The restaurant Marcello booked for us is a stunning Italian place with an outside garden.
"You mentioned that your favorite food growing up was arancini. This place is famous for their Sicilian food."
"You remembered that?" I'm shocked at his thoughtfulness. But then again, Marcello has this special ability to surprise me every single time. "This is amazing. Thank you." I tell him sincerely.
We are shown to our seats in the heart of the garden. After we peruse the menus, we settle on a full course meal, with appetizers, soup and a main dish.
"I love this." I say as I gaze around me. The garden is housed in between two buildings, but there's an in-built ceiling full of roses.
"I'm sorry I haven't been around as much, but things have been hectic." He apologizes.
"You have enough on your plate right now." I know he's been having issues with some businesses, even if I don't know any of the particularities.
"There's been some rogue groups that have been targeting our merchandise, and we aren't any closer to catching them." He sighs and brings his hand to massage between his eyes.
"That's why you agreed to marry me, wasn't it? For my brother's help?" I feel compelled to ask this, mostly because I'd been wondering for a long time.
Marcello grimaces, but nods. "That, and that I needed to bring something to the table to make the famiglia trust me as capo."
"I see."
"The last few months have been nothing but trouble. There are a lot of new players in the city, and we still don't know who we are dealing with exactly."
The appetizers arrive and we both dig in.
"Is it ok if you talk to me about..." I look around before whispering. "that?" I'd seen enough in my family to know that men didn't talk business with their wives.
"Why not?" He leans in. "You're my wife." He gives me a smile and I feel my stomach contracting. Butterflies... I'm having butterflies in my stomach. Lord! Now I understand the idiom.
"Men in the famiglia aren't usually as... accommodating." I add.
"There are a lot of things me and the famiglia don't agree on, and it's high time some of them changed."
"What do you mean?"
Marcello sighs. "I never wanted to become capo. I wanted out... as far away from the famiglia as possible. But now that I am here I have a responsibility, so I might as well make the best out of it. I've been trying to change a few things in how we run our businesses, but some things are so entrenched in people's mentalities..." He shakes his head.
"How do you plan on doing that?"
"By setting an example." He gives me half a smile. "That's why my wife should be privy to what's happening around us."
"That's... I don't know what to say." I'm surprised by his statement. Growing up, I'd been told countless times that I was an accessory, and that my value depended on the man I attached myself to. When I got pregnant with Claudia, I lost all my value for the famiglia. I was suddenly persona non grata.
"I don't want my sisters, or our children to conform to this anachronistic type of thinking. I don't care how much of a tradition it is for a woman to be nothing else but a stay-at-home mother. They should be their own person." He adds, and I can feel a little moisture forming in my eyes. I quickly blink it away.
"You have no idea how much that means to me. I was never seen as a person, rather as an opportunity for my family. I witnessed my sisters being sold into marriage like cattle, and then I had to wait around until it was my turn." My lip curls in distaste. "When I got pregnant..." I feel a knot forming in my throat as I recall how I'd been treated by my family. "If it weren't for Enzo back then, I would have been homeless. My father said I'd brought shame to the family and that...." I take a deep breath. "that I was not his daughter anymore. My mother didn't dare intervene."
A whimper escapes my lips and Marcello takes my hand, squeezing it in comfort.
"You can do whatever you want, you know that, right? Maybe not right now because it's so dangerous, but once that's over..."
I give a nervous laugh.
"I don't even think I'd know what to do." I muse. The thing with freedom is that it's great... until you get it. So many times I dreamed about what I would do if I were free. So many plans, and so many scenarios, and here I am. Free, but still trapped. Trapped in my head and in the endless possibilities. What if I make the wrong choice?
See... freedom is a dangerous thing.
"You'll find out." He says with a confidence I lack.
"You mentioned children," I change the subject, a little uncomfortable being put under the microscope like that, "would you like children?"
"Would you?" He fires back.
"Yes," I say and look anywhere but at him. Having children with Marcello... I think I'd like that. Very much so, in fact. I blush at the thought.
"Then I would too."
The server comes to clean the table and then he brings the soups.
"Have you heard anything about Father Guerra?"
Marcello shakes his head.
"It's odd, but so far they haven't reached out. Considering the letter they sent to Enzo, I find it a little unsettling."
"You think they're biding their time with something?" I'm a little afraid at the prospect. Not as much for myself, but for Claudia. I don't want her to become a target just to get back at me.
"Yes. And I don't like it."
I turn my attention to the soup. I take a spoonful, and I almost choke on a foreign object. Marcello rushes to my side, worried, and I immediately spit it out.
"Ugh," I heave, feeling a scratch down my throat.
"What..." Marcello looks at my hand where the object is and I curse.
It's a ring. Claudia's ring.
"No..." I frown, shocked at what I'm seeing. How could it be here?
I turn my attention back to the soup and move my spoon around. Marcello grabs my hand, pulling it back.
"Lina..." He shakes his head, his attention on the bowl of soup. That's when I notice it. The tip is just above the liquid, but there's no mistaking about it. It's a finger... a human finger.
With a cry, I jump back, falling down. No... this can't be...
"Claudia..." I whisper, a hysterical cry escaping my lips. "That's Claudia's ring... no..."
People are already gathering around us, whispering. Tears running down my cheeks, I grab onto Marcello.
"Call home. I need to speak with Claudia..." I'm yelling, all my common sense out the window. I need to make sure Claudia's fine.
It can't be...
The more I think about it, the more hysterical I get, despair taking over.
"Yes, your mother wants to talk to you." I vaguely hear Marcello say into his phone before passing it to me.
"Claudia?" I rasp out.
"Mamma? What's wrong?" She asks.
"Are you hurt anywhere? Are you ok?" My words are hurried, but I just need to know she's fine.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" I release a breath.
"Good... good. Where is your ring?"