Chapter 31

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Warning: Badass Mafia men breaking down and crying.
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Antonio Romano was sitting in his office, looking at the picture on his desk. The picture of his family. His four sons, their wives and his twenty five grandsons.

He had just talked to his eldest grandson.

"Yeah?" He had said, casually.

"We happen to have a sister, Grandpa." Elonzo muttered.

"What?" Antonio asked, thinking he'd heard wrong.

"A sister. We just found out we have a sister. You have a granddaughter." Elonzo confirmed.

Antonio almost dropped the phone.
"Are you trying to prank me, boy?" He gritted in a cold tone, almost scaring Elonzo.

"No, Grandpa. Have I ever done that before?" Elonzo said quickly, not wanting to anger the Romano with the most power. The one who had so much power in his hands, he could make anyone do anything. The one who was so scary, the leaders of Mafias around the world would tremble in his presence.

"I want to know exactly what happened. Don't leave any detail." Antonio said, authoritatively.

Elonzo proceeded to tell him everything that happened.

With each passing second, as the story continued, Antonio felt emotions gathering inside him. Emotions he's never felt in a long time. He was getting overwhelmed and almost doubted if he was strong enough to handle this.

"You can't be serious." Antonio muttered, trying hard not to let his voice crack.

"I'm serious." Elonzo muttered, being happy inside, noticing the change in the old Romano's demeanour.

Unbeknownst to both of them, the 'I'm serious' would soon convert into 'Of course, I'm not. I'm Elonzo.' after spending so much time with a certain little baby.

"How could this happen?" He said, feeling sad and happy at the same time. "Where's your Dad? Is he doing good? Should I come over?"

"Dad is doing fine. He's so happy yet sad and stressed after meeting her." He said, talking about Everly. "He isn't home."

"Okay. I'll call you later." Antonio said when he felt tears in his eyes. His voice cracked, although he tried to hide it. He hung up.

Now here he was, just sitting and staring at the family picture.

Everyone was happy. They were a happy family, loving each other to no end, always supporting each other. The boys never considered each other cousins, they referred to them as twenty five brothers.

But there was always that empty spot in the family. Something was there that limited their happiness. The family wished for a baby girl. A princess to spoil.

He turned his head to look at the other picture on his desk. His picture with his wife. Alessia Romano. She was beautiful, cute, bubbly and badass. A great combination, according to him.

"I don't know how to react to it, Sia." He said, missing her terribly. She left him too soon. He would fight with her for it when they meet again.

"I don't know what to do." He said, as her picture became blurry because of tears gathering in his eyes. "I don't know how to handle this."

It was unusual for him to break down like that. The whole family turned to him for help. For every small thing. For comfort.

Yet here he was, crying his eyes out while missing his wife and her support. He needed her badly at that time. He missed her so much.

"Why did it had to go downhill? Why does my son has to suffer like that?" He muttered, while spilling tears, his palms on his eyes.

He knew Stephan would be hurting after knowing that he lost fifteen years of his daughter's life. After knowing that he didn't even know about her existence.

It must hurt more than thinking that he wasn't worthy enough to deserve the beautiful angel. A daughter. It must hurt more than not having one.

He sat there for a few more minutes, wishing things would just have happened differently, wishing his son would have made better choices. He would've been happier now. He wouldn't have lost his wife and his daughter.

Antonio remembered the time, Stephan brought Everly home. She just fit right in, instantly. All of them loved her, her personality, that kind yet powerful aura around her. It was unusual for such a kind and polite girl to fall in love with a man who has to deal with violence and ruthlessness all the time.

His phone rang, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Dad." Stephan said, but couldn't continue because of the lump forming in his throat.

"Where are you?" Antonio asked, softly.

"Can I come over?" He asked, timidly, reminding Antonio of the little boy he used to be, before being introduced to the 'family business'.

"Is that even a question?" Antonio said.

Stephan arrived about ten minutes later, looking weak and exhausted.

He sat down on the couch as Antonio took a seat beside him.

"I'm happy for you, son." He said, patting him on the back. "Don't stress about it. We're going to take care of my granddaughter and spoil her rotten." Antonio said, with a hopeful voice. He was getting impatient. He couldn't wait to meet her.

"She hates me, Dad." Stephan said, burying his face in his hands. "She looked at me with so much hate. I just keep making mistakes."

"What? Why'd she hate you? You're her Dad. Don't be silly." Antonio tried to comfort him, ignoring the pit in his stomach. The pain he felt.

He couldn't stand seeing his son so sad. He couldn't stand his granddaughter hating any of them.

"She does." Stephan said, as his voice cracked. "She asked me if I would visit her mom and I said no, even when she told me she was dying and that was her last wish. I just showed her how cruel I am." He said, breaking down and sniffling, not raising his head.

"I know its pathetic. But it hurts that she hates me. I finally got a daughter and I made her hate me." He muttered.

"Don't be silly, Stephan. She just met you. She's going to move in soon. You will bond together and get along well. I'm sure." Antonio said, reassuringly.

Stephan was a big softie inside. No matter how intimidating and scary he looked, he was soft on the inside. Antonio knew, the only reason he must've refused was because he couldn't tolerate the pain again. He was hurt more than any of them would like to admit.

Antonio wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him into a hug. Stephan cried into his shoulder.

"I'm so selfish." He muttered. "I was ready to meet Everly after I got to know I have a daughter. But I couldn't help it."

"Exactly. You couldn't help it. You were overwhelmed, Stephan. I know how everything affected you. I know how you coped with it. Don't stress about it. Look at the big gift God gave you. Focus on that. Even the almighty thought you deserved happiness after suffering so much." He said, rubbing his son's back, while he cried into his shoulder.

Stephan needed comfort. He needed his Mom, so he came straight to Antonio. He was the one person who played her role after her death. He was the closet person he had to his Mom.

"How does she look?" Antonio asked, after some time of sitting in silence.

"Nathan and her are identical twins." Stephan said. "So, she looks like me. Which, in turn, means.."

"She looks like me." Antonio muttered lovingly, already wanting to hug his little princess.

Both the men couldn't figure out why they were making such a big deal out of who she looked like. But the fact that she looked like a little version of them, made their hearts swell. No wonder Elonzo was so happy.

"I love her so much. I know I just met her and she hates me. But I love her with everything I have." Stephan muttered.

"Me too, son. I can't wait to meet my little princess. I haven't even met her, yet I love her since I got the news." Antonio replied. His heart fluttered in his chest, making it unbearable to stay away from the newly-found Mafia princess. He just wanted to hug her and keep her engulfed in his hug forever.

The granddaughter he always wanted. He could finally have a princess to love and spoil.

He knew just then, that their world was going to turn upside down. But in a good way.

The way his oldest son and his oldest grandson were reacting, he knew she was going to be the warmth in their life.

Yes. The little emotion and love in Elonzo's voice, did not go unnoticed. Elonzo hid it well but Antonio had a different power, maybe. He saw right through him. They were supposed to be overwhelmed but them being so emotional and going soft already was something he didn't expect.

Meanwhile, Stephan just thought about how things turned out, while spilling tears silently. He didn't know what he wished. He couldn't believe everything that was happening.

"Does that mean my mistakes are forgiven?" Stephan asked. He still felt guilty for ruining his happy life. Antonio tightened his grip on his son.

"We can say that. You suffered for fifteen years. Maybe, you paid the price for your mistakes and now you are forgiven. You got a beautiful gift, son. Nothing can compare a daughter's love. Not for me, at least. Its time to let go and move on. Its time to shower some fatherly love on the mafia princess." Antonio said, softly, as Stephan listened silently.

Antonio was the only person who could see him break down. He was the only person the Capo wasn't ashamed of crying before.

"Everything happens for good. Don't be sad you lost fifteen years of her life. Be happy you finally have her in your life and you have time to create memories. Be grateful you get to know about her existence now and not later." He continued. Stephan just silently nodded and took deep breaths to calm himself down. He needed to go see his kids after all.

"Imagine how everything will change after her arrival." Antonio said, when Stephan pulled away and leaned back against the couch, wiping his tears away.

Stephan chuckled wholeheartedly.
"Will said, the house already felt like it was suddenly filled with love. Just because they are now imagining their baby sister living with them."

Antonio stayed silent.
He felt the same. He felt like everything suddenly changed. It felt like someone just flipped a switch and suddenly the cold weather around them changed into warm sunny one.

He felt like suddenly he was bound by a thread to his whole family and that thread was just tightening, pulling all of them closer, making their bond stronger, keeping the family together.

He could feel it. His just-found granddaughter and now the baby of the family was going to bring a tornado. A tornado that wouldn't destruct, but a tornado that will put all their fallen pieces back together and make them all stronger and happier.

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I love this.
ಥ⌣ಥ

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