Corruption (Editing)

Corruption... 15

Paranoia does a lot to a person. It makes them act in ways that break promises. Revealing a person's true colors just because they are afraid of what comes next. Paranoia is what makes a man a savage, it's what makes a woman insane and it makes children robots. Paranoia is not just the feeling that you're always being watched, it can come from what you know. What you know can be a person's downfall, especially when you know it's coming but you don't know what or when.

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October 28th, 1987

Mount Vernon, New York

Vincenzo & Evangeline's home

1;36 pm

Honestly, life hasn't been easy. The baby, Constance has been an angel these past two months. He's the quietest little thing, barely cries, which means we always keep him close to make sure nothings wrong. He can't really do much, but he's alert. He recognizes our voices, he laughs or smiles whenever he hears his brother's voice. Constance is constantly looking around, sleeping or eating, that's really all to it.

Evangeline surprisingly isn't a helicopter parent, she leaves him with me most of the time while she does little things. Today, her family is coming over to see Constance for the first time. Well, her mother and Siari practically live here now, I'm surprised they aren't here now. Her brothers are coming to see him for the first time, James and Evan, they aren't my biggest fans.

James doesn't like me, but he can make conversation for the sake of his sister. James is different, he's like the hipster of the new era. His idea of a regular day consists of smoking products that most likely aren't mine and talking about changing the lives of young teenagers before they ruin themselves. He has large dreams, maybe it's because he has kids and not so legal marriage, but he has a lot of time to make them happen.

Evan, on the other hand, hates me because I breathe. He claims that ever since I came into Lina's life bad things have been happening. He claims that I'm the reason why their father disappeared and Evangeline's not telling the whole story. Which is true but he shouldn't make a claim without any evidence, I guess that's what happens when you're a cop. I didn't like him when I found that out, it wasn't that he was a cop it was because he's a cop that sniffs out narcs.

"Why are you always in your head Russo?" Tony looked at me smiling, sitting on the opposite side of the couch. "Fifty-percent of the time I see you, you're looking into space, you probably didn't even hear your son calling you." I squinted at him, "Did you?"

"No..." I said slowly. "Domenico?" I called out.

"Yes, papa?" He came running in from the kitchen with Antonio's two sons, Ricky and Ramone. Ricky and Nico were the same age, seven and still growing. They've gotten closer the more Antonio brings them around. Ramone was only three and he followed his brother everywhere, like how his mother is always behind his father.

"Did you ask me for something?" I looked behind my shoulder and he stepped behind me, his curls falling in my face.

"Oh, yeah Mama wanted me to ask you if you were hungry," he smiled at me, he was missing his front two teeth.

"What for?" I looked to my left and saw the small cot Constance was in.

"I don't know, she said it didn't matter because you like eating," he said while shrugging his shoulders. He snickered and moved toward the cot, and leaned in to look at his younger brother. "Papa, when is he going to be able to play with us?" he sighed and threw himself onto my lap. He didn't have his shirt on, I could see the freckles scattered on his body, from afar they looked like mosquito bites.