Aunt Virginia glared at Uncle Cappy. She was the type of woman that despite her short height, could take down the likes of Andre the Giant with a single glare. No one messed with Aunt Virginia in that town, but when it came to her husband or her nephew, the gloves came off and she'd fight to her death. So rather than talk her way out of it, she had to explain.

"When Greg was a teenager, he and Johnny Dakota were inseparable. They used to have a joke in town. Where there's a House there you will find Dakota. Well on top of all that, Johnny had a twin sister named Margerite. She was beautiful, long black hair, slender, and willing to break anyone's neck that messed with her boys. Typically boys and girls, especially sisters, aren't allowed to follow in the pack, but Johnny adored his sister and they always had her leading the way. But you see Allison, Margerite was like a sister to Greg. He was an only child and to have a sibling meant a lot to him. Then they turned 16. all three of them within two months. Greg was dating a girl in his class named Rita Marnero and Margerite was going with Mark Harvick. They were all down in the river horsing around when Margerite went under the water and didn't come back up. Being typical teens they assumed she was playing a joke but Greg dove down and Margerite was unconscious. He pulled her out, did CPR. Corrado here taught all the boys in his swim class CPR. Greg managed to revive her and she was taken to the hospital. They claimed she was dehydrated and that was what made her pass out but Greg was unconvinced. Margerite stayed in the hospital for three days."

"Was she pregnant?" Cameron asked.

"That's what I assumed but she wasn't. In fact according to the doc she was still a virgin. Well she came home and things went back to normal with the exception of Greg. He started checking out books at the library. I'd get up in the morning and he'd be gone and wouldn't come back till suppertime. Mrs. Evans the librarian said he'd be there all day with stacks and stacks of books. He had everything from human anatomy to childhood diseases. Poor Johnny would sit in the park across the street all day waiting for Greg to come out. Finally I started sending Charlie down with lunch for the two of them. This went on all summer and almost till Christmas time. Then after Christmas it seemed to go back to normal but I'll never forget May 4th however. Greg stopped by the deli where I was working and asked me to meet him at his parent's cabin. He spent a lot of time there as well and since his folks hadn't been back I let him use it. I left the deli and drove up to the cabin. Margerite's car was in the driveway, which wasn't entirely unusual. When I walked in Greg was sitting on the end of the couch. Margerite was lying with her head in his lap and she was as pale as a ghost and sweating profusely. Greg looked terrified. He told me that Margerite was really sick and that she needed to go to a hospital. I told him that she could go to the one in town but he wouldn't allow it."

"Why?"

"Margerite was pregnant."

"And where was this guy Mark?"

Virginia gave a long sad look at Uncle Cappy. He gave her a "go on" look in return.

"The baby wasn't Mark's. The baby was Greg's."

"What?" Cameron stared in disbelief. "I thought that was like his sister."

"Apparently Greg wasn't the only one that thought it was more than dehydration. She had more symptoms of other things after she came out of the hospital and none of Greg's research proved anything less than a fatal illness. Margerite was fearful for her brother Johnny and if she was going to die, she wanted to leave him with something. Greg was the only person she trusted so they made a child together."

"Were you angry?"

"I didn't have time to be angry. It was apparent that Margerite needed medical care and quickly. I knew that it was irresponsible for them to have sex especially with an added risk of an unknown disease but I also know my Bambino and he never in his life did anything he wasn't completely sure about. I knew he had considered every risk possible and had decided that her life meant more than his own."

"So what did you do?"

"Corrado and I drove them into White Plains where my brother lived. From there we called an ambulance and at Greg's request they got her to Newark Beth Hospital."

"That was far away from here."

"As I said Greg did his homework and he was convinced that the doctors there could help her and the baby. She was really sick. They told her she'd have to remain in the hospital for the remainder of her pregnancy, which was five months. One of the doctors there was so fascinated by Greg's knowledge and research that he agreed to take him on as a runner and understudy. He also let Greg stay in his home with he and his wife. I'm not sure what would've happened if Dr. Silvano hadn't done this for him. Greg was making money and he was ten minutes from the hospital."

"That name sounds familiar."

"Eight months into the pregnancy Margerite took a turn for the worst. The problem was that none of the doctors or specialists knew what was wrong with her. They did an emergency c-section and got the baby out. Margerite lived only long enough to hold their daughter and name her Serafina and then she passed away. And Greg's greatest fear came to pass; his newborn daughter was deathly ill. Whatever Margerite had she'd transferred to the baby. He stayed by her incubator day and night. Dr. Silvano knew she was near the end; he wrapped her in her baby blanket and handed her to Greg. One month and one day to her birth on October 10th, little Serafina died in his arms. And I think a small piece of his soul went right along with it."

Cameron wiped the tears from her eyes. It explained so much about the man he'd become. It was every reason why he'd risk his license, why he wouldn't give up and why he shunned personal relationships. Fate had dealt him a cruel hand.

"No one but me and Corrado and the doctors knew about Serafina. Greg wouldn't let us tell her family that she was even pregnant. Johnny was miserable but Greg assured him that Margerite died peacefully and wouldn't allow him to be there. After that Greg sealed himself inside that cabin with his medical books and his thoughts. He hardly spoke to anyone. I finally convinced him to talk to Father Augustine and I drove him to the church. They sat in the front row and I waited in the back. I heard him scream at Father Auggie and then he ran out of the church. He was angry with God because he took both lives and he felt that Father Auggie was defending God. He was so angry and cold to everyone. Dr. Silvano was so worried about him that he came here to talk to him. There wasn't any bs'ing that man. He told Greg if he was that angry about her their deaths that he should ensure no one else had to go through it again. He urged him to go to medical school and put all his anger into hard work. Corrado and I were able to get him in with our savings but Dr. Silvano paid the entire way. He told me that Greg was like his son because he and his wife couldn't have their own kids. So Greg went off the med school and because his parents moved here he left and I didn't see him for a few years till Corrado carried him home."

"Did he ever find out what Margerite died from?"

"I think he has but you see he won't talk about it anymore. And that ring he bought for Serafina after she died. The sapphire is her birthstone as she was born in September. And the inscription "For you the lions roar," was inscribed because he'd sit by her incubator and read her the story of the lion cub and the last line in the book said that. He told me once that when he felt the last breath leave her he could've swore that he'd heard the sound of a lion roaring."

"I thought he had it inscribed for me. That's what he said."

"He added his name to it. This is why I know that Greg truly loves you. He's carried that ring around with him since he bought it. He said he'd never give it away because he'd never love anyone like he loved his daughter. But after you arrived here he told me simply that you're favorite animal was lions and I knew what he meant. Whatever test he's putting you through right now Allison, stick with it and trust him. If he gave you that ring he gave you the symbol of his heart and soul. Trust him my dear because like him I hear it. And for you the lion roars."