The Mafia’s Good Wife
Chapter 26

~ Violet -

Violet swallowed hard. Quickly, she gathered herself and hid the stick behind her back. Luke narrowed his eyes further and took a step closer to her. "What's that on your hand?" he asked again.

"It's nothing," she muttered.

Luke wasn't convinced. He swiftly turned his head around her body and caught a glimpse of that pink stick before Violet covered it up with her body again. "Is that... a pregnancy test?!" he deduced.

Violet was horrified. She froze like a statue and gripped the stick tighter in her hand, as if that would make Luke forget what he just saw.

"Violet, are you pregnant?"

Luke's question hit Violet like a boulder to the head. It was one thing to think about it on her own, but to be asked the question by somebody else hit her deeper. This was a reality and not a dream. This was really happening.

Violet let out a long sigh before slowly nodding her head. She put her head down as her hand gave out the pregnancy stick to Luke. Luke grabbed the pregnancy test from her hand and studied it. He frowned at the screen that said "PREGNANT". "...How?" he croaked.

How else could it be? Violet looked up and gave Luke that obvious look.

"Is it... his?"

Luke didn't have to say his name, but Violet knew who he was talking about. She was away for weeks and she and Damon were sexually active. Unlike the last time, she wasn't in any birth control and he wasn't wearing protection either. Violet knew what could happen from that, but she didn't think it was going to be this... easy.

"What are you gonna do?" Luke asked.

"I don't know what to do!" she replied, pausing for a beat before saying, "I just found out literally a second ago,"

This was too much too fast. Violet let out another sigh and crossed her arms. Things hadn't been making sense with her body for a while and now she knew why. She was pregnant. With Damon's baby. And this wasn't supposed to happen. She and him were over for good. What's this baby gonna mean for them? How will he feel? And most importantly, how was she feeling? Violet's head was filled with so many questions that she couldn't even process her own feelings.

How... what... and why...? What do I do?

"I can drive you if you want," Luke said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"To the clinic, if you need it. To the pharmacy or wherever,"

Violet stared at Luke's blue eyes and her life flashed before her. He was telling her the options that she'll have. She could go on with life and have this baby- or she could go take a pill and make this problem go away. "Thanks, but I don't think I should make any rash decisions right now," she replied firmly.

"No, yeah, you're right," Luke agreed quickly. "Maybe we should just get you to see a doctor first? These things aren't always accurate," he added, lifting the pregnancy stick in his hand.

"You think so?"

"Yeah," he nodded reassuringly. Then he took a quick glance at the door before pocketing the stick. "Look, just meet at the truck and we'll drive there. I'll go tell Dylan and your mom that we're going out to run some errands,"

Violet's eyes were immediately filled with gratitude. She was so lost on her own, not knowing what to do, but luckily there was Luke. He knew just what to say and what to do. Unlike Dylan, he wasn't judgmental of her and he didn't burst out in anger when he's upset. He was the voice of reason and she wouldn't know what would be of her if he wasn't here.

"Luke," Violet called out just before Lucas left the stable.

Lucas turned around and raised his eyebrows at her.

"Thank you," she said. Her voice was soft and low, almost like a whisper.

Lucas just smiled and nodded his head. Then he disappeared from the doorway, running into the house to tell a lie to Violet's mom and brother so he could drive her to the doctor.

Violet sat inside Lucas's truck with the white envelope sitting on her lap. The day had come and gone and the sun was slowly setting down the horizon. Violet's fingers played with the white envelope as she was nervous to open it. Every once in a while, she'd glance over at Lucas who was sitting at the driver's seat. They were parked on a hill, far away at the edge of town where no one could see them. They came here after visiting a neighboring town's doctor to get a quick checkup. Obviously, they couldn't go to the doctor in their town because Violet might just be the talk of the town by tomorrow morning.

"I still can't believe this is happening to me," she said with a long sigh.

It was only a few weeks ago that Violet left Damon's estate for the last time. It was the greatest heartbreak she'd ever known, but she had to do it for her future. Little did she know that her future was about to be turned upside down. Violet turned her gaze to the setting sun and let her mind wander. Maybe if she'd known about this sooner, she wouldn't have left him and he wouldn't have let her go? Maybe this was a sign that it was a mistake to leave him? Or maybe this was a sign that leaving was the right thing to do? Raising a kid in Damon's world was out of the question. But if she was away from him, Violet could raise a healthy and happy baby who never has to know what the mafia world is like.

"Do you want me to open it?" Luke asked suddenly, breaking her train of thought. "I can do it and tell you what it says,"

Violet looked down at the envelope before turning her eyes to Luke. He had been such a supportive friend. He didn't once patronize or judge her. Instead, he held her hand as they waited inside the doctor's office earlier. He even just smiled politely when the nurse thought that he was her boyfriend.

"Can we do it together?" Violet asked nervously, referring to the envelope in her lap.

"Of course," Luke nodded his head.

Violet lifted the envelope from her lap and brought it closer to Luke's face. She was holding onto one end and he was holding the other. Slowly, they began to rip through the seal and their fingers met in the middle.

With the envelope open, Violet reached for the letter inside and Luke followed suit. Violet's eyes were glued to the piece of paper with the doctor's office letterhead on top. They were both holding their breaths as Violet pulled open the rest of the paper, revealing the test result.

Patient Name: Violet Rose Carvey

Age: 22 years old

In House Urine Pregnancy Test: Positive

"It's positive," Violet's voice came out like a breath.

Her hand was shaking and her eyes turned glassy. This result sealed her fate. There was no more denying it, she really was pregnant. Now, all the questions came back to haunt her. Violet was overwhelmed with a rush of emotions, she broke down in tears and fell back on her seat.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. Everything's gonna be okay," Luke reached for her body and pulled her into a tight hug. Violet sobbed uncontrollably onto his chest as he stroked her hair. "It's okay, Vi..." he cooed again.

"This can't be happening... I can't do this... I can't..." Violet's words were incoherent as she couldn't stop the tears. "I'm supposed to be forgetting him..."

"Ssh, it's okay," Luke held onto her tighter and let out a long sigh. "Look, you have options, Vi. You can still get rid of it,"

Get rid of it?

Suddenly, Violet felt a pang in her chest. Yes, that was always an option, but the moment she considered it, she felt sick to her stomach. This baby was innocent and despite everything, Violet could never have the heart to kill an innocent human being- even though it was probably only the size of a kernel seed.

"But I... I don't think I can get rid of it," she croaked. "That's not what I believe in, Luke. That's just not me,"

"Then what are you gonna do?"

Violet pulled herself up and let go of Luke's arms. He was looking at her intently, studying her expression. Violet wiped the tears with her hand and settled her gaze to the sunset before her. Slowly, she steadied her breathing and focused her mind on finding a solution for this situation.

I can't kill this baby. I just can't...

"I... can have the baby," Violet found herself saying.

"On your own?" Luke asked.

"I'll have my family with me,"

"So, you don't plan on telling him?"

Violet thought about it for a moment before shaking her head.

"No," she said firmly. "If I tell him, there's no way he's going to leave me alone,"

As difficult as this was, Violet knew it was the right thing to do. If Damon knew about her being pregnant, he wouldn't have let her leave the estate. She'd have to give birth to a baby in that world and the baby will grow up to be exactly like his or her father. I'm sorry if this is selfish, Damon, but I hope you know why I have to do this...

Violet stared longingly out the window and tears began to pool in her eyes again. In any other circumstance, this would've been the greatest news ever. Despite everything, she still loved Damon to pieces and having his baby was a dream come true. But after everything that happened, Violet couldn't bring herself to go back in there. It would destroy her and this baby's future.

I'm so sorry...

Violet started crying again and Luke was staring at her with eyes full of worry. He could only imagine how scared and confused she must be feeling. And the fact that she had to do this on her own must be too much to bear.

"Hey," he said suddenly, reaching for her hand. "...I'm not gonna let you do this on your own,"

"Huh?" Violet turned her eyes to Luke with a quizzical look.

"You know our town and what people are like around there. They're gonna give you a hard time for doing this," he explained.

"I can take it-"

"I know you can take it, but they'll do it to your baby too and that's not fair," he cut her off.

Violet realized Luke brought up a very important point. Her thoughts were so occupied by Damon that she didn't even consider what life would be like to raise a kid alone as a single-parent in their little town. People would be talking about her, and kids at school would tease her child for not having a father. She knew what that was like growing up. She could never put her kid through that.

"I love our town, you know I do. But we're never known as the progressive type, so..." Luke started trailing, and looking somewhat nervous.

"So?"

"So I think we should get married,"

"What?!"

Violet's eyes went wide as saucers as she looked at Luke dead in the eyes.

"Yeah, and I can help you raise the baby-"

"Luke, do you hear yourself talking?" she cut him, trying to make a point that he sounded delirious.

"Yes, and I'm dead serious," Luke said instead, completely the opposite of what Violet was expecting. "Look, I care about you, Violet. You know I do. There's no way in hell I'm gonna let you go through this on your own,"

"But..."

"I love you, I always do," he added. "No matter what you do, no matter what decision you're gonna make, I'm always gonna be right behind you. One hundred percent,"

Violet fell silent. She didn't know what to say or how to react. She could only stare at Luke in awe. He was perhaps the best human being on this planet. He stood by her through thick and thin, he even almost got killed trying to save her. And despite everything she had done, he never judges and still loves her. Luke was an angel that she didn't deserve.

"Luke, I..." Violet started to speak, but she didn't know how to finish her sentence.

Luke responded by smiling a reassuring smile and taking her hand.

"I'm serious, Vi. I want you to marry me," he said. "We're gonna be a great team together. You, me, and the baby,"

Violet was silent again. In her head, she was imagining what life would be like with Luke in the picture. Luke was an amazing person, he would make such a great father. And he was her best friend. Even though she didn't love him the way she loves Damon, she still loves him nonetheless.

Luke, you really are an angel...

"I..." Violet's mouth fell open, but it took her a moment before she could say the words out loud.

Meanwhile, Luke was still waiting patiently for her answer. He smiled at her graciously, and with their hands clasped together, Luke brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it gently. "So, what do you say?"