The Shadows We Keep

It was winter break. I could still remember the first drop of snow had settled down on my window pane as I sat and watched. Snow didn't fall much here in Miami, and when it did, it was never for long. Christmas was more beautiful in New York, more lively. I should have stayed back with Jasmine instead of coming here. But what choice did I have, especially after my mother had cried her eyes out over the phone the night before I got here. She was always so good with emotional blackmail.

"Oh come on, you can't tell me that you're upset about being in your big ass mansion, with a whole bunch of food,and a complete family to spend your Christmas with?" Jasmine said over the phone, I had face timed her the moment I unpacked all my stuff.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not being ungrateful, I'm just saying I would rather spend Christmas with you. I hate the fact you're all alone in the apartment on Christmas day." 

Jasmine was supposed to head home to meet her family in Scotland, but then there was a snow storm, and any form of flights were cancelled because it wasn't safe. 

She gave me an eyeroll. "Please don't try to flatter me, or use my sad dilemma as some excuse. Besides, it's not so bad the way you're making it. I'm cuddled up in my sheets, I've got a whole box of the best pepperoni pizza to myself, and you see this?" She rose up a tray of cookies. "It was given to me by that cute neigbour that just moved upstairs. All that is missing is…"

"Me?" I said, smiling sweetly at her. 

"I was going to say me watching Home Alone."

My smile fell. "I hope you enjoy spending Christmas alone." 

She grinned. "Oh I will, and maybe that cute neigbour would warm up my bed as a bonus."

"Jasmine, please do not sleep with our neigbour." I groaned. "Remember Pete, you had to pass the fire escape for a month, just so you wouldn't bump into him in the lobby."

"What good is Christma without a little scandalous sex?" She blew me a kiss. "Say Hi to your hot dad for me."

"Eww no." I said before she hung up. "I guess there goes my plan to stay cooped up in my room, and pretend to have important calls."

At that moment, there was a soft knock on the door, and my mother poked her head through an open space. "Honey, you should come down. Dinner is ready, and your father is already waiting in the dining room." 

I gave her a small smile. "I'll be there in a minute." 

It was pretty obvious that my mum actually put a lot of effort for this Christmas dinner, considering the fact that she had let all the maids go home for Christmas, and made dinner herself.

When I got to the dinning room, I wasn't exactly sure if she did cook all of this ,or just ordered it off the bat. I guess it was the thought that counted. My father, Gabriel Russo, sat at the end of the table, his face set in anger as he swore loudly in Italian at who was at the other end of the line. His personal bodyguard, Marco, stood by his side, his face set in a stoic manner as he stared ahead. 

I sat down a couple seats away from him and smiled to myself at how I used to think he was a President when I was younger. When I was little, we were supposed to talk about our fathers on Father's day. I remember saying he was the President, because he always had guards around him, and everyone respected him where he went. I looked up to him a lot when I was younger, until I found out what he really did. My own father wasn't just a simple measly man who sold cars, he was the Don of the Russo Mafia of Miami. The name that drew blood wherever it went, and when I was old enough to realize just how much of a danger all of it was, I hated it. I hated that he had another side of him that scared the shit out of people. 

"You better find the bastard!" He yelled before cuttng the call, and placing the cell o the table. He muttered something to Marco who nodded his head slowly before walking away. 

After staring into space for a couple of minutes, he finally noticed me. A wide smile spread across his face. "Amore, when did you get back?"

I shrugged. "A couple of hours ago."

He motioned to the seat beside him, his smile still held in place. "Come sit with your old man, and tell me how you've been."

"There's not really much to tell." I grumbled, but still stood up. 

"Oh come on," He said, his smile widening. "entertain your old man." 

"School has been good. One more year of it, then I'd go to film school."

His smile fell as he sighed. "You're still interested in that?"

I shrugged, already used to his disapproval about my career choice. "It's my dream."

I never wanted to go to college, the plan was to go to film school after my high school graduation. But my father didn't agree with his only child, a daughter for that matter, not having an education. So I agreed to it. I might have been difficult at first, but I was glad he didn't try to marry me off for connections. I have a lot of cousins that were thrown into arranged marriages with cruel men just for the connections their fathers could gain. 

"Passion only take us so far." He said, leaning back on the chair. 

Before I could give my reply, my mother came in with smoking lamb. 

"The final meal is ready!" She said excitedly, placing it at the center of the table. "Let's dig in." 

Dinner was good, and it was almost starting to feel normal, until there was a loud bang at the door, followed by the sound of bullets. My dad was the first to be on his feet, grabbing his gun from the holster strapped on his waist. 

"You both should head upstairs now." He said sharply, pulling out his phone from his pocket. "Su, presto!"

Mum was at my side quickly, pulling me out of the dining room. We ran up the stairs, and headed straight for my bedroom, locking the doors behind us. 

"What was that?" I said, gasping for air. 

She looked disheveled, but I could see the anger flashing in her eyes as she headed for my closet. 

"I don't know, but it's obviously not something good."

I let out a gasp, when she pulled out a pistol from closet! How the hell….