Lost & Found

SEVEN

"Roses are red, violets are blue. I hate Rosalina and you all should too." I hummed happily, practically skipping through the lingerie section of the department store. I halted when a bright red piece of string for underwear sitting on a table caught my attention. "How do girls wear this?" I whispered, stepping away from the panties like they'd set me on fire. "Hey Papá how do—stop walking away. The women's section won't slit your throat, I promise."

It was a beautiful Sunday morning in New York City. The sun was shining brightly in the clear ocean blue skies and the birds sing their merry tunes as the soared across the city. But these were all things I shouldn't have known because it was before noon on the only two days I didn't have school. Right now, I belonged in bed dreaming about whatever my mind threw at me but no, of course not.

Vincenzo had sent Robert to wake up me up at the ass crack of dawn because apparently, he needed help immediately. At the time, I'd been so nervous that I hadn't even swore at him for waking me up before the rooster croaked. I thought I'd waltz down there and see Scarlett's body as red as her hair, covered in blood. Or even Papá and Uncle Matteo with the file I'd been looking for.

So you can imagine my surprise when I stumbled down the stairs and discovered my father standing in the middle of the living room, tapping his foot impatiently. His features were so stale and chilled I thought someone had died. But no. If there was one thing I'd come to know about Vincenzo it was that he loved his dramatics.

He took a deep breath, looked my straight in the eye and said this dire help he required was picking out a dress and the 'perfect' batch of roses for a lunch date with Sammy.

I'd looked at him like he'd just kicked a grandma into the middle of a busy intersection. But, a promise of a new video game and a dozen donuts quickly followed his pleas, and I was easily swayed into get dressed and ruin my Sunday morning.

So now, we were currently in some fancy department store inside the mall searching cluelessly through hundreds of expensive glittering dresses for a dress that would capture Sammy's eyes or whatever Papá had said in the drive over here.

"I don't understand women..." He exhaled shakily and pulled out a cigar from God only knows where. Once he shrugged the Muttozani encrusted lighter from his pocket I quickly lunged forward and held onto his arm.

Was I, a ten-year-old, the only one with decorum in this family?

He raised his eyebrow, silently asking what I was doing. "Daddy, you can't smoke in here." I explained like it wasn't obvious. "This is a place of business." I jerked my head to the right where an employee looked to be on the verge of calling security.

I mean, I kind of understood where she was coming from. A monster of a man with an eyepatch and a sweet innocent angel faced little boy waltzing into a women's store was sure to draw eyes. "Put the cigar away." I gave him the unimpressed tight-lipped look that I was usually always on the receiving end of. I couldn't lie and say it didn't feel good playing adult for once. The new Fifa just came out, I wasn't playing around. "You're embarrassing us in public. We have a reputation."

He scoffed. "You think I care about—"

I was reaching the end of my rope with this.

"Listen here Vincenzo!" I snarled, jabbing my finger into his harder than rock chest. "You woke me up for this. If you don't find a dress for Sammy, then I'll make sure you're attending five parent-teacher conferences by the end of the week, and you know I'll do it. Capisce?"

He rolled his good eye but, nevertheless stuffed the cigar back into the pocket of his slacks, grumbling like a petulant child. "Happy?" Papá rumbled out.