1947
I had flew in from California where I had graduated with my doctor of medicine. I was finally My father's dream, a doctor. My sister was getting married. Big woop. I told my family I wasn't going to be able to make it, but I had a change of plans. I got out of the cab Infront of my insanely packed home, where over 300 people were celebrating. The moment I stepped in for the backyard I had eyes following me. I wore a tight black dress. My hair at the time was long and black. I had my hair half up and half down. I had jewelry coming off my neck and my wrist. I will admit I looked good, I was well respected and well admired. I walked past the line of cars to my father's backyard. I looked around at some familiar faces and some strangers. "Oh my goodness! Flower!" I heard my drunk younger brother yell. "Flower is that you!" I smiled "I know you're seeing double Fredo but it's me" I laughed against his lips as he kissed my cheek. "come! Come! Come see ma!" I waved my hand. "I'm avoiding that conversation Fredo. I'll make my rounds!" I laughed as I watched him stumble around. "Oh but she's your mother! You have to!"
"I'll be there in a minute" I chuckled as I grabbed a drink from the food and beverage table. I scanned the area. "is that who I think it is?" I hear another voice say. I looked over at my father's good friend Peter clemenza. He was Almost like another father to me. "It is! Oh my god it is! Look at you! You're freaking gorgeous! Just gorgeous!" He kissed my hand a couple times. I smiled at his actions. "come! Come! Carmella!! Hey! Carmella!" He called. I grumbled under my breath. "No no it's alright I'll see her-"
"Fiore! Is that you!?" My mother yelled as she stormed in my direction. I smiled at her as I fell into her arms. "You told me you weren't coming! Look at you! My you're skinny! Eat! Eat! Let me get meat on your bones! Boys like meat!" She held my arms out as she held my hands to look me up and down. "What's with the dress huh? You trying to prove a point to some men huh?" I sighed. "Mama I just got here. Must you be on my case?" My mother shrugged. "I'm just saying! It's so tight! Its not very lady like! You're going to attract men's attention!" I took a deep breath "don't you want me to get a man ma?"
"Speaking of that! You haven't found a man yet! You're sister is almost 12 years younger than you and she's married! What are you waiting for!?" I closed my eyes in irritation. "Mama let's talk about this later okay? I must go see pop! I haven't seen him yet" she nodded. "Now you hurry up! I need you to eat! Eat!" She waved me off as she walked back to her table to socialize. I shook my head in disbelief. "Thanks clemenza!" I scoffed. Clemenza laughed "sorry kid. I didn't know she'd banter you like that!" He kissed my hand "your father is in his usual spot" I nodded "thank you" I walked away from him. In the meantime I witnessed my little brother Michael walk in. "Is that my little Mikey?" I smiled. Mike looked over as he smiled widely. "Holy shit! Look at you! Oh my god!" He hugged me tightly. "Look at me! Look at you! You're...you're freaking buff as shit!" I laughed aloud. He smiled as he panned to the lady he was with. " this is my girlfriend Kay" I smiled has I held out my hand. She watched me a little irritated and uncomfortable. "Oh! No! No! I'm Mikey's sister! Flower!" Her body relaxed with relief. "Ohhh. Gosh! Hello! Nice to meet you!" She smiled. "You nearly gave her. A heart attack Michael!" I laughed loudly patting his shoulder. "How's school?" Mike asked. "It's....going" I nodded. "Here here!" I pulled out a chair at a singular table "shit down Mikey. Eat. I gotta go find pop" he stopped me by my arm. "Don't tell him I'm here. Let him find out on his own" he says before he sat down. I nodded "no problem"
I quickly made my way inside where I rammed into a body. "Shit! I'm sorry!" I say as I went to pick up what the person had dropped. "I got it I got it!" He reacted. I suddenly noticed the man. The blonde hair, the blue eyes, the perfect smile. "Tommy!" I smiled. He stared at me in shock. His face lit up with joy. "Flower...holy shit... Flo-" he hugged me tightly. "Look at you! You look amazing! You look gorgeous! I can't believe it's you!" He placed his hands on my hips has he continued to look at me. "You look good yourself Tom. Almost as good looking as you were when you were twenty" I laughed softly. he shook his head I disbelief. "You're still as beautiful as the day I met you" I bat my eyes up at him as he scanned my body. We both kind of zoned out watching each other in awe. "Scuse me" a woman says as she scooted past us. We both break out of the trance we were in to move out of the way. "is....is uh my old man in the den?" I questioned. Tom nodded "yeah! Yeah! I'll bring you to him" he cleared his throat before I followed him into his office. Tom knocked on the door. "yes come in!" My father called. "Are you wanting another visiter pop?" Tom questioned. My father cocked his fingers "of course. Bring em' in" I walked in before Tom. My father stood up as his eyes widened. "oh..oh my beautiful porcelain flower! Come! Come!" He held out his arms before pulling me in, holding my head to his shoulder. "you said you weren't gonna make it!"
"Change of plans daddy" I laughed happily as he held me close. "My goodness...my sweet fiore! You've grown into a beautiful woman! Just beautiful!" He repeated with such joy in his voice. "Are you here to stay?" My father questioned. "For awhile daddy. I need a break. School has taken everything out of me" I sat down on his desk as he grabbed a glass for a drink. "How was school hm? Did you put in any applications for jobs?" I shook my head "not yet daddy. I wanted to see you first. Spend some time at home before I get busy" my father nodded in understatement. "Good choice baby girl. Good choice. I would like you to stay here for awhile. Just a little while" I sipped my drink. "I'm glad you agree pop, because I was kind of wondering if you could use me in the business at all" my father sighed. "fiore... You know how I feel about that. You know how your mother feels about that especially"
"I know! I know! But pop I could help you out alot! I mean I've got my smarts! I've got the skills!" I stood up pacing the floor. "I'm better than Santino in every shape and form!" I smirk as sonny walked into the room. "oh miss big mouth is here!? Yippee!!" He said sarcastically. Sonny smiled wide as he hugged me tight. "Shut up big head" he kissed my cheek. "I heard you were back. I had to come see for myself" he sat down in a chair in the corner of the room. My father shook his head. "I'll think about fiore. I'll think. Doesn't mean yes. Doesn't mean no. Stick around for awhile and I will think about it" I hugged my father tightly as I kissed his face repeatedly "thank you! thank you! Thank you daddy!"
"Yeah yeah yeah. Now what is that screaming for outside?" He questioned. Tom and my father both shuffle to the window. "Ah! Johnny is here" Tom replied. "Johnny huh?" My father huffed. "Looks like he needs something again" I mumbled. "Fiore. Don't start with that! He is a lovely boy! Very appreciated! One of a kind!" my father smirked. "Let's go say hello shall we" my father made his way outside as sonny followed. I glanced over at Tom whom wrote in his book. "Did you missed me hm?" I smirked as I stepped over holding my hands behind my back. he smirked down into his pages. "Of course I missed you flower girl" he continue to write. "How much?" I say as I placed my hands on the side of his small writing table hovering over him. He glanced up with a smile. "don't start this now rose bud" he leaned back in his chair. "start what tom?" I smirked watching the smile grow up one his lips. he pointed back and forth at each other. "This. This thing. You know it's wrong. You know it is. Thought we agreed to end this the moment you left for school" he put his pen down. "That was what? 7 years ago. Don't you miss me?" I snickered jokingly. He rubbed his face. "...Im married flower. I'm married and I have kids" I frowned heavily. "Kids? I thought Theresa couldn't have kids" tom shook his head. "She had a little boy and now we have another on the way" I looked down as I placed my drink on the table. "Looks like you got over me pretty fast huh?"
"That is so far from the truth!" He said quickly. "I don't stop thinking about you. I'm obsessed with you. You! Are all I ever think about!" He stood up walking towards me. I looked down at my black heels. He held his hands on my cheeks tilting my head up to look at him. I gently kissed his palm. "I miss you. I miss.. us" I say as I place my finger on his belt. Tom placed a kiss on my forehead before I quickly pulled away. "Thomas! Your father is looking for you-...oh...hi flower" I looked over at Tom's wife Theresa. I gave her nod. "How are you" I asked politely. "I'm alright... Your father is looking for the both of you" she glared as she clears her throat. I rubbed my hands over the back of my dress. "Alright. Nice seeing you tom. Nice seeing you Theresa" I smiled softly as I rushed outside to see my father waiting us us to take photos. "Come on! Come on my Fiore!" My father called.
.....
After some time we all gathered in my father's den. I sat with my legs crossed with my black heel dangling off the end of my toe. Johnny paced the ground anxiously biting his nails. "For fuck sakes johnny! Sit down you're making me sea sick!" I blurt out. Johnny quickly sat on my father's desk looking up at him. "My career godfather, my career is depleting. I need this roll in a movie, its an upcoming classic movie! The director doesn't want me! I'm so stressed out! My..my hair is falling out!" He cried into his hands. My father groaned as he smacked him upside the head. "Man up would you! What kind of man cries! Over what!? A movie! A damn movie! Jesus! Try being a man once and awhile! My daughter is right there don't embarrass yourself" I smirked down into my lap as my father knocked some sense into him. "I will see what I can do About this producer guy. Don't worry anymore alright?" Johnny nodded in response. "Thank you godfather. Thank you" johnny glanced over at my long tan legs peaking out from my dress. Johnny has always liked me. Throughout highschool he's always tried getting in my pants.
"Now johnny" my father interrupted. "Have you met my daughter Fiore?" My father directed his attention towards me as if it wasn't there already. I shook my head at my father before johnny turned around with a smile on his face. I sigh as I leaned back in my chair. "Fiore you remember johnny don't you?" He pushed johnny closer to me. I wasn't interested. I didn't move. I held out my hand "of course I remember. How could I forget" johnny kissed my hand a little too seductively. He turned my hand over then kissed my palm. I watched with disgust but I was still polite. "I wouldn't ever want to forget such a beautiful woman" he says as he slightly bows. I hear sonny snorting a laugh from the back of the room. I then smirk at his laughter. "Santino!" My father put his foot down. Sonny quickly shut up. "Why don't you and fiore enjoy yourself over some dinner and drinks outside huh?" My father held my hand making me stand up. "Oh no I'm okay! I have other things to do i-"
"No you don't. How about you sit down with the nice boy and have some drinks?"
I sighed as I looked up at johnny. Johnny has a large smile on his teeth. He held out his arm. "Shall we?" I hesitated, but for my father I took his arm following him outside to an empty table. "Heard you went to college. You're a doctor now huh?" Johnny began the small talk. I looked down into my drink "I mean I'm qualified for it yes. But I'm not one yet no" I glanced back up at him, noticing how much he admired me and my body. I watched him closely. "So your father was talking to me. Says you've been searching for the right man. A husband even" I looked up with slight shock. "My father did?"
"Well...mostly your mother. I've been thinking about it, I've been thinking about you. I'd love to see your more often flower" he says with a soft smile. I shook my head "I'm okay johnny. I'm really not looking. You know how mother's are? Push push pushing ya know"
Johnny didn't like my response. He kinda stared at me blankly. "I think if you gave me a chance you'd really-"
"Thank you johnny. I appreciate it! I really do! And I mean it! I really really do! It's just...I'm not looking!" I patted his hand that held my own hand from across the table. "I'm assuming they haven't told you yet?"
"Tell me? What?" I questioned. Johnny chuckled a bit. "Well this is awkward huh?... You parents have set you up to get married to me. That's why your father doesn't want you to leave town! I was told he told you" my eye widened. "Like an arrangement? Don't be ridiculous! My parents wouldn't do that" would they? .....