No Hesitation: Book of Gio

Chapter 2: Family Reunion

"Giovanni, my dear baby girl." Francesco said looking at his beautiful daughter who had finally joined the party. "Parish Giovanni, my little assassin."

"Papa," Parish rubbed the back of her neck in awkwardness. She was wearing a beautiful black gown with her hair in a bun. Showing both of her eyes now. "You look great."

"I'll never understand how you have such a dominating force when working but when it comes to me you're as quiet as ever. I wonder what goes through your head." Francesco said bringing her into a hug.

"Papa, my force isn't dominant when you're around, it'll always be gone when you're around." Parish said looking at his shoes. That's where she always looked. "They have so much respect for you papa, they only see me has some half-breed and you know it."

"Who said that to you?" Francesco said in a very cold tone that made Parish's skin crawl. She just held her tongue. "Princess, answer me." Francesco just waited but he knew once Parish stopped talking that nothing could make her go further. "That's okay, you know if I'm not going to get it from you, I'll get it somewhere else. Once I find out..."

"Don't hurt anyone papa," Parish said. "What's the point of picking a fight with family?"

"Sometimes family don't mean a damn thing," Francesco said. "You can be related and family will still betray you and break your heart. Just because people are related doesn't mean they are family Gio. So, I'll ask YOU one more time, who said it to you? I don't give a fuck if you about to be head of this family or not you are still my daughter and my baby. I know you also had this way of thinking that you can't ask me for help because you don't want to abuse the power you know you have. You haven't asked me for anything not even from protection but if I would have known things like that were being said to you—"

"You would have token me out the running for Family Head," Parish said. "You wouldn't have seen me as a strong and independent woman who can handle herself." Francesco stayed silent and let her speak. "I was born into this life and I had a choice whether to live a normal life after I graduated high school or give my life to the family and I chose family. I asked for this life so now I gotta walk it Papa."

"Sometimes I have the notion that you are sensitive like your mother but I see you prove me wrong every time." Francesco said and pulled her into a hug. "You make me proud no matter what you do, Princess."

"I'm glad papa," Parish said. "Now, where is my beautiful mother?"

"I've been looking for her all night, we got separated after the grand staircase welcoming." Francesco sounding frustrated once again. Parish smiled at her father, she admire how he always looked for her mother. Seemed to find new little things to obsess over even though they had been married all these years."

"You are around her all the time papa,"

"I know Gio," Francesco said. "I've been in love with her ever since I could remember." Francesco said. "I know I was crazier back then with everything I pulled with you mother but some how some way she still said yes. It only took one yes for me after so many no's and never's."

"Pari," Parish looked down to find her baby sister Romona tugging at her dress. Parish smiled at her and watched her in tangle her fingers into hers. Sometimes Romona would do that to her, she could tell that out of her twin sisters to Romona she was her favourite.

"She's always so attached to you, kinda how you were with me when you were younger, you would just say my name and held my hand." Francesco smiled looking at his two daughters. "Well," he stuck his elbow out for her to wrap her arm around his. "Let's go join the crowd."