The funeral was heartbreaking for everyone, but especially for Aurora Abbandando and Vito Corleone.
No one cried more than those two that day. Vito lost a brother, and aurora lost a father.
Three months had passed and even thought Vito had all prepared to move in Aurora at her father's old house a mile from the boathouse of the Corleone's, he let her finish law school at Columbia.
Michael stayed around and decided to live temporarily in his dad's penthouse at the plaza.
He loved Aurora and he was planning to ask her to be his girlfriend, but he didn't know if his dad would involve him in the family business, after all, Tom was his consigliere while sonny would be the Don someday, Fredo was the weakest of them and then there was him, who didn't want anything to do with the family business, still, he knew that if he eventually marries Aurora, his father would have him in the business for their safety.
Michael and Aurora were walking around the sixth avenue buying Christmas gifts for the family.
"You can always say that you are staying at the campus and I can always say that I left for Vermont, you know?" He said.
"Why is it that you don't want to see them? Why are you always distant with them?" She asked annoyed.
"Is not that I don't wanna see them, it's just that... that place brings a lot of memories to me. I don't wanna be part of the family business, I don't." He said.
"Mike... You've always been very vocal with me about it, but.... you've to be aware that your father does have plans for you, after all, you're his youngest son, he won't let you go that easily" she explained.
"I know, but I just don't want to be there, it's exhausting answering all their questions. I can send them gifts and say that I'm in Vermont spending the holidays with a few classmates, easy." He added.
"It's not good Mike... they love you, and believe it or not they want you to be a great son. Their business might not be the most legal business on earth, but your father loves you, very much, and I know how proud he was of you during the war. Even if you don't see it or if he hasn't acknowledge it yet, he is indeed proud of the man you have become" she assured him "Family is family and you never leave them".
"It's fine, we'll be there" he said kissing her softly "what did you get Pop?" He asked putting an arm around her shoulders.
"He loves pens so I got him one" she said smiling "I got you something as well, but you'll have to wait for it".
He smiled and as they walked by a news stand, Aurora dropped her bags as she saw the newspapers.
"Michael... look at this!" She said in horror handing him the paper "Call sonny" she added while picking up the bags.
Michael was shaking his head while throwing a handful of those papers at the floor while almost running to the closest telephone booth he found.
Aurora stood beside him while wrapping her arm around his, whispering a pray with her eyes closed.
"Sonny... Sonny! It's Michael, what happened to Pop?" He asked.
She couldn't hear anything, but by Michael's facial expression, she knew it was serious.
"I'll be there as soon as posible" he stated hanging up.
"So? What happened?" She asked.
"They shot him, but they are not sure if he died" he explained "But whoever is behind it, they would want to kill us as well" he added "we need to get to the house"
