𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐞 || A Mafia Love Story

v

Marlee's biggest dream in life was to have her grandfather pass on the family restaurant to her and live out the rest of her life surrounded by the sweet smell of her grandfathers recipes being made. Since Marlee was young her grandfather would tell her about how the restaurant would be hers one day and it always makes her heart soar with glee. She could imagine herself, hair tied up, wearing an apron covered in flour and marinara, whirling about the kitchen checking on the cooks and ambling through the dining room checking on her guests. Marlee would often spend the day helping her grandfather out at the restaurant while her mother was off at work and she's been doing so since she was old enough to walk. She knows every recipe by heart. It may be a simple dream but it was all Marlee could want in life and it was enough for her to feel fulfilled.

As Marlee entered her home she felt all her hopes and dreams shatter, dread filled her entire being as she quietly shut the door behind her and crept down the hall. Marlee had entered the house just in time to hear her grandmothers panicked voice yelling at her grandfather. "You lost the restaurant! How could you do this to us, to her? You know you could have asked your brother for money Vincent. What the hell were you thinking?" Marlee's grandparents were sitting at the small table in their kitchen, her Grandfather sat holding his head in his hands not meeting Nonna's eyes.

"It was a mistake Sienna, you know how much I hate asking my little brother for money. It's embarrassing. I- I thought I'd be able to pay him back, I swear to you if I had known this would happen I never would have even considered that deal!"

Papa raised his head and met Nonna's harsh glare. "I'm sorry, my love. I am so sorry."

"It's not me you need to be apologizing to Vincent, it's your granddaughter." Nonna hissed as she looked up at me with soft eyes.

Marlee whipped her head back behind the wall she was standing behind and rushed up the steps to her bedroom, locking the door behind her. Marlee's mind raced connecting all the things she's just heard, Papa lost their restaurant. The girl's eyes pooled with tears and her lip wobbled. Marlee let out the smallest whimper trying to hold back her sobs and rushed to her bed. Marlee felt around the dark room for the stuffed bear her father gave her when she was young and gripped it to her heaving chest. Marlee cried and cried but made no sound so as not to alert any of her family members to her distress. Marlee hated crying, she felt silly and she didn't want to make anyone else feel bad for her. Marlee hates conflict which only added to her tears. Whenever someone yells or argues, regardless of whether it's at her or not it makes her chest feel tight and her whole body tense.

Marlee heard the sound of footsteps creaking up the old wooden steps and she immediately went still. She didn't want to talk to Papa right now. She was angry and she didn't want Papa to know how upset she was with him. Three soft knocks sounded on the door and Marlee held her breath.

"Marlee, dear please talk to me, I want to explain myself." Papa called sounding defeated.

"Marlee?" Marlee heard her papa sigh quietly and shuffle his feet away from the door.

"I understand if you don't want to talk to me right now, goodnight my sweet girl."

Her grandfather's kindness made her sob even more. She felt awful for feeling so angry with him, he was just a caring old man, she felt he didn't deserve any of her hateful emotions. 'I'm a terrible girl' Marlee thought to herself. Marlee just wanted to curl up in her father's lap where she felt safe and warm, like she was protected from the whole world. But she couldn't do that anymore so she continued to sob until her cries died down to a sniffle and she drifted off into sleep. Tears stained the sleeping girls smooth freckled skin and soft snores left her parted lips.

The lock on her door jiggled and the handle twisted. The wooden door creaked as it was gently pushed open by a shadowed figure. Marlee's mother stepped carefully into the room and slowly sat on the edge of her daughter's bed. Eleanor reached her cold thin fingers towards her daughter and cupped her cheeks in her hands. Eleanor leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her daughter's temple. Eleanor pulled her hand away and gently smoothed the girls eyebrows like she would do when Marlee was a newborn.

Marlee stirred mumbling her mothers name in her sleep and shifted closer to her. Eleanor tucked a loose strand of hair behind her daughter's ear before standing from the bed and carefully making her way out of the room to get ready for bed.