The Forbidden Love

v. coming home

Whenever I arrived home it was already midday, I felt so awkward and displaced sitting at the enemy's table. I consumed their offerings, but I kept my mouth shut. The breakfast was overwhelming, I felt embarrassed to be eating with such people. 

I ended up walking home because my driver had already left, but no one seemed too concerned about my absence. I opened the large door with the gothic design. Our house was a replica of a gothic church, except it didn't have all the churchy areas. It's just how my father wanted it, and he loved it. 

"Maria!" A shuddered voice shrieks, it was my mother. 

"Dove sei stata mia figlia? sono stato cosi preoccupato!" My mother sobs, she was wearing a black lace veil. I think she had accepted that I had somehow died already. 

"Sto bene mamma, sto bene." I tell her. I kiss her cheek and make my way to my father's office. 

"Maria, wherein the heavens have you been? You almost worried mamma to death!" A male voice rings out from the left hallway. 

It was my older brother, I was hoping to avoid him since he was given to temper easily.

"I was out with-"

"I know you were out, but why didn't you come home last night? Where were you?!" He raises his voice slightly as his fists ball.

"Gio, I was with Dianne all night. I stayed with her because of... uh. Well, I was keeping her from.."

"Oh, really Maria? You with Dianne the WHOLE night huh? That's funny because she came here last night and well, you weren't with her." He smiles nastily.  

"Okay look, I kinda got bubbly. But don't worry, I'm fine!" I raise my hands and walk past him. He grunts as I sashay down the hall. 

Giovanni, Gio for short, always kept an eye on me. I admired having an older brother, but it was tiring when he was overprotective. He acted like a father when he didn't need to, and it was comical because he was still a bachelor without children. I had two other brothers and a younger sister. Gio was the eldest, I came next, then Niccolo, then Alessandro, and lastly little Chiara. Chiara was only seven years of age. Gio was on the brink of becoming 28, I am 18, Niccolo and Alessandro were twins so they were both 12. 

Lately, Gio and I had been running into some issues. He was being tight about what I did, where I went, who I was around, and all other sorts of things. I wish he wouldn't breathe down my neck, but then again one of the most powerful bosses had passed not too long ago by assassination. Word on the street was that my father was next, or any member of the family was next to go.

"Papa-" 

"Your father is busy Maria, where were you?" the consigliere of the family, Angelo, was like an uncle to me. An uncle I had never had before. Angelo was on the verge of a receding hairline. He was in his mid-50s, had a gruesome scar right between his brows, he was the "slim and tall" type of man. He was my father's best friend since high school. My father used to tell me of Angelo's reaction whenever he revealed that my grandfather was the then current mob boss. 

"Maria-Grazia get your ass in here."