Love me well or Love me not

Chapter 19: Complete Family

After an emotional discussion with both of the men in my life, things seemed brighter. My role in both of their lives was clear and there were no more misunderstandings.

There was still one subject to talk about, my marriage. I knew my father wanted to know more but left me space until I was ready to open up about it.

I slid from my bed and headed to the kitchen, there Leonardo and my father were already cooking up breakfast.

There was a dangerous glint in my father's eyes, anyone who knew of his reputation as an assassin would've been afraid at that sight, but it just made me confused. I would come to find out over the next few days what it meant.

The next few days, unaware of what was happening, I had the most fun. Leonardo, me and my father started to look like a wonderful family.

Our days were packed full of ordinary family activities, as if we were racing to catch up on lost time.

We probably did most activites suggested by mom bloggers this time of year. Everything from parks, museums to picnics and apple picking.

To our merry band, Meredith was added on day 3. I had headed for her appartment on that fateful day and had spent numerous hours apologizing to her for lying and anwering her questions about who I was.

She had accepted it quite graciously, it seemed she had always suspected I was more than I let on. When she had accepted my apology, it felt like a weight had lifted off my shoulders. I was most worried about losing her, as she was like a sister to me.

When I had first moved to New York, we had met as roommates. I was extremely guarded whilst she was warm and extroverted. Thanks to her, I had slowly come out of my shell. Since then, we had been friends, actually more like sisters, relying on each other whilst navigating life in New York.

When I had started my career as an Illustrator, she was the one who encouraged me, she was the one who bragged about me, she was the one who made me feel proud.

When she had a falling out with her father about the ethics of his business, I was the one who held her through the night, consoling her. I was the one who housed her until she could move out on her on. I was the one who was by her side, for better or worse.

So, to have her accept me as I was and join my family had filled me with so much joy.

To conclude the week and cement our new family, on Friday, we all took some family portraits. Meredith was happy that the skill she had spent years honing, were finally coming in handy.

My father had all but adopted her as a second daughter, even if she still felt a bit shy around him.

All in all, life was good, now that we had cleared the air.

On Saturday, the following week, I was awakened by a bunch of notifications, it seemed like my phone was going crazy. I quickly swiped my phone, the only thing I had on notifications were keywords with "Russo" and "Mafia".

I was staring at a wall of notifications announcing the death of almost all members of the Russo crime family, many faces I recognized as having guarded our house. Then another notification came out "Murders of Russo Crime Family, Alabanian Mob suspected of wiping them out, as the police discover some evidence."

I had an inkling but as soon as I opened the photos, I knew that this was my father's work. Or rather, his guild's work, as he had been staying mostly in my sight these days.

He probably had committed some of these murders and comissioned all the others. As I recalled, he had a lot of sway in the guild and since he was richer than croesus, this was something he could swing quite easily.

Just then, he knocked at my door and entered with a bright smile.

"You like your gift, uh?", ut seemed he was still determined to give me the 8 gifts he had intended on from the start. And who was I to refuse 6 more gifts?

"Yes" I simply said, "But why pin it on the Albanians ?"

He sat next to me "They've started running girls again and we can't have that now, can we? That truly is lowest form of existence and I will not allow such assholes to prospere in the same world as my family."

Over the next few weeks, he offered me many things. One of them was a letter of acceptance to a prestigious fashion school for Leonardo. My father had been helping him sew in the evenings and they had gotten quite close. Of all the gifts, this one warmed my heart the most.

That night whilst Leonardo was sleeping in his room, content, my father and I opened a glass of wine. I knew we would be talking about the dreaded subject, my marriage.

Whilst he was pouring me a glass of wine, he asked "Was marriage worth it, princess? Or did he ask you to give yourself up body and soul whilst he remained the same, barely softening up, as men so often do?"

Damn, what do you even say to that? Especially when you're as embarassed as me about the marriage.

We sat down and talked through it thorougly. At the end he said "Romance isn't the end all be all for everyone, no matter how much you want to reject everything I taught you, you must see that."

And for the first time, I didn't get angry when he said that.

As I was going to bed, he said words I didn't think I would be ever glad to hear.

"Do you wanna come back with me to Russia? You and your son?"