Milo

Epilogue: I

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4 years later...

          Much had changed in the last few years. Milo had just turned eight and I couldn't fathom how much he had grown. He was currently in the third grade and although he didn't talk much to other kids he had a friend, and for that I was very proud. Milo had grown past his classmates heights and was continuing to grow more and more each day.

          Luciano and Qiang had their son and named him Lixin, the name bearing luck and purposefulness in his life. Lixin had turned four and was often running around the house as I watched over both him and Milo. Though, he was around less now that Qiang was taking more time off of work due to the second little surprise. The couple was pregnant with their second child, this time a girl. 

           Mariana and Armando started dating two years back and had been happy ever since. They still refused to get remarried though as they didn't want to share bank accounts. From Armando's words himself he believed she would steal all his money and disappear into the night. They had moved into Mariana's house together as Armando took a step down from the family position, leaving Santiago the one and only leader. 

           Santiago had gotten his voice back, though it was never the same. It was deeper and held a rasp it didn't have before. After the incident rumors spread across the mafia world about how he had survived. And from the long scar along his neck everyone knew it to be true, only making him more fear inducing in the eyes of others. In reality, he was just happy to be alive and continue our life as a family.

           And I stayed the same, I think. I began teaching lessons on car theft to the young recruits who took over my job or anyone who wanted to learn. I was good with a gun these days, picking up a talent I didn't know I had. And my brother had gotten out of prison. We met for the first time three years back and ever since then we slowly got closer. He moved to Philadelphia to be closer to me and opened up a body shop to work on cars. He was the one who taught me how to highjack them after all. Reconciling with him made me feel better, like parts of me got sewn back together.

          "Papa, Lixin bit me! Again!" Milo grumbled as he ran up to me, his eyebrows furrowed. Milo had made it to a point with his selective mutism where he was fully verbal with family. 

           I fought a laugh. "Okay, here's what you should do."

           Milo nodded before putting his head on chest, he was very obviously frustrated. Milo was too nice for his own good, often kids would provoke him into talking but he stayed calm. Santiago told him to beat them up but Milo took a less violent approach, my approach. Which was the scare them into leaving him alone. I found that a singular punch at eight was enough or Santiago showing up at the school and running a finger along the scar on his neck. 

        "Yell at him or hit him lightly." I pursued my lips as Milo pulled back and looked at me like I was crazy. 

         "You're giving me permission to... hit him?" Milo gave me a very specific stank face, making me laugh. Milo sometimes had the mannerisms of a black person and it would never fail to make me laugh, he took after me a little too much. "Shouldn't I try to speak with him about it."