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“I said I’m fine.” I sniffed, avoiding another awkward stare-down with the soldier with the neck tattoos. He just plain made me uncomfortable. “Dinner is waiting.” I grabbed his arm. “Come on. Nonna Rosa said you should escort me, but remember, don’t look too happy about it. You’re supposed to act like you don’t give a damn about me.” I practically dragged him into the dining room.
“I need to slip out and make a call,” he said quickly once we got close to our table. He pushed my hand away and hurried off. I continued on my own.
“Alessia,” Nonna Rosa called as she stood behind a chair at the head of the table, “your chair.” Stefano dropped his glass on the table, and she glared at him. I stood straighter and walked the length of the mile-long table and slowly sank into the hard chair. Ugo returned a few moments later and sat on the side at the opposite end, far from me.
My mind spun as I ate. I was thankful it was my left wrist that throbbed as it rested painfully on my lap. I knew it was swelling up, even as I sat there. There was no time for tears as I struggled to figure out my next move. One glance at Stefano and his angry face built my resolve to stay here if just to spite him.
I picked up on the low chatter around me and tuned in and out of the voices to see if I could catch anything worth listening to. I knew everyone would be very careful around me, but we were all human, and humans were prone to slipping up.
“She’s beautiful,” a woman said quietly nearby. “I can’t believe she was dating Elio Capri.”
“I don’t get it,” her friend said. “What’s appealing about her? She has nothing to offer him.”
Sticks and stones,I reminded myself.
“Dessert?” A waiter smiled as he leaned down with a dish of chocolate gelato in his hand. It was attractively arranged with a sliver of orange peel on the top.
“Thank you.” I tried to smile. “That looks lovely”.
Nonna tapped the table to get my attention, and she shook her head at me.
“Don’t talk to the staff,” she mouthed.
Seriously?I instantly thought of Donte and how I valued our friendship. I felt bad for the waitstaff here. Most of them seemed more scared than happy to have a job.
I didn’t touch the gelato. I hadn’t much of an appetite, anyway. I hardly remembered what I’d eaten to this point. Soon, everyone retired outside for drinks and cigars while I hung back, making sure I stayed away from Ugo. I went to a sitting room and studied some photos on the wall and along a piano. I found one of my father. He was sitting in a restaurant with his father and brother. The journalist in me had me looking up photos of him soon after I found out who he was. These pictures were better and clearer than any I had found. I studied them more closely and realized I looked more like my mama than him. I held the framed photo closer to my face to study his features. He was handsome, dressed well, and had a nice smile. I tried to picture what he was like back when the photo was taken. Was this just a family meeting or a guys’ night out?
I wondered what he would have been like with me. Would he have been kind or mean like Mama described him? Had he truly not wanted me? Could you not love a part of you? I couldn’t imagine not loving your child. Abandonment seemed to be something that followed me everywhere. Perhaps, with my parentage, I should wear that as a badge of honor instead of a dark rain cloud.
“Your manners need some work.” Nonna Rosa came into the room, and I put the photo down and blinked back my emotion. She looked from me to the photo but didn’t comment. “If you are to be a part of this family, you will need to follow some guidelines.”
“All right.” I entwined my fingers and waited for her to go on.
“Our guests tonight came to see you, and you hardly spoke two words to them.”
“After the way the evening began, I felt a bit uncomfortable.”
“You and Stefano will need to get along.”
“I wasn’t the one holding the gun.” I held my tongue from running.
She moved closer, tapping her cane as she did. “There’s a way to smooth this situation over.”
“How?”
“Give Stefano your ring and step down.”Here we go. “It’s not a position you’ll want anyway, Alessia.”
“It’s Sienna,” I corrected her, “and you’re asking me to give up the only thing I have that connects me to my father.”
“I have things of his you can have.”
“I don’t wantthings, Nonna Rosa. I want to live the life he did so I can know my roots.”
She looked away and sighed like she was frustrated I wouldn’t just give up.
A small piece of power slipped into place inside me, like a blacksmith soldering a knight’s armor after a battle. I found myself standing a little straighter.
“As I’m sure you know by now,” she started again, “the Coppolas have never had a female step into the role of the Don. It will be a big adjustment, and frankly one that I don’t see happening. You don’t have any experience, you weren’t brought up in this house, and you don’t know how we operate. I fear it will all be too much for you, even if the uncles did agree.”
