The Choice

Chapter 8. Support

After a few hours of cooking and listening to music I realize what time it is. It is 3 am and my father still did not come back home. I do not want to go to sleep, I want and need to see him safe home.

I walk in the kitchen, grab some ice cream from the freezer than go back to the living room on the couch. The living room was quiet and dark. The white couch I was sitting on started to heat under me from staying for so long on it. I was looking out the window and fell in a phase. Everything around me disappeared; it was only me talking to myself. I see myself in a dark empty room with no windows. I am sitting there looking into nothing. I start to think about my mom, about my dad, my family being in danger and so on.

My mom does not want me in this life and I understand this, but I am already involved in it. I am a Leone, I carry the name, my blood is in me and nobody can change that. She knew that Mafia means danger, death, fear, loss, pain and so on and she got into it anyway. Maybe the love she has for my dad is so enormous at that time she did not even care. They met at a bar; this is what they told me. My mom was with one of her best friends to spend some time there. My father walked in and noticed her first, my mom, with her beautiful long brown hair, her green eyes, beautiful brown skin, and her amazing body. My dad always talks about the day he first saw her, he described mom as a dream. My mother spread confidence as my dad always says and this attracted him the most. My mother's best friend noticed dad first. She instantly was attracted to him and told my mom to turn around. She also liked him a lot from the beginning but because her best friend caught an eye on him first she tried to avoid looking at him. I think Lucia was my mother's best friend's name. Lucia tried to make eye contact with dad but he was too preoccupied to look at mom. She notices it and gives my mom a hint that dad looks at her. So to speak my mom was my dad's target that night. My mom turns around and he smiles at her and raises his glass as a way of greeting. And here everything started love from the beginning. He started talking to her that night; they exchanged numbers and stayed in contact. Now she is in this family, we all are in it. I was unable to imagine what would she have done if I was a boy? Someone still has to lead that is for sure.

I was drowning in my thoughts that I did not even notice that my dad's car parked in. I only heard a voice calling my name.

"Vittoria? Anybody home? What are you awake so late, why are you not sleeping?" he asks me and looks concerned. I put the ice on the table and jump into his arms. He holds me tight and sights.

"Is it because of what happened in the office? Because of what your grandfather said? "I forgot about that point but it was not about it, I did not even care. Tears start to roll on my face and he looks at me worried. God, what am I doing, he is already busy with his work and everything and now here I am crying in front of him like a baby. I know telling him about what my mom did will make him angry. He grabs my face into his warm hands and looks straight into my eyes. I try to cover my face so he cannot see me.

"It is nothing dad. No, it has nothing to do with what happened in the office." I said while I was wiping away my tears.

"I was only worried about you because you did not come. Knowing what happens right know outside makes me think about the bad stuff. "He says nothing for a moment and kisses me on my forehead. Now I realize what a stupid argument I just brought. Dad comes really often late at home and dangers are everywhere, why would I react now?

"Nothing will happen to me, you understand that right! You just know me, I like to win. Don't tell me you lost your trust in my abilities!" he said calm and soft. He caresses my hair because he knows it calms me down.

"Now tell me what really happened? " Wow, he knows me well. It is not the first time my dad feels me but I still had to try.

"What makes you think anything else is wrong?" I asked and tried to look confused at the moment. I seriously hoped he will just stop asking and accept my excuse.

"Well, it is not the first time I come late at home and everything was alright. And don't tell me it is because you know the situation it happens right now. To be direct with you, I am in danger every day and you know it. "Can he read my mind now? I know this dad.

"Is nothing dad, it is not important. Let us eat something sweet, I finished the dessert. "I was trying to change the subject but he did not seem to care about the dessert right now.

"Vittoria! " Now it sounded more like a warning from him. I know if I tell him it will end up with a big fight between him and mom and this is not what I want at the moment.

"If I tell you, you promise to not overreact? " The voice in my head starts to laugh. "High hopes for this Vittoria."

"I cannot promise this. I don't know what it is about. It is like you tell a police officer to promise you to not arrest you if you tell him the truth and you actually killed somebody. Now tell me what happened. "Great, he is right again, thanks dad for making it easier.

"Well, mom did not like the fact that I went with you to the office. She was really angry and started to shout at me. She tried to make the family business look horrible and wanted me to not get involved in it. Mom tried to impose me not to join it. The situation escalated and...". My throat just blocked. I remembered the scene when my mom slapped me for telling her the truth.

"She slapped me after I told her that we are in it with or without me in the family business and that she knew and what she entered. " My dad's eyes got bigger and he bites his fist. He was angry, I could feel that. He takes me in his arms again.

"Dad, I can understand her, she fears this life, she fears to lose us. " I said hoping he will understand her too in a way possible.

"Let us eat something and then you go to sleep, it is too late for you. You already almost eat the entire box of ice cream. "He smiles and I notice he tries to change the mood. We walk in the kitchen to take the things we need.

"What did you do this entire time you were gone? Was it something important? "I asked because I was curious.

"Let us talk about this tomorrow sweetheart!" Wow, this looks amazing, with extra chocolate as always." he says while looking at the dessert I prepared for him.