Stephanie grew up cherished yet haunted by questions no one would answer.
Carmine’s life, in contrast, was marked by tumult, loss, and an
unrelenting search for belonging. They lived as strangers, unaware of each
other’s existence—until fate, and a single phone call brought the
truth crashing in. Their discovery binds them in an instant—and alters
everything.
What the Heart Carries traces their breathtaking discovery and the devastating
tragedy that followed. At nce a story of grief and of redemption, it asks:
How do we begin to heal when everything we know is torn apart?
Spanning from Brooklyn’s tight-knit neighborhoods to the sun-soaked
streets of Florida, this is a powerful novel of family secrets, faith, and the
unbreakable ties of blood. Inspired by true events, it is a story that will
linger in your heart long after the final page.
Chapter 1
The
Beginning (1966)
Cecilia adjusted the strap of her purse as she walked along
86th Street under the El, the scent of fresh Italian bread and coffee drifting
from the corner bakery. Car horns, laughter, and the distant rumble of the
subway filled the air, but her mind was focused on the errand her mother had
sent her on. She was to pick up a spool of thread from the fabric store and
then head straight home. Simple. Routine.
Just as she arrived at the corner of Stillwell Avenue, she
stopped short at the sight of him. Through the large glass window of the
neighborhood gym, she saw a man, his dark hair slicked back, his muscular arms
flexing as he lifted a pair of weights. Stunned, her breath caught in her
throat. He was unlike any man she’d ever seen before—confident, strong, and
completely engrossed in his workout. A few girls near the gym’s entrance were
watching him as well. Giggling, they stole glances in the man’s direction. They
were animated and giddy, but Cecilia was rooted in place, unable to move,
unable to look away.
Then, as if sensing her gaze, he turned. Their eyes met
through the glass.
Cecilia’s heart thudded in her chest. For a moment she
considered looking away and pretending she hadn’t been staring, but something
about the man’s expression—the amused smirk, the spark of curiosity in his
eyes—held her there. Slowly, deliberately, he set the weights down and wiped
the sweat from his brow. Then, to her surprise, he walked over to the door.
Cecilia panicked. She knew she should leave, turn on her
heels and pretend this never happened. But before she could make herself move,
he was walking straight toward her.
“Enjoying the view?” he asked as he approached, his voice
deep and playful.
She felt herself blush. “I was just passing by.”
His smirk widened. “Sure you were.”
She folded her arms, trying to steady herself. “Well, are
you going to tell me your name?”
“James,” he said, offering his hand. “And you?”
“Cecilia. Cecilia Russo.”
Their hands met, and an undeniable current passed between
them. Cecilia swallowed hard. She had heard about men like him—charmers,
flirts, troublemakers—the kind of men her mother had warned her about.
And yet as he held her gaze, none of that mattered.
Awestruck, Cecilia could only think about this man named James.
“I’ve never seen you around here before,” James said,
tilting his head slightly. “Are you new to the neighborhood?”
She shook her head. “No. I live a few blocks away. My mother
sent me to the fabric store.”
James grinned. “Exciting afternoon, then.”
She laughed despite herself. “Not quite as exciting as
lifting weights in front of an audience.”
He chuckled, stepping a little closer. “I don’t mind an
audience, especially when it includes a girl as pretty as you.”
At the compliment, Cecilia fought again the urge to blush.
She should have walked away. She should have smiled politely, excused herself,
and continued on her errand. Instead, she lingered, drawn in by the easy
confidence in his voice and the way his eyes darkened when they met hers.
“I should go,” she murmured, though she made no move to
leave.
James studied her for a moment and then cocked his chin just
a bit. “Alright. But let me walk you to the store.”
She hesitated, knowing she should refuse. But despite her
better judgment, she found herself nodding. And so they walked side by side,
the summer sun casting long shadows on the sidewalk as they went.
That evening, as Cecilia and her family sat down to dinner,
her sister Linda quietly scolded her: “You shouldn’t talk to men like that.”
Their mother, Concetta, bustled around the kitchen scooping
out steaming portions of pasta, oblivious to the conversation between the
twins.
“Daddy would’ve had a fit if he’d seen you flirting this
afternoon with that guy outside the gym,” Linda continued.
Cecilia rolled her eyes but kept her voice low. “I wasn’t
flirting.”
Linda snorted. “Please. You didn’t realize it, but I was by
Mr. Morelli’s soda shop a few doors down. I saw the way that man looked at
you—and the way you looked at him.”
Their father, Leo, sat at the head of the table. He was a
man of principle, his presence alone commanding respect. He was unaware of the
tension building between the twins. The girls were always whispering, and he
took no notice of it.
Cecilia had spent her life trying to be the good daughter,
the obedient one. But this evening, for the first time, she felt a pull toward
something—someone—that didn’t fit neatly into her world.
Cecilia’s family was loving but strict. Her father was a
retired boxer and former Navy man, and he ran their household with a firm but
caring hand. He had worked tirelessly to provide for his family, instilling
discipline and respect in his children. Their home was warm and filled with the
aromas of baked ziti, sautéed broccoli rabe, and chicken parmesan, but there
were many unspoken rules. Cecilia knew those rules well, and today she had
broken one of them for the first time.
Then there was James and Cecilia’s first real date. It was
anything but ordinary. James pulled up to the corner of her block—out of sight
of Cecilia’s parents—in a sleek, black 1965 Pontiac GTO, its polished chrome
gleaming under the streetlights. The low rumble of the engine sent a thrill
through Cecilia as she slipped into the passenger seat.
She had told her parents she was going to the movies with
Linda, which wasn’t a complete lie—Linda was coming along. But their parents
didn’t know anything about James or their real plans for the evening, and her
parents certainly didn’t know that James was bringing along his friend Tony as
a date for Linda.
Linda sat in the back seat, exchanging flirtatious glances
with Tony. Cecilia could hardly focus on anything but James’s hand resting
casually on the gear shift. He drove with an effortless cool, weaving through
the streets of Brooklyn in the evening light.
As they reached Coney Island, the scent of salt water and
fried food was thick in the air. The two couples walked along the boardwalk,
the sounds of carnival rides and laughter surrounding them. James bought
Cecilia some cotton candy, his fingers grazing hers as he handed it over. The
touch sent a shiver through her. They wandered through the games where James
easily won her a stuffed bear. When they rode the Wonder Wheel, he rocked their
seat just enough to make her laugh and grip his arm.
As the night stretched on, Cecilia felt the weight of the
rules she was breaking, but with James beside her, it didn’t seem to matter.
The way he looked at her, like she was the only girl in the world, made her
forget everything else.
When they pulled up to a spot just a few doors down from her
house, Cecilia noticed that the porch light was on—a reminder of the world she
had to return to. James leaned over, brushing his hand against her cheek. “I
had a good time tonight,” he said.
She beamed with delight, her heart pounding. “Me too.”
For a moment, it seemed like he might kiss her, but instead,
James simply grinned.
“Sweet dreams, Cecilia.”
The weeks flew by, and Cecilia never told her parents about
her new boyfriend. She swore Linda to secrecy. Her twin often covered for her.
As Cecilia got to know James better, their stolen meetings became more
frequent, and their conversations got deeper.
It wasn’t long before one night, parked at a secluded spot
near the Verrazzano Bridge, James kissed Cecilia with an urgency she had never
known before. The city lights shimmered in the distance as his hands traced her
skin, each touch setting fire to her senses. She knew nice girls didn’t do
this, that she was breaking both her parents’ rules and God’s. Yet she gave
herself to him completely, believing in the moment, believing in him.
Susan Appel is the author of What the Heart Carries: One Secret, Two Lives, a
debut novel inspired by her own family’s story of loss, faith, and
restoration. She writes with honesty and heart, exploring themes of identity,
grief, and the enduring bonds of family. Susan believes deeply in the power of
words to heal, to connect, and to remind us that even in life’s darkest
seasons, hope can be found. She cherishes quiet moments and laughter-filled
days at the Jersey Shore with her husband and two children. Susan finds joy in
simple traditions, lasting friendships, and the spiritual journey that
continues to guide her steps.
