“To be honest, I only feel flattered…”, she just says, quietly, turning to his husband, “….Dante, what do you say?”.

Incredibly, Dante is blushing. His face is all red and he looks like he’s holding his breath.

“Will you carry the baby, Carmen?”, he asks.

“Yeah…”, I say, softly.

“…And… are you sure you want me to be the donor?”.

I smile.

“Of course I am".

"Why?", he asks under his breath, and sounds sincerely curious.

"Because you’re strong, and honest, and smart. You’re a good guy, a good friend and husband, you have moral values similar to Shane’s. And you are cute, also. Because you have Shane’s eyes. And you’re part of the family and we’d be proud to have you as a donor”.

He whistles silently, surprised, his eyes wide open.

Then he clears his voice and extracts a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Cassandra gives him the gaze of death, and he purses his lips together and places it on the table like it’s burning.

I chuckle.

“Well, I… I…”, he stutters, “…I don’t know what to say. I am speechless, but…”.

Shane squeezes my hand tighter and I can feel she’s tensed.

Dante smiles.

“…But I’d be glad to help you”, he just adds, shyly.

“Is it a yes, then?”, I ask him.

He nods.

“Sì. Uhm, I mean, yeah”.

Shane exhales the breath she was holding and pats him strongly on his shoulder.

“I can’t believe it!”, she exclaims, deliriously happy.

Dante winces in pain.

“Oouch! Shane, buddy, wrong shoulder!”.

Shane sits back on her chair.

“Aaah… Sorry, Dan, I guess I am a bit anxious right now”.

“Don’t beat your future donor”.

She rakes her fingers through her hair and then kisses my lips. A soft peck.

“I’m happy”, she mutters under her breath staring at Cass and Dante.

And my heart explodes.

”Time will change, still the world remains the same,
Time will change, still the world remains the same.
It’s the weight of the world, I know.
As I struggle to be…whole.
It’s the weight of the world, I know.
As you were mine, and we will find…”*

TO BE CONCLUDED… probably.

**

SOUNDTRACK:
*”Weight Of The World” (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club)