As Ryan and David drove in the front,
Melissa and Emily were in the back reconnecting over tacos for lunch.

Ryan smiled, but David didn't know how to feel,
He became overwhelmed and asked Ryan to take the wheel.
Melissa noticed his repressed emotions and laid her hand on his shoulder,
He held her hand and smiled but she noticed his hand had gotten colder.

"Wait, are you guys screwing each other?"
Emily asked

"I was thinking the same damn thing!!"
Ryan uttered

David looked at him

"Not that it's none of my business"
Ryan added

"Well I guess, everyone wants a piece of the pie."
Emily stated

"It's not like that, believe it or not, he's changed."
Melissa replied as she speaks to Emily one and one in the back

"Harder or deeper?"
Emily asked

"Girl stop!!"
Melissa chuckled

"I gotta ask, it must be something your getting that Claire didn't..."
She uttered

"Can we just not talk about Claire -"

"Yeah right, cause I'm the one who killed her is that it?
Just let me out, I'm sorry to even think y'all would leave the past behind us."
Emily interjected

"You killed my Dad!!
He might not have been biological, but he was more than a father than Marcus would ever be!!
And as hard as it took, I forgave you; Claire is no different.
Claire didn't see me for who I am, in the beginning she did but then she became hunger for pleasure, which was something that I could provide back then-"

"And now you're just here throwing it around; with her best friend as well."
Emily uttered as she interjected David

David sharply exhales

"The past is behind me, if it wasn't you'd have a bullet between your eyes lying on the cold broken concrete floor where I left you!!
You're not alive because I had mercy on you, you're alive because your family; and lately I haven't had a lot of those."
He replied

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Just forget it."
David replied

"We're here."
Ryan uttered

They drove up to the house, Carlos could be seen at the window pane,
David glanced at his eyes, but his emotion was never the same.
They all got out, but Emily remained behind,
She hasn't been in this house in such a long time.
After a talk with David, she finally entered the doors,
She tried to hold them back, but from her eyes, tears poured.
Every wall brought back memories, memories of Maria,
Slowly but surely, she'd began to question if this was a good idea.

"Emily!!!"
Carlos shouted as he ran down the stairs

"Get your hands off her!!
Are you okay?
What have they done to you ?"
He added

"I tried to kill you; why are you still around me?"
She whispered

"You're my little princess, and for far too long you have been away from you castle.
Now if you choose to end my life, so be it; as long as you're home and safe."
Carlos replied

Emily smiled

"But we have to get out of here-"
He added

"No, it's okay Dad, David and I -"

"Don't you dare trust him for one minute!!
Do you know what his existence has done, to you, to our family?!!"
He uttered

"I know what happened to mom."
She uttered

"You do?
Then you know what we must do!!
We can't let her death be in vain like that!!
She died protecting that nutsack!!
I was a fool to give my all to this family and for what?!"
He exclaimed

"Carlos listen to me, all that happened weren't none of us fault, I didn't asked to be born and hurled into this syndicate at the expense of Emily's life, neither did she asked to be abducted and sold as ransom for my parents shortcomings; but it happened anyway.
What we are trying to do is to move above the aftermath our parents has caused upon our lives, but we can't do that without your involvement."
David replied

"I won't rest until you pay for the death of my Maria!!
You all will!!"
Carlos uttered as he pulls out a gun at Melissa's head

"David!!"
Melissa cried

"Put her down!!"
David shouted as he aims his pistol at his head

"Dad stop!!
Can you all please just stop!!"
Emily shouted

The guards came down, rifles clocked everywhere,
He was determined to kill David, for his own life he didn't care.
David realized his determination, and ordered his men to stand down,
Surely he could have been dead before a second splits,
But with Melissa's life on the line, he couldn't take the risk.

"Easy, Carlos."
David stated

"You destroyed everything David!!
Everything I've lived for!!
Maria, my own daughter's life; I'm taking matters into my own hands."
Carlos uttered

"Listen to me dammit!!
Killing her will not bring back mom!!"
David shouted

"Naaa, but killing you will put my mind at ease!!"
He shouted as he aimed at David

The pistol fired

"No!!"
Emily shouted as leaped in front of David

David's eyes widened as Emily fell to the floor,
The bullet went through her throat, exactly where was unsure.
He quickly dropped to his knees and applied pressure to the wound,
But she wouldn't stop bleeding, her life was doomed.
Carlos trembled, his eyes grew with fear,
Realizing what he had done, to his daughter he drew near.
She began choking on her own blood, gasping for air,
Her very last words were uttered in a single tear.

"Emily!! Emily!!!
No no no no!!!
Look what you've done!!"
Ryan screamed

David held Melissa as she uncontrollably brokedown to the floor,
It was evident that she was hurt to the core.
She screamed, she cried, she shouted her name,
She cried for help, but none ever came.
Carlos looked up at David as he was stained with her blood,
And realized he had lost the only living being he ever loved.
In his pursuit for revenge, driven by hurt,
He questioned what was his existence even worth.
He picked up the pistol, David tucked Melissa behind himself,
But to their surprise, he released one in the chamber into his head.

Everyone was silent, seeing his brains all over the floor,
But Ryan had it hard, he lived her to the core.
If nothing was certain, one thing was for sure,
Ryan above everyone else, will not be the same anymore.

"Come on Ryan, let's go "
David uttered

"No."
He replied

"Ryan come on."
David persisted

"No!!!
I won't leave her"
He shouted

"Come on!!"
David shouted as he pulled him away

"No!! No!!
I can't just leave her!!
Emily!! Emily!!"
Ryan cried

Melissa had it hard, seeing her friend on the ground,
She had a good heart, despite her ups and downs.
They took out her body, and buried it in the center of the compound.
A Japanese cherry tree was also planted above her, to her childhood she was no longer bound.

David met up with all his men and secretly gave an order which brought majority of them to tears,
They saluted him and as he bids farewell to his peers.

He drove off the following morn, with Melissa and Ryan in the back,
He wanted to offer emotional support, but how could he offer something he lacked?

5 weeks had gone by, Ryan seeked an escape,
He moved to bellowsfield, he could no longer stay in that place.
But 6 months later, David reach out,
And drove him to a location down south.
Approaching the vicinity of the Syndicate, he urges David to take him away,
But what his eyes was graced with, was beyond what words could say.

It was no longer the large compound where the Syndicate paid homage,
It was now -
'The Emily Delafrente Children's Orphanage.'

Ryan was in awe, his eyes were filled with tears,
A cherry blossom fell in his hand, which dispatched all his fears.
He turned around, smiled at David,
His expression did not require words,
David pulled him in and hugged him,
She will bring joy even to the very birds.

The doors opened wide as Melissa came out,
Who has been there for several months, that's not just word of mouth.
She was David's big sister, but Melissa best friend,
And she continues to be just that, even to the very end.

"I don't understand, what happened to the Syndicate?
Your empire? "
Ryan questioned

Ryan smiled

"It's long gone."
He gently replied as
he held Melissa by his side

"Long gone?
I don't understand, how can you dispatch something so big?"
He asked

"I've found something bigger, something of value.
When my little sister died, it Finally opened my eyes that even though I was thrown into this life, it was never I truly was; just as that was never who Emily truly was.
I disbanded the syndicate; for once I'm taking control of my life."
David replied

Ryan smiled

"You do know she's ghe bigger one right?"
Ryan trolled

"Shhhh, keep it on the down low."
David uttered

Ryan chuckled

"So an orphanage huh?
I guess she earned the name Delafrente."
Ryan asked

"We thought it was the right thing to do.
She was taken against her choice and David didn't get a choice, so we want you extend that privilege to each and every child in Don Perico and beyond who needs the love and care Emily deserved."
Melissa stated

"Me?"

"That's right, we're entrusting this to you.
You both grew up in an orphanage, I think it's time you own it."
Melissa replied

Tears came to Ryan's eyes,
He looked at the building and back at the Cherry tree and smiled.

"I'll be honoured to!!"
He exclaimed

"I know she'd be happy"
Melissa replied

"She is.
And she didn't just earn the name, all you need to know is on a thumb drive in the hall."
David added

"I love you guys!!"
Ryan uttered as he hugs them both

Tears of joy, laughter and reflection of life,
Was the theme of that evening, no more strife.
David approached his car as Melissa got ready to go,
Ryan called him aside for a minute, there was something he needed to know...

"What's good?"
David asked

"After Emily died and I left to bellowsfield, I actually started to search for my biological parents and guess what, I actually found them."
Ryan uttered

"Oh my God Ryan!!!
That's great news!!
Who are they?
how did you meet them? what are they like?"
David enquired

"Well I actually didn't meet them per day,
I was in your pizzeria in the town and this tall Italian guy was walking out when he dropped an envelope.
I picked it up to give him but it has my name and picture on it, I look up at him, he gave me a wink and drove off."
Ryan stated

"What was in the envelope?"
David asked

"Ancestry records, Birth certificates, DNA results, hospital records, all showing information of my connection to my biological parents.
I want to the address and I saw her, I saw her David!!
My biological mother!!
I was standing across the street but I know it's her, I know it!!"
Ryan replied

"Why didn't you go to her?
And who was this Italian guy?"
David asked

"I don't know who he was, I've never seen him before; didn't see him again after that.
And what should I have done, walked over and say hey ma'am, you might not know me but I'm your son who you gave up 22 years ago?"
Ryan asked

"Yes!!
Exactly!!"
David uttered

"Naaa, well; not now but eventually."
He replied

"Life is short, spend as much time as you can with those who value it."
David replied

"I can see she as changed you for the best.-
Ryan commented

"She's all I could ask for, and so much more ,
I'll see you around old friend."
David replied

"Where will you be staying?"
Ryan asked

"You remember that cabin I had in hooters ridge?"
David asked

Yeah, what about it?"
He asked

"Well, I bought the ridge."
David stated

"As in the entire ridge?"
Ryan uttered

"Well, yeah why not.
It's away from humans, so let's just call it my escape from reality in reality."
David added

"You said humans like your not one of them."
He chuckled

"Oh I'm just joking......or am I?
David replied

Ryan laughed

"They don't call you slinger for nothing!!"
Ryan uttered

" Took down Goliath."
David chuckled

"You surely did.
I'm gonna miss you bro."
He sentenced

"It's not goodbye; until then."
David replied

"Until then."
Ryan replied

David smiled as he walk back to his car,
Ryan found a sense of belonging, even though his heart still had a scar,
He was reminded of Emily, with every cherry blossom she saw,
And was happy to see former members of the Syndicate, enforcing the law.

~5 weeks later~

He finally booted up that thumb drive and what he learnt left him in shock,
It was all the information on Emily, her familial blocks.

It turns out Maria did just cheat on Carlos,
Emily's father biologically was in fact Marcus.
She died a Delafrente, wasn't just given the name,
She had a good heart, but just played a confusing game.

As for the love birds, they found themselves back in their nest,
Living a peaceful life as they embarked on a new quest.
A quest of family, love and trust,
It's all they ever wanted since they settled the dust.

Shawn and Sally came back from their honey on the moon,
Eating Ice cream on cones with Melissa,
David grabbed himself a spoon.

How could one tell her that her sister had died,
Well it's simple, they didn't.
They all her to portray the legacy that was being displayed;

"When she went away to live with Raphael, she was starting a foundation for children and now that she has returned, she built an orphanage in her name to spread the love and care to all the unfortunate children in Don Perico and beyond"
Melissa stated

Sally gasped

"So all that talk about stay away from her and update you in case we saw her-"

" I just didn't want her to spoil the big reveal.
But we'll take you up there in the morning, she left a beautiful cherry tree and told me to tell you, she'll be as close to you once you close to her..."
Melissa added

Sally smiled as her eyes flowed tears of joy.

~Later that night~

David was in the kitchen, wisking eggs as he made a lil midnight snack,
As he felt a little finger caressing his back.
He turned around, picked her up and placed her on the counter,
He forgot about what he was cooking, but he could see she wanted him to pound her.
With Emily s death, Melissa now more than ever, appreciated life,
But little did she know of the plans David made to make her his Wife.
He grabbed her by the neck and looked her in her eyes,
"How do you want your eggs?"
And she replied -
"Fertilized..."

©Tremar Ivey