A Tangled Web We Weave (Completed)

30. You Know That Part in The Godfather

Tony

Even the the beauty of the Italian countryside couldn't distract me from my stress. Thinking about seeing my family crowded thoughts of the colorful buildings and the girl sitting across from me on the train who kept winking at me. This is Italy. This girl could be my cousin.

I missed Regan. I missed her red hair tickling my nose while we watched movies and the way she could put me in my place with just a look and the way her entire face went big when she laughed like her body needed some outward expression of the hilarity she was feeling and her little neck kisses before she would fall asleep. I missed her vanilla perfume and her mismatched socks and watching her put on mascara in the car out of my peripheral vision while I drove.

Before I got on the plane to London, she kissed me on the cheek, patted my arm, and said, "I'll call you."

She hadn't.

Regan loved talking on the phone. Sometimes, she would pretend to be using a rotary phone as she typed in someone's number and talk on the phone like some 60s starlet.

Sighing, I got off the street with my messenger bag and stood in front of the gigantic home my family had owned for generations. My grandfather told me once it was because he was a city official and looked the other way when shady dealings went down right underneath his nose. He called the bribes his "waitress tips". 

After my father's secretary lead me up the stairs to Nonno's room, I glanced through the doorway. Dad sat smoking his Cuban cigars while reading something to my grandfather in never-ending Italian. From the sound of it, it was Manzoni's The Betrothed.

Knocking lightly on the door, I set my bag down on the nearest chair and shook my father's hand. "Salve, Pops. Good to see you."

"You're finally here," he said, ignoring my greeting. "Nonno was getting worried."

"Salve, Nonno." I patted his shoulder, trying to not hit anything that might hurt.

My phone went off but I disregarded it as my grandfather turned kind, pale eyes towards me. "Tony, how nice to have you here. Did you have a pleasant trip?"

"Yes, I did, thank you." I took the chair next to my dad. "How are you feeling?"

For some reason, he thought that was funny, but his chuckling turned into coughs that left the handkerchief he held bloody. "I'm dying, son. But I have you here and your cousins are coming later."

I grinned. "Oh, sweet, which ones?"

He smirked. "All of them. Every single loud Italian cousin is going to descend around me like vultures, waiting to snap up what I've left them in my will. And, given the gravity of that situation, I think I want a cigar. Will you get me one?"

I shook my head, but my father already had one out, snipped one end, took a single long drag off of it, and handed it to my grandfather. Trying to not scoff in disgust at what they had done to their lungs, I excused myself to use the restroom.

Checking my phone, I had one missed call from Regan. I scrambled to call her back and was relieved when she picked up quickly. "Hey, champ, what's up?"

Her tired laugh came over the line. "Well, hiya, handsome. What time is it there?"

"Almost 2 AM. Isn't it like 7 there?"

Her yawn answered for her and she laughed again. "I guess I'm pretty sleepy still. Listen, I know you're supposed to be spending time with your grandfather, but do you have a minute to talk?"

My heart rate kicked up more than a few notches. "Yeah, sure. What's up?"

She sighed. "I know you said that you didn't want to make any rash decisions before Italy, but I've been thinking and I feel we should take a break while you're on a different continent."

I couldn't speak.

"Hello? Hello, Tony? Dammit, stupid international phone services, they never work, the fu-"

"I'm here, I'm here, I guess I'm just surprised. Why, Reg?"

She sounded like she rehearsed this speech for a while. "We said some things before you left, which weren't the best-"

"-I apologized a million-"

"-and I think they were pretty revealing about how we're feeling. Tony, you know I care about you a lot, but we are going to hate each other by the end of this trip if we don't put things on ice for the moment."

My throat was clogged. I could hear my father calling me from the other room. Taking in a shuddering breath, I made a decision. "Yeah, you're right, I agree 100%."

I practically hear her shock. "You agree 100%? What does that mean?"

"Listen, champ, we'll talk when I get back, let me know if there's anything I can do to help, see ya later. Bye."

"Tony-" she started but I had already hung up.

Back to my Mafia family without even the thought of Regan waiting for me at the end of it to comfort me.