paityn, okay? I love you. You’re my number one. Always will be.” 

She reached out one of her hands for his. “Just…talk to me. You know you can tell me anything, right? I’m not like Leon…the job isn’t my priority. You are.”

“You’re not,” Luca said, shaking his head firmly. “You’re not a bitch, don’t apologize. I’m the one who’s sorry. I haven’t been at my best, but I will be,” he assured Sofia. She had every right to live her life the way she wanted, without being babysat constantly, but Luca would always worry no matter what. He looked down at their hands. He squeezed, stomach twisting as he thought of Paityn, and the baby, and how he’d ever keep this from Sofia for any longer. It was eating him up inside. But it didn’t feel right... what if the news just upset her? They’d just fixed things.

“I’ve just been stressed,” he explained, figuring that placing the blame on his new job was believable. “There’s just a lot going on. I need fun. We can do something this weekend. Something wild and insane and expensive. Chanel will flip.” 

[lucacostello]

Paityn took a few deep, calming breaths, Luca’s touch and gentle kiss allowed the air to settle her racing heart. They would see the doctor and go from there. The idea of telling her family about the news was terrifying. Jack wasn’t even married when Charlie got pregnant, but Charlie wasn’t the enemy. The news wouldn’t be well received. 

“You’re going to be a great dad,” she said, reaching a hand out to cup the side of his face. She brought her lips to his, kissing him softly through tears. Paityn knew her husband wouldn’t be anything like her father; Luca wasn’t cold or harsh like Johnny. He had so much love to give and she knew their baby would be safe with him watching out.

“Okay. This will be okay. We’ll see the doctor. Make sure everything’s fine…and we can figure out how to tell people after.” She thought for a moment, the fight with Mia and her conversations with Leon. She couldn’t bring a baby into a war zone. Luca said no one would hate it, but Paityn couldn’t help but fear the worst. “Anyone who doesn’t like it…they don’t need to be in this kid’s life. I won’t let them be hated just because we’re the parents.”

‘You’re going to be a great dad.’

Luca had some serious doubts, but he’d take it. For now. He nodded before kissing Paityn back, keeping a hand on the side of her face. He was glad that she was on board – seeing a doctor first was smart. It gave them time to figure out what they wanted to say to people, and to process the situation. Honestly, Luca wasn’t sure how he’d hide it from Leon for the next few days. It was big news. And Luca knew that he wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it. 

“Yeah. Yeah, whoever doesn’t like it... they don’t have to stick around.”

Luca didn’t know what being a father entailed. He just figured it was a lot of unconditional love – a lot of patience, and learning, and maybe he wouldn’t figure it out all right away. But he knew that this baby was his and Paityn’s. And he loved her more than anything in the world, which meant he’d love the baby twice as much. It meant that he wanted their baby safe from everything. From everyone. And if they had to cut people out to keep their child safe... so be it.

“We’re gonna be okay. We’re gonna do this right... and you’re going to be the best mom. I’m always gonna take care of you. And our baby.”

Moments like this were strange for him – because of the mother that he never got the chance to meet. Luca’s father was a good one – but there’d always been a bit of distance between them. How was he supposed to be a father?

“How have you been feeling? Do you get sick? Is there anything I can do?”

[lucacostello]

He wanted to fix things, but Sofia didn’t think it would be so simple. She shook her head, trying to think of what to say. “It’s…there’s nothing you can do, Luca. Everything is different now and I just have to get used to it.” She sighed, tears starting to well in her eyes. She hated fighting with Luca. She really did want her brother back, but Sofia didn’t think it would be possible. 

“I just wanted one night…one more crazy night with my brother. Party like we used to…Guess it was too much to hope for.” She but her lip and avoided Luca’s eyes. “You don’t need me anymore,” she admitted. “But I still need you.”

It was frustrating – that Sofia thought that there was nothing that could be done, that she just had to get used to the way that things were right now. Luca was sensitive, despite his asshole tendencies, and seeing Sofia’s eyes well with tears – the defeat in her voice – he felt it, too.

“I’m always gonna need you, Sof,” Luca said, brows furrowed as he leaned forward. “You’re my best friend. Like, actually my best fucking friend. You know everything about me. Things are just... fucking hard right now. For a lot of reasons,” Luca explained. Doing this in public probably wasn’t the best – because it was emotional. Difficult to talk about. 

“I fell in love with someone, and it fucked everything up. I dropped the ball. I know. But my wife was kidnapped. I’m not asking anyone to like her, or to feel sorry about it, but do you get how that makes me a paranoid piece of shit? Like. I don’t know if I could ever survive anything like that again. I’m serious! I really think that I’d just keel over and fucking die. So when I see you getting fucked up, or ditching security to go for a joyride with – people you don’t really know, it freaks me the fuck out!”

Luca was half-way to frantic. His heart was racing just thinking about it. The caffeine definitely wasn’t helping.

“I wanna be normal again. I do. I wanna be fun Luca. I just... haven’t had the fucking time to deal with everything. It’s a lot. I’m sorry, okay? I’m really, really fucking sorry. I can’t handle you being mad at me right now. Please.”

[lucacostello]

Of course it’s fine…it’s big news. But it’s not bad.

Paityn wanted to believe him. She wanted to feel reassured. Though, all her worries and paranoia prevented any sort of relief washing over her. Paityn squeezed Luca’s hand tight as he asked for her thoughts. She shook her head, unsure of how to even start.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I’m scared. All I want is to keep this baby safe from everything and I don’t think I can do that. How can I be a mom, Luca?” she pleaded, looking at him desperate for an answer that would make everything better. “I can’t take care of myself let alone a kid!”

Paityn couldn’t control her sobs any more. Tears flowing freely down her cheeks as all her concerns came out of her mouth.

“Your family hates me. My family hates you. What they hate this baby, too?” She paused, taking a breath. “It’s not fair. None of this is fair. What are we going to do?”

Luca didn’t have any answers for her, but he needed to find a way to reassure her – to reassure the both of them. This was unexpected, unplanned, and Luca’s mind was constantly wondering how this had happened. They went on their honeymoon, celebrated their marriage, but he didn’t know he still needed to be careful. It wasn’t her fault – Luca should’ve asked. 

“No one’s going to hate the baby. And we’re gonna learn how to take care of each other, and a baby, and it’s going to be fine,” he said, as confidently as he could. “I’m scared, too, but... it happened, and we’ll be okay.”

Luca scooted closer, wiped the tears off her face with his thumbs. He gave her forehead a kiss. 

“We should go to a doctor. I’ll... set up an appointment. Before we tell anyone. We should make sure that you’re okay. And the baby.”

Luca was particularly anxious about that part – telling people. The judgement, the worry that Luca and Paityn were going to be parents. But it’d be okay. They survived getting married, survived her kidnapping – they could do this.

[lucacostello]

“Sure, I can talk,” Sofia said, putting her sketchpad and pencil down on the table. She leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. Sofia was expected a lecture. “Don’t want you to be late for your meeting, though. New priorities and such.”

“Fuck the meeting,” Luca said, shrugging. “Not the first time I’ve skipped.”

There was a pause. Luca wanted to carefully consider his words, but there was no use. Sofia was... Sofia. She knew him better than anyone else.

“Why are you so upset with me?” He finally asked. “Let’s fix it. Right now. ‘Cause I’m not doing this shit anymore. I don’t wanna fight. So just tell me how to be better, and I’ll do it.”

[lucacostello]

Sofia’s heart dropped at the sight of Luca. Typically, she adored running into her twin unplanned, always eager to be by his side and in his company. Since their fight, however, and her outburst at the party, Sofia dreaded this moment.

“What are you working on?”

She sighed, looking down as the white sheet of paper taunted her. “I need to start thinking about designs for 2021,” she answered, voice dull. “It’s not going well.” She lacked inspiration. The normally easy-going and bubbly girl slowly faded as Sofia faced her new reality.

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh,” Luca said, nodding sympathetically as she mentioned that her planning wasn’t going well. Unfortunately, Luca wasn’t sure how to help, or else he would’ve offered. 

“I was just grabbing coffee. Had a meeting, but I saw you sitting here. Figured we could talk about stuff. If you have a sec.”

[lucacostello]

Paityn nodded when he mentioned seeing a doctor. Of course that was the next step, but it didn’t make her feel any better. She wished she could read his mind and know every thought he had. His hand squeezed her thigh and he asked if she was okay. Paityn didn’t know how to answer. She wasn’t sure if she would ever be okay again.

Her heart raced. This was too soon, too much, too fast. Though, all of her instincts screamed to protect her child at all costs, no matter what. Her brain and her heart were tearing at the seams, conflicted in the horror and delight of her current situation. 

When Luca asked if she’s told anyone, she shook her head. “Just you,” Paityn said, voice quiet, words catching in her throat. She remembered the fights and the pain telling her family about her relationship with Luca; the idea of sharing the news of her pregnancy with anyone terrified her. Paityn was sure she wouldn’t be able to handle anyone she loved hating her child as much as they hate her husband. 

“What are you thinking?” she asked, desperate to know how he felt. Was he happy? Angry? Scared? Their entire lives were about to change. Everything was about to change. 

“Is this okay?”

So no one else knew yet. Good. It gave Luca time to think of what he’d say – of how he’d explain to Leon that he could balance a pregnancy and work. The last thing Luca wanted was to disappoint anyone. His family. His wife. His future child.

‘What are you thinking? Is this okay?’

Luca just stayed quiet. He wasn’t trying to worry her, wasn’t trying to make her feel like she’d done something wrong – but he just couldn’t talk. There were a million things running through his mind. He’d be responsible for another human life – forever. The choices he made, for the rest of his life, would directly impact another human being. His kid. Was he ready for that?

Absolutely not. But it was time to grow up. 

“Yeah... of course it’s fine,” Luca finally said, reaching for Paityn’s hand. “I’m just... it’s big news. But it’s not bad,” he reassured her quickly. He couldn’t list all of the worries that he felt. It wasn’t good for her. It wasn’t good for him.

“What are you thinking?” Luca asked, trying to get a feel for how Paityn was handling things.

[lucacostello]

Paityn was shaking. Luca was clearly in shock. She couldn’t blame him. She closed her eyes tight, trying to control the wave of emotions running over her. “I found out today, not too long ago,” she said. “I was late. Took a test. Took another. Took a third…” her voice trailed off. 

Paityn turned to look at him then; she needed to see his eyes. “Say something,” she begged. She wanted reassurance that everything would be okay, that despite her worst fears everything would be okay. Their baby would be okay. 

Together, they could do this. Right?

How could she be a mother? Paityn could hardly take care of herself let alone another life growing within her. Her family barely accepted her husband and she could only assume their disdain would fall on their child, as well. None of this was fair.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next.”

She’d taken several tests. A test couldn’t be wrong that many times. She was begging him to say something, but Luca was at a loss for words. His mind was just... stuck. Processing. A baby. Their baby.

‘I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next.’

Luca didn’t know, either. He didn’t even know where to begin. He didn’t want to be insensitive and say the wrong thing, but Luca felt wildly unprepared for a child. People insisted that he and Paityn rushed into a marriage, and maybe they were right – but they loved each other. But a baby? Could they be good parents? 

“A doctor,” Luca finally said, throat dry, voice quiet. “You... probably need to see a doctor. Make sure everything’s okay.”

His heart was pounding. 

“Are you... okay?” Luca finally asked, squeezing her thigh. He wanted to be a good husband – even if he was scared out of his goddamn mind. “A fucking baby...” Luca trailed off, voice half a whisper at that point. He was completely shocked at the news. Then, another surge of anxiety. Her brother. Her father. Their families.

 “Have you told anyone?”

[sofixcostello]

Sofia was still recovering from the Fourth of July bash; she wasn’t hungover anymore, but the weight of her actions pressed down on her shoulders. Kissing Noah Sinclair, fighting with Luca, and effectively passing out in a hotel lobby wasn’t a good look for the youngest Costello girl.

She sat on the patio of a cafe, sketchbook in hand as she distracted herself with caffeine and new designs. Though, she was less than inspired.

“Taffeta or chiffon?” she questioned out loud to no one in particular. “Ugh, this is fucked.” Sofia said, scribbling out her sketch, ripping the page from her book. She crumpled the paper and tossed it in a near by trash can. Defeated.

[lucacostello]

Luca hadn’t spoken with Sofia since their argument. He’d heard about the party – how there’d been a kiss with Noah, a fight between security, and how she’d ended the night passed out at the hotel. She was out of control, but Luca wasn’t sure he could talk to her about it. Not whenever she’d snapped at him for trying to slow her down at the party.

Had he really changed that much? Was he a stranger to Sofia now? He thought the changes to his life had been a good thing – a positive, but maybe they’d taken a toll on Sofia more than he thought. Maybe he’d been a bad brother, for abandoning her and focusing all of his energy on Paityn. 

Luca had been watching Sofia for a minute or two, silently debating on whether or not he should approach her. He had a meeting with the realtor, but... it could wait. He took a seat across from her, eyeing the blank page in front of her.

“What are you working on?”