A Favor To Fulfill (MAFIA MYSTERY ROMANCE)

Chapter 29: Field of Daisies, The Garden.

"I had one job. One favor to fulfill. And I failed, miserably."

-Al.

Alejandro

My father, the infamous Enzo Corleone, never appreciated the beauty of flowers. 

He thought the bright colors and delicate petals would set off a man's weakness. The manor's decor demonstrated his thoughts; the gloominess, the dark, cold, sullen beauty of it.

After his death, however, Stef and Anta made a small garden.

The positive thing about living in the countryside was the space. The manor was far away from the cities and the suburban areas; trees, field, small paved paths. A small paved path went from the back of the manor to the grassy garden.

The garden was more of a field. A circle of weeping-willow trees surrounded the field and a small pond was in the middle of the field, scattered with daisies. Daisies symbolized new beginnings, hence why Anta chose to plant them here.

I walked down the paved path, coming out of the manor.

It had been a typical day for me. A morning of Chiara and Stef helping with several cases, Anta leaving with Lorenzo, Alberto had some tech bug to fix, and Alfredo was nowhere to be seen. It was a typical day, but my head throbbed with exhaustion.

The path reached the rim of the field. The willow trees were special; they covered lots of space, using their droopy leaves that hung down like tears, thus why they were called weeping willows.

But however much the willow trees covered, the leaves did not cover the two people standing under the willow, beside the pond.

I watched Lei standing by Alfredo.

From a distance they seemed to be talking happily. Then she smiled up to him, and they embraced each other. 

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

Moments later, my brother left from the other side of the field, walking through the thick grass and Lei sat down beside the pond, alone.

An uneasy feeling brewed inside of me, fizzling in my chest.  I heaved a sigh, walking through the tall grass, making my way over to Lei. This was it.

"Hey," I said softly down at her.

Her soft hazel eyes looked up into my own. Those eyes.

I sat down next to her, on the soft grass. The clouds were tinted with pink, like the artistic colors and tints of an oil-painting. We were silent for a moment, sitting beside the pond.

Fidgeting with my fingers, I askd her lightly, "Why was Alfredo here just now?"

"We were just talking," she shrugged, looking out at the clear pond water. Her voice seemed colder and I bit my tongue, peering at her slightly. 

Soft breezes of air tickled the grass, the surface of the pond creating ripples on the water. The daisies decorated the green grass, and the weeping willows dipped down to the ground. The sunlight was warm but not casting over us. The puffy clouds were blocking the sun. Only the warmth of the sun escaped from above.

"Why did you hug him?" I asked quietly. It wasn't like me to be so openly vulnerable, asking her so straightforwardly.

Lei turned to face me slightly.

"It was just a friendly hug," she mumbled. 

"Oh," my voice faltered, and I looked down at the grass around me sadly.