The Mafia's Angel | 18+

𝙎𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣

𝘼𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙖

✦⋆𓆩✧𓆪⋆✦

Never show weakness.

Mamma's voice echoed in my head as I walked with my head held high into the morgue. Ari had trailed me like a puppy for the most part, but as we walked down the long hallway, I felt his hand slip into mine, and everything eased. Our fingers tangled together as the funeral director and morgue attendant led us to where my family rested. I was to select their final outfits, but this was the first time I would be seeing them since that night. It was only two nights ago, but it felt like a lifetime.

"Portia is right here," the attendant stopped by a bed with a white sheet, and I was positive my skin matched that at this very moment.

But I let go of Ari's hand, stepping up to the bed. My hand trembled as I raised it to the top of the sheet, and I blinked back the tears that were going to spill over. Mamma would kill me if I got mascara-stained tears on white sheets. So after I let out a shaky breath, I pulled the sheet down, fully expecting to be traumatized by the brutality of the crime. But instead, I raised my hand to my mouth, covering a sob, because mamma looked peaceful. They had hidden the bullet wound well, it was to the temple, and they stitched it as best they could, her beautiful silver-streaked hair covering where it would be. "Oh mamma," I whispered, reaching out to stroke her jaw, she looked like she was sleeping. There was no rise and fall of her chest, but she looked like the woman who had raised me. And that brought me peace. So, after I spent a moment looking at her, I started speaking, "She would always wear a tear-shaped diamond necklace, three layers," I could hear the scratch of pen on paper, "A black satin dress, red heels, but a wine red, not firetruck, her wedding ring must stay on," I ran my thumb against her chin once more, "And a picture of Erik, Lily and I, she would never accept being away from us."

I pressed a last kiss to my mother's cheek before I covered her up, moving to the next table. And this time, I couldn't help the tear that slipped down my cheek as my trembling hands pulled the sheet away to see my Papa. I had to step back a moment, crashing into Ari's chest as I covered my mouth to let out a quiet sob. I couldn't help it, other than Lily, Papa was my everything. "It's okay angel," Ari's hands were on my hips, and his mouth was moving against my temple, "Take your time." I nodded, trembling in Ari's hands as he shushed me, trying to soothe me as I sobbed. Eventually, I pushed away from Ari, still letting his hands rest on my hips as I looked at my father again.

There was a smile on his face, not large, but almost like he was at peace, knowing that I would be safe with Ari, that he wouldn't have to live a life without his wife, or his youngest daughter. My lip trembled when I saw what he was wearing on his right wrist, a pink and purple beaded bracelet that I made when I was seven, with the letters spelling out #1 Papa. Then Ari's voice was in my ear, his lips nearly touching the shell, "He never took it off angel," I felt more hot tears fall silently down my cheeks, "It didn't matter what he wore, that bracelet was going to stay on him."

"Papa," I breathed out, running my thumb over the back of his hand. And then I took a shuttering breath, shaking slightly as I spoke. "A three-piece Italian suit with Italian loafers," I sniffled, taking his left and sliding his wedding band off, something Papa had told me to keep when I was young and he died. "A picture of Erik and I, and Lily's stuffed pig, Porky, he gave it to her, he loved it more than her."

I wiped my eyes quickly, ignoring the black smudges under my eyes as I made my way to Lily. My knees gave out when I saw her, Ari nearly flying across the room to catch me. Where my mama and papa looked peaceful, Lily looked terrified. She was still wearing one of my band teeshirts I used to get so mad at her for stealing. "I'm so sorry," I whispered, shaking so hard the table she was lying on, "I'm so sorry." Agony ripped through me so painfully fast it felt like my chest was being opened, my heart being shredded before it was ripped from me.