Weeks went by, and Gina and Martin found themselves spending nearly every evening together and he found himself spending less and less nights sleeping his desk chair, obsessing over work. Sometimes they would spend hours in his living room sharing a bottle of wine, watching a flickering candle cast shadows on the wall.

They spoke of current events, work, or their mutual friends (which recently included Sonny's seemingly outlandish plans to move to Alaska, but Gina reluctantly agreed that a change of pace would be good for him). But both seemed to avoid any discussion of their pasts like the plague. In any other relationship, this might be a red flag, but Gina's intuition told her there was pain in Martin's life far beyond May Ying and Thailand. She had spent many nights in his home, but had seen nothing that gave any hint to who he had once been. No pictures of family, no mementos, nothing that would have set his house apart from a nondescript model home. But they could never have a real relationship unless he trusted her enough to open up.

At the same time, she got the impression that he was tip toeing around her own past. He knew her mother had been killed in Cuba when she was a baby, and she was certain he didn't want to bring painful wounds to the surface. Maybe she needed to take the first step in order to get him to open up. It had been years since she had brought a man home to meet her aunt and uncle; it wasn't as though she could have brought Frank Mosca home!

"I want you to meet my aunt and uncle," she finally blurted out, causing Martin to raise an eyebrow in surprise. Her boldness startled her a little, they weren't yet that open with their relationship.

He smiled though, and kissed her on the forehead. "I would love that, Gina. Tell me about them." His gentle encouraging brought old memories to the surface, memories she hadn't thought about in years. She smiled at the memory and began her story.

Miami, 1966

"Thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three…" Seven year old Gina counted out loud breathlessly as she jumped. School was out for the day, but she was determined to break the playground jump rope record and wanted to practice a little more. She was nearly oblivious to the conversation of the girls around her.

"My mother is getting me a pink dress with little flowers all over it for the father-daughter picnic! It's so beautiful, and very expensive," Laura bragged, tossing her blond curls over her shoulder.

The other girls oohed and ahhhed at the idea. All except Gina, who ignored her and continued jumping rope.

"What about you, Gina? Are you getting a new dress?" her friend Melissa asked kindly.

Gina stopped jumping and opened her mouth to answer, but Laura was faster.

"She doesn't even have a father. Or a mother, for that matter." The other girls looked at Gina with sympathetic eyes while Laura just gloated.

"You be quiet, Laura Taylor! I do so have a mom and dad!" Gina shot back.

Laura rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No, you have an aunt and uncle," she corrected condescendingly.

Gina clenched her fists. It was taking every ounce of her restraint not to punch Laura in the mouth. That would shut her up. "Are you stupid, Laura? I do so have a mother and father! Everybody does! It's just that mine died. And I just know Uncle Chris will come with me to the father daughter picnic, he's practically like a father to me anyway."

"No he won't! The picnic is for fathers and daughters, not for orphans and guys who are sort of their dad. Your aunt just married your 'uncle', didn't she, Gina? And how do you think he really feels about raising some kid that's not even related to him? Trust me, someday your Aunt is going to have their REAL kid, and you'll just be in the way." Laura crossed her arms, feeling satisfied.

Melissa chimed in. "That's really mean, Laura!"

Laura shrugged, trying to appear innocent. "I'm just being honest!"

Meanwhile, Gina felt a little red hot flame of rage ignite within her, as her eyes burned with angry tears. She could control herself no more and reached out, grasped one of Laura's perfect blond curls and pulled as hard as she could, causing Laura to let out a high pitched scream. Gina released her and ran as fast as she could, tears streaming down her face, not slowing down until she was certain she had put a safe distance between her and Laura. That good for nothing little tattletale would probably run home and tell her mother, who would call Aunt Rose, but Gina would just have to deal with that later.

At home, safe in her room, Gina examined the flyer for the father-daughter picnic that had been handed out at school that day. Oh how excited she had been to bring her new Uncle Chris to show off to all her friends! Unlike Laura, Gina's family didn't have money to buy a fancy new dress, but her seamstress aunt was busy making a beautiful yellow sundress that reminded her of the spring sunshine. For as long as she could remember, it had been just her and Aunt Rose. That is, until Rose met Christopher Calabrese. He was smart, funny, and fit right into their little family. He and Rose had married just last summer. Gina had never known her own father, but Uncle Chris was every bit the father she had always dreamed of. He was fun and energetic, always used silly voices when he read her stories, taught her to catch a ball, and ran with her in the ocean waves. She had never felt anything other than love and acceptance from him, but Laura's words still nagged at her. What if she was right?

That evening, Gina came downstairs to the kitchen, surprised to find her aunt busily setting the dining room table and lighting candles. "Aunt Rose? Are we having company tonight?"

Rose beamed happily. Gina's pretty young aunt always had a bright smile, but tonight something about her seemed different, as if there were an extra sparkle in her eyes. "No, it's just the three of us. But Uncle Chris and I have a special surprise for you!"

Gina wondered what the surprise was? The last time her Aunt had a big surprise is was about her engagement to Uncle Chris. What could it be this time? Maybe they were moving? Maybe they were going on vacation? Aunt Rose and Uncle Chris hadn't taken a real honeymoon, that had to be it! What a great day this had turned out to be, and even that old tattletale Laura couldn't spoil it!

Just then she heard the familiar creak of the front door opening and the heavy sound of shoes on the entry way tile. "Uncle Chris!" She shouted excitedly, running into his arms.

He knelt down slightly and opened his arms wide to grab her and swing her around, making her raven curls float up above her head. "How are ya, Jeen-Bean?"

She giggled at his nickname for her. "I'm good! Aunt Rose says there's a big surprise! Tell me what it is, pleeeeaaase?" She jumped up and down with anticipation.

He made a motion with his fingers as though he were zipping his lips. "Sorry kiddo, I'm sworn to secrecy. You'll just have to wait for dinner!"

Aunt Rose peeked her head in from the kitchen. "And you don't have to wait long! Wash up, dinner is on the table!"

Gina could barely contain herself as she sat across from her aunt and uncle. It just had to be a vacation! How fun it would be to spend time with her aunt and uncle in some faraway place. Maybe Key West? Or some island in the Caribbean? Maybe they would have to take a boat to get there! Or even a plane!

Uncle Chris grasped Aunt Rose's hand and they exchanged a smile. Here came the big news!

"Well Gina, what we wanted to tell you is…" Aunt Rose began. Gina held her breath.

"You're going to be a big cousin!" Uncle Chris finished, grinning broadly.

A baby? Gina felt her face fall, and it seemed that her heart hit the floor and all the breath had been sucked out of her. Immediately, Laura's words from that afternoon echoed in her head. 'You'll just be in the way!' Gina never thought it would happen, not so fast, but here it was. A tear fell down her face as she stared at her aunt and uncle, who first looked at one another, then stared back in confusion. Clearly she had not given them the reaction they were expecting. Words failed her though, and she got up from her chair, throwing it aside, and ran upstairs, slamming her bedroom door behind her. She flopped down on her bed, sobbing. Laura had been right all along! Now Rose and Chris would have a real kid, one they would love much more than her. On her dresser she caught sight of the flyer for the father-daughter picnic. She seized it and crumpled it angrily, throwing it on the floor.

Gina wasn't normally one to feel sorry for herself, but she had no one else in the world. Where would she go? She thought of characters in books she had read who had been orphaned. They all went to live in smelly orphanages with mean ladies that made them scrub floors all day and eat mush. Is that what would become of Gina? Some big surprise this turned out to be.

There was a soft tap at the door. "Jeen-Bean? You in there?" Chris asked, stepping in the room cautiously and sitting on the edge of her bed. Rose stood beside him. Gina refused to even look at him, and he gently rubbed her back. "What's going on kiddo? Why so upset all of a sudden?"

Gina sniffled and tried to catch her breath. She looked up at Chris' concerned face with her own eyes, red and puffy from crying. "There's going to be a baby. You and Aunt Rose's real kid. And… and… you won't want me anymore."

Chris turned to Rose and then back to Gina.

"Oh sweetheart…" Rose sat on the bed, with Gina between her and Chris.

"Gina, you might not be related to me by blood, but I love you as if you were my own daughter. Love isn't like a pie that gets eaten up, there's more than enough love here for you, Aunt Rose and your little cousin."

Gina wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Really?" she asked softly, taking a tissue from her aunt.

"Of course! Darling, when your mom died, it broke my heart. She was always my big sister, the one I looked up to! I didn't know how I'd go on living without her. But now I see her everyday, your smile, your eyes, that little bit of sass that comes out sometimes…" She gave Gina a little nudge with her elbow and winked. "You are every bit your mom, and I know she's so proud of who you are becoming."

Gina glanced over to her dresser, where a framed photograph of her mother smiled back at her.

"And I never knew her, but I feel like I did, just by knowing you," Uncle Chris added. "Now, how about we head downstairs before that delicious dinner your aunt made gets cold? And we can talk all about that picnic that's coming up!"

Gina smiled, feeling safe and loved sitting between her aunt and uncle. No matter what Laura said, no matter what anyone said, she did have a family, a real family.

Miami, 1990

"You're lucky to have them, Gina," Martin's reply was succinct, but her ear had learned to read him better in recent months. There was warmth in his voice.

"I am." She grinned. Despite having been born into violence and tragedy, the beautiful memories of childhood innocence surrounded by her younger cousins flooded back to her. She studied Martin, and saw a hint of sadness in his eyes and it irritated her that she didn't know what was behind them. They were in a serious relationship, and she felt she needed to break down his cold, enigmatic facade once and for all. She took a deep breath. "Martin, tell me about your childhood."

It wasn't a question, there was no turning back. She had to know the real Martin Castillo.