Chapter 19: Visiting

"Austin."

I placed the flowers on the gravestone, wiping a tear from my eye.

"Yeah, Sicily?"

"Thank you for coming with me to visit my mother."

"You're welcome."

A couple of years had passed since my mother died. I hadn't visited her grave for a long time, so I was overly emotional. I felt like it was the right time to tell Austin about my sordid family past.

"What happened to your mother?"

"I don't really know. I just got a call one day about burial arrangements. I don't know why they didn't tell me what happened to her, but I have this really terrible feeling that she killed herself."

"What would make you think that?"

"It's because every woman in my family since the year 1875 has committed suicide. No exceptions."

"Oh my berry, that's horrible."

"Every woman in my family has also had numerous children, all with different men."

"No exceptions?"

I hung my head and nodded.

"Does that mean you're going to cheat on me because you can't control it?"

"No! I don't want to, but it's uncontrollable- I mean, no. I love you. I'm not going to sleep with anyone else. The thought of hurting you breaks my heart. All I mean is that this thing has been haunting my family for generations. I don't know what I'll do or when I'll do it. It's like I get possessed and then I seduce the next hot guy I see. That's the only way I can describe it."

"Can you just decide to stop having children? Then you could just stay with me the way we are and live happily ever after."

I turned away from Austin and broke into tears. "That's not how it works! As soon as they decide to stop having children, that's when they die. That's when they kill themselves. There is no happily ever after! Austin, If I decide to stop having kids, I'll die! If you stay with me, you'll die!"

Suddenly Austin was in front of me and I felt him put his arms around me, holding me tight. "Are you trying to break up with me?"

"I don't know. Is it working?"

"No, of course not. I know you love me. I want to be with you, Sicily."

"Even if you or I die?"

"That's a chance I'm willing to take. I love you, and if the last thing I remember is the time I got to spend with you, then it's worth it. You're worth it. Come on, let's go home."

Austin and I spent the next few days researching more about my family history trying desperately to figure out if there was any way to lift the curse. We came up flat.