The Claim

Prologue

Growing up in New York City made Eloise tougher than most people thought. Growing up surrounded by mobsters gave Eloise a different outlook on life than most people have. She knew things that most people didn't. And, well, some things she was taking to her grave with her.

Eloise's parents owned a very popular Italian restaurant in Little Italy, in the lower part of Manhattan. Most of their clients were either Italian immigrants who just moved to the United States in search of the American dream and were feeling homesick, or their descendants, who built a life for themselves there but never really left the old neighborhood.

Eloise's mother was as authentic as an Italian woman could be. She was outspoken, strong and protective of her family and loved ones. She was the heart and soul of both their family and their restaurant. Her father was an American through and through, having always been fascinated by Italian culture, especially the Cosa Nostra, something her mother didn't discover until long after they were married. They fell in love after a chance meeting, got married within a year and soon after welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Eloise.

Growing up, Eloise's mother always made sure that Eloise stayed as far away as possible from the mobsters that came to the restaurant, making sure that she wasn't there whenever they used the restaurant for their meetings or when they just came to grab something to eat, sending her either home or to help out in the kitchen.

Despite that, Eloise still knew all about them and would even be called by the local mobsters as "little Ellie", the same name her parents had given their restaurant. She would see them on her way home from school or when they would come to the restaurant. She was fully aware of what they were and what they did, and knew better than to ever cross one. If she did, not only would her life be at risk but so would her family.

As Eloise got older, a few of the men started taking notice of her. She knew that the last thing her mother would ever want was for her to be with one of them, knowing full well what they were capable of and what that meant for their families, so she always stayed clear of them, going as far as avoiding serving them whenever she was helping at the restaurant.

Her father, however, was a different story. If it was up to him, as soon as Eloise turned eighteen, she would've been married off to some low level mobster, just so he could say he was a part of the local crime family, even if it was just by proxy. Eloise always hated her father for that, but never said anything because she knew her mother would never let that happen.

But one day her nightmare was on the verge of coming true. Eloise got to the restaurant, ready to start her day, when her mother pulled her roughly to the kitchen, not letting her greet anyone in the process. At first she thought she was in some kind of trouble, but when she saw the look on her mother's face, she knew that there was something wrong.

Asking her mother what was happening, Eloise followed her to the back office as her mother told her to go back home and pack her things, that she needed to leave town immediately. Eloise was confused and asked why, not understanding this sudden urgency. That was when her nightmare started coming to life.

Her mother told her that, as they spoke, her father was trying to forge an arranged marriage between Eloise and one of the low level mobsters that was a regular at the restaurant. Her mother had tried to stop it from happening but her father was determined and nothing her mother would say was changing his mind.

Eloise felt her head spinning. How could her father do something like that to her? He knew that Eloise had no interest in marrying, or even dating, a man that was in that lifestyle, and yet, there he was, planning to marry her off to a man she didn't even really know.

Eloise looked back at her mother and saw her pulling a floorboard out and taking a box from the small hole that it was covering. She walked over to her mother and asked her what that was. Her mother's answer made her realize that this wasn't just her nightmare, it was also her mother's.

Her mother told her that, deep down, she knew one day her father would do something like that and that she wouldn't be able to stop him, so she took some precautions. Every day, she would put some money aside and put it in the box. She then hid the box in her office because she knew Eloise's father would never find it there.

Eloise could feel the tears starting to fill her eyes, but she held them back. She asked her mother where she was supposed to go, since she didn't know anyone outside of New York. She saw her mother stop and take a breath, before telling her that she didn't know and that it was best that she didn't, but to go as far away as possible and to not tell anyone where she was going or where she was planning on going, just in case her father decided to track her down and bring her back home.

Eloise nodded, understanding what she needed to do. Her mother placed the box on the desk and pulled her close, hugging her as tightly as possible, and Eloise could feel her mother's tears falling on her shoulder. Her mother pulled back and told her how proud she was of her, and how strong she was and that she was sure Eloise was going to be okay.

Eloise gave her a teary smile and said that she was her mother's daughter and that sooner rather than later they will be together again. Her mother smiled and nodded, deep down knowing that maybe this was the last time she was ever going to see her baby girl. Eloise's mother quickly shook those thoughts away and told her to go and not look back.

Eloise nodded, told her mother she loved her and ran out the back door, her mother's box secured tightly under her arm. She ran all the way home, not stopping or slowing down. She knew she had to be fast, and was already making a mental list of everything she was going to need to pack. She also knew she had to pack light, otherwise it would just slow her down.

It wasn't until a couple of hours later, as she was sitting on a bus headed to Los Angeles, that the weight of what was happening came crashing down on her and she couldn't stop the silent sobs that shook her body. She just left the only home she has ever known, left her mother, her friends, her whole life behind, all because of her selfish father. If at first her sobs were of pure sadness, now they were filled with anger towards her father.

Eloise knew what she needed to do, she already had a plan laid out in her head, but she was hopeful that one day she could see and hug her mother again. For now, though, she had to stay strong and push through, trying to find a new place she could call home.