My Mafia King

22 | Power

I walk through the narrow hallway and into the kitchen. I check the drawers and cabinets but it's only filled with cutlery, cups, and plates.

I go into the living room and look around, there are no hiding places in here.

The room has been painted a nice beige color. There's a small couch and a tv. Two paintings are hanging up on the walls as well.

I look at each of the paintings individually.

There's a painting of a beautiful familiar young woman with "Cara mia, Vivian" written at the bottom. My grandmother. My grandfather painted a painting of my grandmother when they were younger.

I guess she wasn't lying about how in love they were.

And the second painting, it's a tree. A white oak tree. It's painted so beautifully that I feel like I'm looking into a portal.

I run my fingers against the painting, faintly smiling.

"Hey, I got bored of you looking at the paintings so I went upstairs and found this," Artemis says behind me.

I turn around and look at what's in her hands. An old notebook. She passes it to me.

Holding it in my hands, I inspect it. The cover is navy blue with a piece of string wrapped around it, tied in a bow.

I pull the string and watch it as it unties and falls into my hand. I slowly open the notebook to the first page.

This is for you, Vivian.

When I pass, I hope you find it.

In this notebook, I've written about you. Every single page is about you. I know usually go off track when I write things but not this time. Not when it comes to you.

I love you, cara mia.

Please forgive me.

I flip to the next page.

I met you on a gloomy rainy day. I found you, in a park, crying. Crying because your father hit you for the first time. I wish I just took you far away from him. I wish I took you home.

I sat next to you on the bench and tried to hold your hand. You flinched. I tried again. You shook your head, telling me to go away. I didn't. I tried again. You finally let me hold your hand.

I'll never forget that.

I asked you if it is the rain or are you crying. You said the rain. I knew you lied. I could tell from your bloodshot sad dull empty eyes.

Then I looked up and pointed at the dark clouds sky and said, "If it was a clear dark sky, you could see one of my favorite stars."

Then you laughed at me. "Your favorite star?" You asked.

I nodded with no shame. I had no shame in loving the stars, space, the galaxies, the planets. You knew that.

"One of my favorites," I corrected, smiling.

Your hair stuck to your face, your clothes were soaking wet, and I could tell you were getting cold.

I wanted our first time to be romantic cause I knew I would meet you again. I knew we would have a future. I knew we would talk about this when we were older.

And we did.

You got cold. I put my coat around you even when you refused. You always said I was such a gentleman. I was not because if I was, I would've done that sooner.