Mafia Love

Chapter 3

When we arrive home a few minutes later, I climb out of the Jeep with my backpack, and follow dad into the house. The entire ride home was silent, which is normal for us - we hardly ever talk while we're in the car together, and I have no idea why either. This is just something we've done for as long as I can remember. Dad has the radio on, so we have that to fill the silence. 

"How was your first day of school?" he asks, dropping his briefcase onto the top of counter in the kitchen. 

"Boring, except for the art and photography classes. I've done my classes here two years ago back home in Jersey," I whine, dropping my bag on the counter next to his briefcase. 

He frowns at me before sighing as he runs his right hand through his hair; "I'll come into the school with you in the morning to see if they can change your classes." 

"Thanks," I smile slightly at him. "I'm sorry for being such a bother."

"You're not being a bother, Hunter," he replies with a tiny reassuring smile. "I should have made sure they didn't place you in classes you've already taken. Granted, they have your transcripts from Jersey, so they should have known."

Nodding at him in response, I wander over to the cupboard next to the fridge to grab down the bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos. I then get myself a glass of water from the tap at the sink. Jumping onto the counter next to the sink, dad asks; "Who was the guy you were talking to at the end of the day?" 

"That's Giovanni Rossi, he's in all my classes, except the last two," I reply, taking a long drink of water before placing it on the counter next to me. 

"Do you like him?" he asks, wiggling his eyebrows at me suggestively.

"Dad! Gosh no!" I groan at him with an eye roll. "He and two of his three friends seem nice. The other friend, I would love to smack the arrogant smirk off his face." 

"Why, what did he do that was so arrogant?" dad asks, while he takes the frozen chicken from the freezer to thaw out for dinner tonight; I explain what Matteo had said to me, and dad just shakes his head in disbelief, but not at me. 

"Okay, so, what am I making for dinner tonight that has chicken?" he asks . 

"Anything you make, is fine," I tell him with a shrug while popping several chips into my mouth.

"Thanks for being so helpful," he chuckles with a playful eye roll. 

"I know I am, thanks," I grin. "Do you have work to do tonight?" 

He nods with a sad looking; "I do, sorry kid. I have probably three hours worth of work to finish for the morning. Why?" 

Shrugging my shoulders, I mumble; "No reason, just, I had wanted to visit Mhamo and Moria. Can I go visit them tomorrow after school? I can take the bus there and back home." 

Mhamo and Moria is Irish for grandma and grandpa in Irish. 

"Let me call them and see if they're going to be home tomorrow," he says grabbing his cell from his back pocket to call his parents; they talk for several minutes in Irish while I munch on the chips, and sip on my water, and once they're done, dad smiles at me as he pockets his phone. 

"They'll be home tomorrow, and would love for you to visit them. If you don't want to ride the city bus there, they'll come and pick you up from school. Whatever you decide, you need to call them tonight to let them know." 

"I'll call them here in a minute, to let them know I'll ride city bus there and home," I reply, hopping off the counter to put away the chips and refill my glass. 

"You don't need to ride the bus home, since I'm meeting you guys there for dinner at 6:30 p.m.," he replies, heading towards the stairs to his room to change out of his work clothes. 

Dad works at a fashion design, and modeling agency that his two brothers own with their wives - Terrence, Ashton, Mary, and Kerrie. Dad does the accounting for the company. When he comes back downstairs, he's changed into gray sweatpants and socks, and a white t-shirt, and settles himself at the counter to do some work before starting dinner. 

"Hey Hunter?" dad says while we are sitting at the small kitchen table in our bottom floor apartment while we have dinner. 

"Mmhh?" I hum in response since I have a mouth full of chicken alfreado.

"I'm sorry your mom did what she did to you," he sadly replies with distressed brown eyes. "I wish I had realized sooner that she was sick before -" 

"Dad, stop," I interrupt him with a frown and shake of my head, now normally I don't interrupt him, but I can't do this right now and especially with dad. "We don't need to discuss this since what happened between her and I is in the past, and has no place in our future."

He frowns at me as he studies me with a worried eyes and expression; "Hunter, keeping that inside you isn't good for your mental health or physical health."

"Dad, I'm fine, I promise," I try to convince him and me, too. "I have healed with with little too no scarring."

"Hunter,  really think you should talk to a professional about what she did," he seriously answers. 

Heavily sighing at him since I know he won't let this go, I decide to stall; "Can I think about it for a little while?" 

"Fine. You have until Sunday night," he returns with a soft sigh, but let's the topic go, and decides to tell me that my uncles asked for me to start modeling for them which I agree to do.

I am sorry to anyone who is wondering what happened between my mother and I, but I cannot discuss this at the current time. Maybe one day soon, but not today.