#Chapter 106 - Aunt Cora

Mom and Luca exchange pleasantries while I work very hard to pull myself together, wondering how the hell I’m supposed to manage all of this chaos, when Jesse – of all wonderful people – comes to my rescue. He, too, skids through the door and is across the room in half a second, shoving Luca roughly aside and knocking him to the floor so he can wrap his arms around me, murmuring about how scared he was and how glad he is that I’m okay. I hug my cousin back, assuring him that I’m all right, and it’s only when Jesse offers a hand and an apology to Luca that I’m able to look at my mom again. She quickly raises a questioning eyebrow at me, asking silently if everything is out in the open, and I hurriedly shake my head, begging her with my expression to please, please not say anything. Slowly, she nods, a smile still playing at her lips as she turns her attention back to the boys, who are now standing at my bedside. “As much as it is a pleasure to meet you, Luca,” she says, her voice of