The Providence Of Omertà

[ 02 ] (Flashback)

--You can skip the first part of this chapter, it's the only appearance Juno had with her father in her life it also includes the funeral which 

Greenwich Village, 1974

Juno scurried down the stairs to her mother in a beautiful light pink gown. Her hair was placed in a neat bun and the plastic crown on her head laid perfectly with each curl. She ambled down the stairs of her nanny's manor.

Elizabeth clapped with joy at the sight of 7 year old daughter.

"Well I'd be damned! You really are a princess", said Nanny as she welcomed Juno into her arms with a slobbery kiss. Grandmas, am I right?

Juno giggled and held her Nanny tight before approaching her mother and striking a pose.

"I look just like you on your 7th birthday mommy!" She said as her then 10 year old sister, Haven, came in and sat on her nanny's lap, admiring her sister's new dress with slight envy.

"You do, honey. Now would you like to open presents first or eat cake?" asked Elizabeth.

"Presents. Always presents." replied Juno, a slight tone of sass.

They guided her into the dining hall and sat her down on a leather chair, besides the stacks of presents she was yet to indulge in.

"Now before we open all the materialistic things, there's someone who'd like to meet you Junnie." whispered Elizabeth leaning down beside her. "I think you'd like to meet them too."

On cue, a tall man with dark hair and a fading peach fuzz entered the room. His loud and hard footsteps make a clack on the plastered wooden floors.

Clack, clack, clack.

He seemed intimidating and scowled. Juno braced herself out of confusion and fear.

He knelt down beside Elizabeth and looked Juno in the eyes, and immediately a warm smile snuck through his daunted demeanor. His big blue eyes intrigued her.

"Happy birthday Juno, my name's Giovanni--Your father." he said slowly, as if he couldn't believe it himself.

Father. Juno had a father. This was always a difficult topic for her to cover when she saw her peers going to events and roaming the street with their fathers. Does this mean Juno can inherit the same feeling of joy she saw on their faces?

She looked at her mother for the green light of reassurance. Elizabeth nodded with a smile as she put her hand in his.

Juno choked on her words, unsure of what to say. She never had a father before. How are you supposed to act? What are you supposed to say? Thoughts raced through her mind before she finally blurted out;

"I didn't know I had a dad."

He chuckled and looked down nervously. "Nice to meet you, Juno."

She stuck out her hand formally and replied "You can call me Junnie, Giovanni."

Both her parents let out a light giggle as Giovanni took a glance at Elizabeth, she nodded as if to say "Yep, that's our kid."

"Well in that case, you can call me Gio ..or dad. Whichever you prefer."

Nanny continued into the dining hall holding Haven's hand.

"Well we met your life-sized father replica, now tear open the other presents!" Nanny said in a sarcastic tone, adding into the joyful setting of the room.

Juno ripped through the presents full of excitement. Toys, photographs, trinkets, books.

All the wishes Junnie asked for had been granted.