Leather Jacket

Epilogue

*18 years later*

The funny thing about planning is ;  sometimes life just doesn't turn out the way you thought it would , and these last 18 years has been anything but planned.

I felt like everything changed the moment Carlo was born and Marco and I had to adjust to life with 4 kids under the age of 3. It wasn't ideal that much anyone could've told you but it wasn't exactly planned either , if you know what I mean. But do I regret having any one of them ? Not for a single moment in my life. My boy's has been the absolute light of my life and I dreaded the day I had to see them grow up and let them go. There sure wasn't a single moment that I didn't spend crying about it trust me , I bawled my eyes out. Dante was the first to go when he turned 13 and a few months after him it was Emilio and Mario's turn. Luckily, I had another whole year to cherish with Carlo before he turned 13 and joined his brothers alongside Marco. It sure wasn't an easy thing for a mother to send her babies off to war. But , I also knew that Marco would do anything and everything in his power to protect them out there, not even to mention Tom , Frankie and Dom feeling like their Over protective uncle's. It's been a particularly painful and difficult last few years for me as a mother.

Thankfully though, Marco had learned from his mistakes the first 3 times resulting in unplanned parenthood so by the time I got pregnant the last time , we made sure it was planned and something we were both sure about. And with everything I went through with just losing Carlo to his gang duties too  , we both knew I needed a new baby to take care of .

To our surprise a baby girl was exactly what completed our family. I haven't seen Marco as happy as I did the day our sweet baby girl Camilla was born- aside from the birth of our son's of course - but I could tell he held a special place in his heart just for her and that she was going to be  spoiled rotten and treated like an absolute princess the moment he first held her. Her brother's were just as excited to have a little sister to love and protect, and I felt sorry for any boy who would dare to date her some day. Poor unfortunate soul didn't stand a chance. 

So , that's what the last 18 years have been like. Rough , painful, difficult , challenging but it's also been wonderful , exciting, joyous and real . You got to learn to take the good with the bad or else you're pretty much screwed in this line of business. It took me a whole 20 years to learn , but I got it. And I'm never forgetting it again.

"What are you up to ?" Marco asked , appearing behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Just finishing my memoir " I said closing the laptop and turning around in his arms.

"Ah , and have you decided on a name yet cause I have some in mind."

"Oh yeah ?" I said teasingly knowing full well he was just humoring me.

"What about Alice in wonderland ?" He said making me give a light hearted laugh.

"I think that name's taken bubby. But thank you for the thought. " I said with a smile while I untangled myself from his hold.

"Okay , okay , hear me out ; Alice in life ?"

"How about I worry about the title and you just worry about getting me some coffee ?"

"Are you , keeping me busy ?" He said sounding offended but wearing a big silly grin.

"Maybe. " I said collecting my things from the nightstand.

"If you want to keep me busy I think there's a few other things we can d-"

"Nope. Not doing this again. "

"Doing what again ?" He said innocently, acting oblivious.

"Not falling for it. I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear this and walk away now." I said walking to the door before turning into a sprint when I saw him do the same.