*Olivia*
One month later
In elentary school, we used to have a motivational poster on the walls of the principal’s office. It was of a line of cartoon birds sitting on a telephone wire, except one of the birds wasn’t a bird at all.
It was a fish. All the birds were happy and smiling, but the fish was not. The birds avoided the fish like the plague.
The poster said, “Just because you’re a fish, doesn’t an you can’t hang with the birds.”
Honestly, the poster always confused . How did the fish get on the telephone wire? How was it breathing air? Why were the birds all laughing when the fish looked so sad? Why was the fish sad in the first place?
It didn’t make sense to my young brain, and it still didn’t.
Yes, that is exactly what it ant. A fish couldn’t hang out with birds because fish weren’t birds. And every ti I brought that point up to the principal, telling her a little rudely that the fish shouldn’t be on a telephone wire in the first place, she’d always smile sadly and tell that one day I would understand.
Today, over fifteen years since I first saw that poster, I finally understood how that fish felt.
“Joey Baloney! How’s the wife?” Alessandro grinned, grasping the hand of a man with a severe case of dark freckles all over his body.
“Benny the beauty! I swear you get more handso every ti we see you.” Tallon winked at the gentleman wearing a fedora with, I had to admit, a rather handso deanor despite his age.
“Fish-eye and Cacti! I’ve missed you so much!” Dahlia grinned, rushing over to hug two older won, one with an eyepatch on her left eye, slightly covered by gray hair, and the other wearing a turtleneck sweater with cactuses all over it.
And with the three of them gone, I was left standing in the middle of the foyer with Elio in my arms, surrounded by dozens of strangers as they ca pouring in from not only the front door but the windows and secret passages I hadn’t even known about.
I hadn’t realized what Gio had ant by inviting the whole family, but I certainly knew now. I plastered on a smile, entirely uncomfortable as weird nicknas were shouted and people rushed past like I was a ghost.
No, not a ghost... I was like a fish in a room with birds.
I silently said an apology to the poor fish I had called out so many tis in my youth, standing awkwardly in the way of everyone as Tallon, Alessandro, and Dahlia rushed around greeting everyone by na.
The cacophony of sounds was so loud that Elio whined into my shoulder, and I was about ready to call it a night and hide in the suite until things settled down when I finally saw a familiar face.
“Mom!” I breathed in relief, stepping forward as my mom pushed her way through the crowd. Jas and Becca were right behind her with huge smiles on their faces. I dodged my way around, eting them in the middle, expecting one of my mom’s warm hugs like usual.
Instead, before I could even blink and comprehend what happened, Elio was plucked from my arms and my mom dodged entirely, pecking kisses all over his face.
He giggled, babbling, “Gammy!” in sheer delight.
I stood there at a loss, a bit in shock as I watched my mother ignore in favor of my baby. I dropped my arms to my side, blinking rapidly in sheer betrayal before Becca laughed, stepping forward to pull into a hug.
“But I’m her baby,” I pouted into Becca’s arms.
“You’re both her babies. But he’s just too cute,” Becca told , grinning at the put-out look on my face.
I had to admit grudgingly that she was right. Elio was too cute for his own good.
“It’s a grandma thing. Don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll be the sa when one of my kids eventually decides to have kids, if they ever find a partner willing to put up with them.”
I grinned at the playful bitterness in her tone. I knew Alessandro and Tallon had both had girlfriends and Dahlia had boyfriends, but the longest any had lasted was three months. In Tallon’s case, he had admitted that he only dated her because her dad ran the ice cream parlor and she bribed him with free ice cream.
He was devastated when the girl broke up with him on her dad’s orders, mostly because Tallon was going to start running them out of business with all the free ice cream.
“Eventually,” I chuckled, though I hated to break her heart but I was pretty sure that Dahlia never wanted any kids. She was content to be the cool aunt, and even after helping with Elio for so long and doting on him, I doubted she was going to change her mind.
Dahlia was too stubborn to do so.
“If you want another baby so bad, you could’ve just asked,” Jas grinned, curling a sly arm around his wife’s waist.
Becca sent him an amused look. “Nice try, old man, but this factory is done with. You find a way to give birth to the next one and then we’ll talk.”
I grinned. Becca was still young, so it wouldn’t have surprised if they had had more kids. But I’d heard her say the sa excuse to all of his moves on her for years. And just like always, Jas sighed, relenting unhappily.
Despite getting older, Jas was still in great shape and still absolutely in love with his wife. I hoped Gio and I could be like them one day.
“So where’s my son-in-law?” Mom asked, still holding onto Elio as she bounced him up and down like it was sheer force of habit. She glanced around with a frown, but I knew she wouldn’t find him.
“He’s off sowhere greeting guests. He’s been stressing about this party for weeks now,” I told her with a shrug.
“Any hint on who the successor he’s naming is?” Jas asked with a curious tilt of his head.
I glanced up at him, surveying his thoughts, but he truly only seed curious. Seeing as both of his sons were contenders, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he tried to influence us, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
“No.” I smiled. “He hasn’t even told yet. Gabriele doesn’t know anything either, so I think he’s been keeping it to himself, or he’s still just procrastinating until the announcent.”
“I see. Well, I trust his judgnt,” Jas said, nodding, “whatever he may decide.”
“Dinner!”
A loud shout ca from inside the extensive dining room, the one that had been left unused for the entire ti I’d been living here. The twenty to thirty people started flocking into the room and I grinned, turning to my mom with my arms held out.
“I’d better go find Gio, but thank you for coming. I know it ans a lot to both of us,” I told them with a bright smile.
My mom pouted but reluctantly handed over Elio and I kissed his temple as I hitched him onto my hip.
He cooed happily, grabbing a handful of my hair as he gazed up at with wide eyes.
“That’s right, food ti.” I laughed with him.
Jas and Becca waved us off and my mom stayed with them to go find Dahlia, Tallon, and Alessandro. anwhile, the crowd easily parted for and Elio, all of them smiling and cooing at Elio’s bright grin. anwhile, he took the chance to say “Hi!” to everybody, just like we taught him a few days ago.
The guests just lted at how adorable he was. I squeezed my way through the dining room and spotted the sa curly hair as my son in the crowd. I made my way to Gio at the head of the table, where a second chair and a high chair had been placed next to him.
Gabriele stood lazily beside him, looking for all intents and purposes like he’d rather be in bed. He yawned, taking his seat to Gio’s right.
“Hey,” I called out to my husband, settling Elio into his high chair and buckling him before I scooted next to him.
He grinned, a hand wrapping around the back of my neck and he pulled into a deep kiss in front of everyone.
My cheeks flared as I heard suggestive whistling and loud ‘oohs’ from nearly everyone settling into the table.
“Gio,” I scolded him as we broke apart, lightly slapping his chest with the back of my hand.
Gio had never done anything like that in front of everybody before, and I couldn’t help being a little embarrassed at the stares and knowing grins every shot at .
But when I turned back to Gio, I saw the nervousness in his eyes.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked worriedly, placing my hand on his cheek.
“Sorry, I’m a little nervous,” he admitted with a tired sigh. “A little affection from my beautiful wife and I’ll be right as rain.”
I rolled my eyes but let him pull close, laying his head in the crook of my neck. I rubbed his back soothingly, whispering into his ear, “You’re still the boss right now, Gio. Everyone has to accept your decision.”
“I know.” He chuckled into my ear.
Over his shoulder, Dahlia sent a saucy wink from down the table, making mocking kissy noises, which her mom promptly slapped her on the back of the head for.
But soon, we were all distracted as the doors to the kitchen opened, and in ca a line of servers dressed in simple black and white suits, all carrying massive amounts of food.
It was like a banquet to feed a whole army, and soon the table was filled to the brim with wine glasses topped off in white or red, carved ats, and massive bowls of every side you could imagine. I took my ti to enjoy the party, making funny faces at Dahlia across the table as we communicated in a way that only best friends could.
Gio spoke to the various n who ca up to congratulate him on his retirent, dodging the many questions of who he was going to na a successor. But soon enough, the food was all gone and the night had drawn long.
After the last piece of pie had been served and eaten, Gio stood up with his empty wine glass in his hand and gently tapped on it with his fork. The sound caught the attention of everyone and all eyes gazed upon him with anticipation.
“Famiglia!” Gio announced loudly for everyone to hear. “I have been the Don of our family for over fifteen years. But as you all may be aware by now, I have decided it is ti to step down.”
The room was complete silence and Gio’s eyes wandered at the many people before him, like a king surveying his subjects one last ti.
He smiled and said, “Though I am sad to be leaving you, I know that you will be in good hands. My choice may be surprising to so, but I believe he is the best person for the job.”
The tension would have snapped a knife with how thick it was. The air was heavy with anticipation as all eyes stared at Giovani as he announced his last decision as the Don.
“Everyone, please welco your new Don,” Giovani said, proudly, turning to the young man sitting only a few chairs down.
“Tallon.”
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