Revival

chapter 49 : madly drunk

NILE
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December 24

Christmas. First one without my parents. This year has been so shitty I can't even begin to fathom. Luckily, Gabe and Nina knew it was our first year without them and they made it extra special. I took Luca out to dinner, so we can spend some time together. He's been flying between here and Italy due to business but wants to stay with me for a while.

"First Christmas", he says during dinner.

I nod curtly. "It hurts already."

"I miss papa a lot."

" I miss momma", I laugh softly at the fact that we miss the opposite parent.

Luca took a sip of his wine. "Remember when we were kids, and Nonni let us play in that tree house with tire swings? We would play tag with the swings and try to get each other while swinging as fast as we can?"

"You always ended up pushing me off the swing because you tagged too hard."

Luca laughs while taking a sip of his wine. "My bad, hermano. I miss the days we were like that. Brothers- actual brothers."

"Luca I'll always be your brother, but we now have businesses to look after, it can't be the same."

"I know. Things got distant when Papa would always take you out to train and not me. I'm over it, I am, but I still want a relationship with you."

I slide into the booth with him and look him in the eye. "You'll always have a relationship. Fuck all that other shit, we only have each other know and I will be there when you need, I expect the same. "

He nods. "Always hermano, I got your back."

We hug it out and enjoy the rest of dinner.

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The 25th was calm, and warm. Gabe and Nina set up a tree at their place and Luca and I slept over. Luca and I made a traditional Italian breakfast for Christmas, and all of us watched a bunch of movies while competing with video games. I couldn't ask for better company,

Besides Kiiara.

Speaking of, I miss her so damn much. I've gotten better at controlling it, but most nights I look up at the ceiling wondering what all I could have done differently, so that she could have been in my arms this Christmas.

I haven't seen her gorgeous face in so long, only through a few photos from training and rank. The one peace I get is when Gabe tells me she's doing well. I don't know where she is, I fought with Gabe and Nina for a while until they wouldn't budge, and I got tired of fighting for information they won't ever give me.

My fight for her is far from over.

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New Years Eve
Bar
11:00pm

Grey Mafia hosts a New Year's Eve party at the bar yearly. We keep it semi open to the public and just host it, so it's not exclusively us and therefore we have to be cautious. I was ready to drink if I'm honest. Work has been 5x busier now that I have more Italian locations to worry about. I'm always working, working out, driving, or sleeping.