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He shook his head. "You rewrite history. You came to me. Remember? You saw me kill that man. Maybe it traumatized you. Maybe it didn't. I don't know. All I know is when you accidentally walked in on me. Strangling someone who owed me way more money than most people owe in student loans, you changed."
It was a memory that I had stuffed away. Rightfully so. No man wants to envision his father killing someone. Especially when it was just over money. That moment shaped my life moving forward. It took the joy out of most things and told me there was a brutally ugly side to life, and I wanted to avoid it. Because when I saw my father's face, the terror that had washed over it, all because I had walked in on him doing something that he did not want me to see, it was like watching a puppeteer put his hand up Kermit's ass. The magic of life had been ruined for me. I was forever tainted. That was until I met Angelina.
"You're right, Dad. Maybe I do remember this a certain way. But that's only a coping mechanism. I know what it did to me. And I'm finally able to walk away."
He nodded, got up from the desk, rounded than that, and oddly enough, pulled me in for a hug. I couldn't recall the last time I had gotten a hug for my father. It was almost startling. It was a feeling I wasn't used to, nor could I compare it to anything else. Even though the man was capable of heinous things, didn't have much of a soul left, and would die, I didn't want the hug to end. I guess that was the little boy in me.
When the hug didn't come, I looked him in his eyes and asked, "Why are you so happy for me?"
After hesitation, he said, "Because you did something just now that I could never do as a man. And I'm proud of you, son. Go live your life with your little girlfriend. Treat her right."
And that's exactly what I planned to do.
After everything that had happened between us, we deserved a vacation, a time away from the place that would always bring us back to the contract. But now, we can look at the contract with different eyes. We could reflect on both. Angelina and I had the same perspective. The contract, which had once had such a dark cloud and evil feeling around it, could now be considered something that brought us together. It was funny how you could change your perception that way.
The little vacation I spoke about, I took her to Hawaii, which neither of us had ever been to. The air that felt so soothing from the palm trees didn’t feel real, all the way down to the way that sun sat in the sky. Hawaii was one of those places that had always been on my mind but never seemed like an actual possibility in terms of travel. My past life did not afford guys like me to go to places like that. But that had all changed, luckily for me.
We walked on the beach. There was no one around us. The only sounds that filled our ears were the rustling of the water and palm tree leaves swaying in the distance. You would think I would be utterly relaxed in a moment like this. And yeah, there was a part of me that definitely was. I was more relaxed and back home in the middle of the mafia business. But I was still nervous enough that it made my hands sweat. Something that, of course, Angelina had noticed.
"How can your palm be sweaty in a place like this?" She asked.
I chuckled. "I don't know. Maybe I put much pressure on myself to make things perfect."
She looked at me with wide eyes. "This is a vacation for you as well. There should be no pressure. It should all be about relaxation and fun."
I nodded. "Well, when you have something up your sleeve that you just want to happen and go flawlessly, the amount of pressure comes in. I really wouldn't expect you to understand unless you experienced it."
The look of curiosity on her face is somewhat funny. " You're going to have to explain that one to me, Tomaso."
I wasted no time in giving her an answer. "Of course."
I stopped her from walking, and that look of curiosity filled her even more so. I got down on one knee as she brought her hands to her face. "I know I got you that ring for the contract, but I got you a better one. And I want this to be real. If you have it, I want this to be the start of our future. Angelina," I said as I opened the ring box. " Will you marry me? For real."
I could see the tears in her eyes and hoped that was the answer I sought.
"Yes. Of course, I will." She kissed me without me even needing to get up. But I did anyway because I just wanted her lips closer.
I was a little taken aback when she pulled away. "What's the matter?" I asked her.
She looked to the sand and then backed up at me with a smile. "You're not the only one with an announcement, Tomaso. I was waiting for the right time, but now that you've put this beautiful ring on my finger, I don't think there's a better time to tell you you'll be a father."
Holy crap. Now my eyes were tearing up.
"Are you serious?"
All she did was nod. And that was the confirmation that I needed to know that my future was secured. I wasn't going to have to worry about anything anymore. Because I would have the family that I always wanted.
I would have my happily ever after, and so would she.
The End
