Broken and rebuilt

Mama and Papa

>>Diego’s POV<<

Damn this traffic is ridiculous! Crossing the bridge out of the city center was insane. I guess being so close to Xmas, people were out in droves buying memories and dreams. I smile as I twist my bowtie between my fingers, and glance over at my beautiful wife, Cianna. Today is Xmas eve-eve, a private joke my son started decades ago. It is now a family tradition to have breakfast together at the tearooms at the docks. Previously the most popular restaurant in the city, our docks were always teeming with tourists and luxury yachts. But years ago, my beloved docks, and the businesses we owned on them, had been fireballed by Jóse Smith, the bastard property mogul who runs half the damn city.

It still hurt to think about all we have lost to the Smiths, but in the spirit of the time, I think about all I have to be grateful for, as well. It’s not like we didn’t see it coming. When my dear friend and his wife passed away, I knew something didn’t quite fit. So Cianna and I placed the land and buildings in a trust for Christian and Tony when they were 8, along with several millions of dollars and a fleet of ships we’d been gifted from Arlon and Cali. So when our business was targeted, we went bankrupt but still held on to everything except the name – Bastion Dock Co., I remember sadly.

Now, under Christian, the company is now a special type of enterprise. Let’s just say he is an entrepreneur. Ex-military, he came back from the service a changed man. Angry. But he brought with him members of his unit that served under him – loyal, honest men that are like brothers to him and Tony. They live here at the docks with their wives and families.

My mind casts back to Tony. My dear son, though not by birth. Cianna and I raised him as a true son, but we knew his parentage, and protected him from knowing that pain. Sadly I couldn’t protect him from everything. Straight out of high school, he married his high school sweetheart, and they had a daughter. My first grandchild, I was so in love. Losing them both in a terrible car accident still makes my heart break. It was a thousand times worse for poor Tony – he was serving overseas with Christian at the time. It broke him. The stories I heard when he found out the news made my blood run cold. A father never wants to see his own child in so much pain. Christian was there for him – a light in a dark storm. But we will never get over this loss, and Tony will never be the same. He copes, he gets out of bed every day – but it’s not really living. Dammit! My eyes are leaking. I promised myself I would be thankful for all the blessings I do have, not linger on the extreme losses we’ve suffered.

Cianna squeezes my hand, her eyes glassy with tears. We always know what each other is thinking. She is absolutely my soul mate – the other half of my heart, mind and soul.

Pulling up beside pier 7, I squeeze Cianna’s hand and stare into her beautiful green eyes. At 50 years young, we have been married 32 years, and every day I count myself lucky that she loves me. I know Tony has felt like this before, but I’ve never seen Christian take an interest in anyone romantically before. I want so much for my boys. They have money and success, but I want them to find love. I want them to find their forever person, their match. Selfishly, I want more grandchildren before I die.

I walk around to the passenger side and open the door for my wife, extending my forearm so she has something to hold as she twists her body to stand. Her dress is a long flowing red chiffon – a little overdressed for breakfast perhaps, but it’s Xmas. I am wearing a formal suit, dark blue, with a light shirt and a Xmas bowtie. My sons bought it as a gag gift one year, and I’ve worn it every year since. It seems a little quiet as we make our way over toward the tearooms. Decorated beautifully in lights and tinsel within, the outside barely giving any hints that this restaurant is even in use anymore. I can see the flickering lights on the 6ft Xmas tree, standing proudly in the corner by the window. I open the door and am greeted by the most beautiful smells of Xmas baking. In all my 50 years, I am yet to find some food I can’t eat. Although my wife thinks that keto would be a great diet for me, I hate the idea of having any restrictions. After all, life is for living!

I see my son’s loyal friends, Cortez and Barnes, in the kitchen with their wives. It is funny to see two ex-military blokes, big and strong wielding spatulas instead of AK47’s, and being chewed out by beautiful pregnant woman, instead of angry ExO’s. A beautiful slurry of Italian comes flooding out of the mouth of Cortez’s wife, before he kisses her and shuts her up. Cianna laughs beside me, like a melody of beautiful twinkling bells, light and beautiful to my ears. “Don’t let him get away with anything, Becca darling”, Cianna giggles, and Becca turns to us, a wide grin on her face.

“Mama! Papa!” she exclaims happily. “Merry Xmas!” she continues, as she waddles around the counter and into the open arms of Cianna. She pulls back and kisses each of Cianna’s cheeks, while her 7 month old baby bump stretches against her flowing dress. Becca turns to me and encircles me with a warm hug, before once again pulling back and kissing each cheek. She is like the daughter we never had. This is what I want for my sons.

“Mama! Papa! You’re here! Merry Xmas!” another voice calls from within the kitchen. Barnes’ wife, Carmel, also pregnant and soon to burst, waddled around the other side of the counter. “You look so great, Mama! I’ve missed you!” as she sweeps Cianna up in a giant hug. “You too, Papa!” she says, putting her arm around my shoulder and placing a kiss on my cheek. “Becca and I have been waiting for you! We’ve made your favorite!” she babbles excitedly.

“That’s really lovely of you both, sweetheart”, Cianna replies before we hear a “hey, we helped too!” come from the kitchen. Becca smiles while rolling her eyes, and turns away, waddling back around the counter into the kitchen. We hear another slew of Italian before Cortez pokes his head around from the back. “Sorry DC,” he says. “It’s great to see you guys, merry Xmas” he finishes. DC – it is what Christian’s crew have called my wife and I since they were in school together. D for Diego, and C for Cianna. Together we make DC.

“Good to see you, son” I reply with a smirk to Cortez – A big time military guy completely p***y whipped. “Where are Christian and Tony?” I ask, pulling out a chair for Cianna at our favorite table. The view here is mesmerizing, no matter how many times you see it.

Cortez falters. “They’re coming”, he replies a little too quickly. Oh God, what’s going on now? My thoughts travel quickly to Tony, my poor son who has lost so much. Some days he is doing so well, others he is just a mess. I’ve seen his eyes turn black and felt the hatred and anger oozing from him like a dark cloud. When he gets like that, people in his way better watch out. He can be menacing, and as the enforcer of the crew, I know he’s done some pretty terrible things. Cianna sees my fear and reaches for my hand.

“Don’t panic sweetheart.” She raises my hand to her lips and kisses the back of it. Wow. After 50 years on this earth, I still tingle under her lips. She is truly my soul mate, and I can’t wait to unwrap her tonight. Cianna reads my thoughts and her eyes dance. “Later, my love. Go and get our boys”. Yes, later my beautiful wife. I’ve gotta go knock some heads.