When Different Worlds Unite

Chapter 9

After dinner, everyone is trying to recover from eating that much. Regardless they still ate up the panettone and pandoro that I made for dessert along with eggnog.

By eight the older family members left the house as well as Silvio and Elena who had a flight to catch back to France. Dante, Franco and Santino remained with me.

"Are you gonna open the gifts or do you like staring at them?" Santino asked.

"I was gonna wait until later, but since you love to chat I'm going to open yours first."

I picked up the green colored wrapped present and ripped it open. When I opened the box, inside laid a big white fur coat.

"Really?"

"Well I just wanted to remind you that the mafia has permeated your lifestyle, so I got you mafia accessory."

Even though his gift is weird, I smiled regardless and hugged him. He looked down at my belly, "You are getting so big, soon there will be a little Rossini running around."

"Ain't that true."

I opened all the other boys' presents which were all wonderful and then I gave them my gifts which are quite homogenous since they all got the same patek watch with something different for each brother engraved on the underside.

After the swapping of gift's session had ended I realized Elijah was missing.

"Where's Elijah?"

"He went to check something out," Dante answered.

"I think it's time for us to go," Franco insisted.

"No,no,no, I'm going to be here alone then," I reminded them.

His mouth opened to rebut, but the door opened at the same time and in walked the man of the minute.

"There's our cue," Franco said before he headed out first with his brothers filing behind him all giving Elijah a nod in recognition.

The door closed and he walked more into the living room pulling the beanie from his head and hanging his coat by the door.

He pulled a small red velvet box from his coat and placed it on the center table in front of me.

"Merry Christmas," he said.

I got up and picked up his present from under the Christmas tree wrapped in green and white paper and handed it to him.

"Merry Christmas," I reiterated.

"Open yours first," he insisted pointing his chin to the box.

I smiled while I pulled the ribbon away and opened the box. In it lied two golden keys.

I looked at him questioningly.

"The present is upstairs come on," he said.

I followed him upstairs to a room in the house.

"Use the key on your left," he suggested.

I carefully removed the key from the box before pushing the key into the lock and turning. We both stepped into the dark room.