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LEONARDO

"She's missing?"

Vincenzo quickly looked over his shoulder to check the coast was clear before swiftly closing the door of the kitchen behind him. He scowled with narrowed eyes. I leaned against the counter, folding my arms as he walked inside.

"Lower your fucking voice, do you want her to join the conversation as well?"

I rolled my eyes, not holding back as I snappily continued, "how the fuck did you lose her?"

Vincenzo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Dio aiutami {God help me}."

"I didn't," he clearly stated, "she was never actually caught. That woman might have a small body but she's one hell of a fighter."

"I didn't realise it'd be so hard for something so minor to be fixed," I retorted, a cold glare casted to him. Vincenzo pressed his lips together, still cautious about the door as he kept glancing over at it.

"Why don't you remove this problem?" He questioned, provoking me. "You're called the 'silent killer' for a reason. Finish this 'Javier' mess."

The silent killer. It was a title I had earned unknowing for the particular way I handled the removal of disturbances throughout my time as Don. It was simple; a single shot into the middle of one's head without torture or interrogation. If I had to be there for a removal, it was important. I never wasted my time by extending punishments unlike others. One shot and one shot only was needed to eliminate problems around me. I had better things to do.

I was about to answer until the sound of familiar, jolly humming caused the two of us to immediately stop the conversation, straightening our shoulders as the door knob turned and a pair of white slippers made their way in. Vincenzo gave me a cautious look, lifting his eyebrows before turning and being his usual childish self to our mother.

"Mamma! I'm hungry, I need to eat!" He whined, pulling on her arm. I disapprovingly scrunched up my face at his behaviour as she placed the bowl of strawberries onto the island, the ones that had recently bloomed that she was talking about a ten minutes before. Vincenzo had immediately dived his hands into the bowl. My mother laughed, "Ok ok! Hai sempre fame quando sei qui, figlio mio. Mi chiedo come mantieni il tuo fisico! {Okay, okay! You're always hungry when you're here, my son. I wonder how you maintain your physique!}." I was relieved that she didn't ask questions about what we were talking about.

My eyes and arms were drawn to the squirming child that she was holding on one hip. She was wriggling from the moment she saw me, those little curls of hers were all tangled and messy, and her cheeks were puffy and rosy with little lines across them from her sleeping position. Amalia had just woken up from what seemed to be an amazing nap.

"Piccolo budino {little pudding}," I kissed her soft cheek as she rested her head on my shoulder, still groggy from waking up. Her little hand held onto my shirt as usual and she yawned cutely, her chunky legs swinging by my side, relaxed in my arms. I missed her, holding her tight as I hugged her.

"I love you," I whispered into her ear before asking my mother. "Madre, what are you feeding her?" I lifted my arms a little the lowering them to feel the difference. My daughter's face had definitely gotten rounder; I had no issues with my daughter's weight. It was her meals I wanted to keep healthy and child friendly.

My mother gave a stern and coy look. "What are you implying?" She sharply questioned, stretching her back with a 'humph' and clearing her throat as she brought out several glass containers from the fridge.

I was treading on thin ice from there onwards. "You got rid of the candies, didn't you? And all the sweet bread?" I moved Amalia's hair away from her face since her small hands struggled to do them herself. I didn't dare look back up in case she was glaring at me.

She turned on the stove, nonchalantly replying with, "the baby likes them. I couldn't."

I closed my eyes, hung my head backwards and sighed. "Mamma-" I was about to give her another lecture on health until Vincenzo laughed, "nothing has changed since the last time!" I sighed, refraining myself from lecturing my own mother. It wouldn't end well.

"Mamma, you know what I want to say."

"Mmm. . .I don't find your words that particularly interesting to listen to, mio {son}."

Her unbothered tone made me shake my head at her. My mother could be so unreasonable at times. Vincenzo was laughing in the midst of it all.

"There wouldn't be this problem if she. ." Vincenzo hesitated, sheepishly glancing at me as though he realised his words were carrying away but finally added, "lived with you." He looked at between Amalia and I before sipping on his glass of water.

My mother gave Vincenzo a look to tell him to shut up before clearing her throat and continuing to prepare the food for lunch. The air was slowly becoming slightly tense as a topic we usually avoided came back up. Little did they know.

I smiled a little, glancing down at Amalia who seemed more awake, lifting her head and sitting up on me.
"Well, that's why I'm here. I have something to tell you, madre." I silently inhaled, hoping that would happen next would go well.

She stopped chopping and looked up at me, her eyes expectant and curious.

"I plan to move out the apartment." I had made this decision in Greece after carefully thinking over it for a few days. I bounced Amalia, letting her giggle. Slowly, I said, "and to take Amalia with me." There. It was out. The constant thought that had been circulating in my mind for ages.

"Oh," my mother slipped out in surprise, looking dearly at Amalia, a smile growing on her face. My little girl was blabbering to herself, looking up at me. My mother looked more warmly at me, her honey eyes lightening up. "You have really changed, Leonardo." She gazed at the two of us nostalgically. My heart began to race at her words, already feeling like she was going to get emotional. I couldn't stand seeing my mother being emotional. It broke my heart.

"You really have. .I'm happy you've become. . .you." She blinked, her eyes getting glossy. My eyes wavered as I felt slightly awkward. She was sincerely happy for me. I adjusted Amalia in my arms, trying to focus my attention elsewhere.

"You are ready. I know you are. So when it is time, take her back," My mother genuinely told me, beaming at me. "She will be so happy to be with you." She nodded more to herself, looking away as she realised how tearful she was getting. "Sono orgoglioso, Leonardo. Lo sono davvero. {I'm proud, Leonardo. I really am}."

I looked down at Amalia, watching her cute little actions as I held in my gratefulness for my mother. Mamma may have been through a lot in her rough life but she never, ever stopped loving us. Her kindness and encouragement was one of the only things that kept me alive and motivated. I really did appreciate my mother.

"Going back to Papa?" Mamma cooed, her eyes brightly gazing at Amalia as she spoke to her in her usual baby voice. "Nonna is going to miss you, la mia piccola palla di sole (my little ball of sunshine), hmm?" Amalia continued to make her little squeaks, smiling at her grandmother, kicking her little legs.

Vincenzo reassured her while tapping away on his phone, "at least you're not going to be alone. Isn't your sister in law staying here?" He shuddered, giving me a weird look before his phone caught his attention again. "'Sister in law'." he repeated in shock. Vincenzo wasn't one to be very committed.

"We're not moving now but soon, I'm still looking for the right place," I disclosed honestly, thinking about the last couple of houses I had seen. I wanted to find the best place for the four of us, space for Amalia to run around with Bear, room for Maria to practice and exercise, extra room for all of Amalia's toys, another bedroom, security, comfortability. There was a lot to consider, I knew it would take a while and was debating building my own place.

"How is it, living with Luna?" I asked her.

Mamma smiled, positively replying, "she's a lovely young girl. If you didn't tell me what happened. ." She purposefully avoided the topic, "I wouldn't never have known. We talk a lot and she expresses what is troubling her." She thoughtfully explained, "Luna is a good girl, she just needs guidance and love. She is still a child learning the ways of the world."

Maria's sister was in good hands; I knew my mother's home would be the best place for her momentarily. Luna and Maria spoke a lot more and had grown closer over the last few weeks. I was glad she was able to move on with her sister and develop a relationship with her. They truly needed each other.

It made me think of Cristiano. I thought about it, sending someone to locate him. It would take less than a day easily, my workers could quickly find anyone barely lifting a finger.

But I couldn't. I still stopped myself. I could never forgive Cristiano for what he had done. Our brotherhood had ended long ago.

"We made chocolate chip cupcakes on Sienna's birthday."

The silence was only broken by Amalia's noise.

Vincenzo stiffened, unable to look at our mother as he stared at the half empty glass before him, swirling the water around with the force of his wrist. His face had immediately fallen, he lost his usual unserious look.

The mention of our sister never had a good reaction. Mamma would almost always cried if a prolonged conversation surrounding her only daughter arose, Vincenzo always changed topics and I would do everything I could to avoid it. Dante was probably the only person who could speak about her freely.

Sienna was practically erased from our lives. I sometimes struggled to remember her face properly. I felt so guilty that my own memory was erasing her. Her face would morph into how I thought she might have looked like, how she might've appeared as if she was alive. Her belongings were burned and most of her surviving pictures only evidenced her suffering. Her painful, short lived life. The mentioning of her only brought sadness. An avoided topic that could sour a sweet mood for everyone.

I didn't let my grief stop me. I had come to terms with it. Nothing could make Sienna come back therefore what was the point in crying and regretting the past that was completely out of our control? She was my sister. I needed to remember her as that, not a pitiful victim. Sienna lived and existed. She was innocent but harmed, however Sienna smiled, laughed and played. Her life wasn't a complete waste.

It shocked the two of them as I casually said, "Sienna loved chocolate chip cupcakes. Did you enjoy them?"

My mother blinked a few times, her more sorrowful eyes surprised that I had continued the conversation, and not quickly moved on. She smiled again and I read that as her being thankful that I had allowed her to discuss and remember her child.

Mamma nodded, beaming at me again. The look in her eyes were sentimental. "I loved them. Luna did too. She reminds me of little Sisi. How would she have been like if she. . ." She merely smiled, continuing to prepare the ingredients.

"Even better than we can imagine," I softly comforted her, her eyes catching mine again as she nodded once more. It looked like my words made her feel better.

"I have a phone call to take," Vincenzo emotionlessly said, taking his leave swiftly out the room, the door loudly shifting as he left.

"Sienna," my mother said as an answer to his sudden departure, looking at the door. She knew Vincenzo still struggled as I did not too long ago. 

She looked at me more spiritedly, teasingly saying, "I liked the gifts you brought me from Greece. You went with your fiancée, didn't you?" I already knew where she was going to go with that tone.

Mamma sassily continued, "the one that I still haven't formally met." I swallowed, averting my eyes from her stern ones.

"Right, Lia? The one that Papa keeps hiding from me?" She tutted again, shaking her head. Amalia was still amused by her.

"One day," was all I said to that. If I entertained the conversation too much, I'd never hear the end of her.

After lunch, Vincenzo and I left.

I took a good look at my brother, taking in how much he had grown and he noticed, giving me a strange face back.

"What the fuck are you looking at?"

I ignored his coldness and awkwardly said, "thanks."

"'Thanks'?" Vincenzo slowly repeated, eyeing me weirdly just as he opened his sports car door. I nodded, closing the car boot. I looked away and nodded, "for doing your job well. Despite being an annoying douche."

He scoffed, chuckling a little as I moved to open my car door. "What a sentimental statement," he sarcastically retorted and went to enter his car just as I said, "catch."

I threw him a pair of car keys in which he immediately caught, surprised at my sudden action. He looked down before meeting my eyes, an astonished expression written across his face. I slid my hands into my pockets and said with a shrug, "a new Rolls Royce."

He scoffed again in disbelief, shocked at the keys. A small grin couldn't be hidden on his face. "I could get used to this," he chuckled, grasping them in his hand before entering his car.

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~ Author's Note ~

Leonardo's time in Greece has changed him - his hopes for the future are optimistic and include Maria and Amalia in it. Nor does he avoid the topic of Sienna anymore. His growth is continuing to improve! He even seemed a lot kinder to Vincenzo towards the end!

But will things get in the way of his plans?

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