Chapter 2
Serena
“Bye, Miss Conti!”
“Bye, kids! I’ll see you guys tomorrow! Now sit down and stay seated on the bus, I don’t want you guys getting hurt. And remember! Show and tell is tomorrow. Bring your favorite toy!”
I loved being a kindergarten teacher. Despite the fact that my family’s background was less than ideal, I was able to live my life the way I wanted. I loved children and everything that came along with them, so when the opportunity arose for me to go to school for Elementary Education I jumped at the opportunity. My mother was nervous. She was worried our family’s background would make the children I worked with targets of some sort. But my father assured her he would never let anything like that happen to me.
And neither would I.
My family being part of the mafia was one of those facts we never talked about. My father and mother kept me at a distance from all of it, so I’d never experienced it firsthand. They did a very good job of keeping it hidden away, though there were parts of my childhood that stood out from among the rest. One time when I was taking a shower, I heard my father stumble into the house. Mom tried to keep her voice down, but it had scared me. So, I stepped out of the shower to go see what was wrong.
I saw how red the water was running off my father’s hands as my mother helped to clean him off.
Or another time, when a meeting of my fathers woke me up in the middle of the night. He was talking on his phone in the hallway, pacing up and down the carpeted area. I sat by my door and curled my knees up to my chest, listening as my father said things like ‘whatever it takes’ and ‘take a gun, not a knife’. It was the first time I remember understanding that my father was someone to be scared of. A powerful force in the community that could do a lot of good as well as a lot of bad if someone pissed him off.
But beyond those moments, I never got a glimpse of the life he led.
My phone vibrated on my desk as I walked back into my classroom. I was gathering my things up to go home before I saw I had a voice message from my mother. I picked up my phone and placed it to my ear, listening as my mother’s voice filtered through the receiver.
“Serena. Your father and I need to see you tonight after work. Could you come by for dinner? Love you.”
I looked at the clock and decided I had some time to run home and get changed. I didn’t enjoy staying in my professional attire any longer than I had to. I cleaned up my classroom before shutting off the lights, then I locked the door and started for my car.
Shedding my black pants and conservative blouse, I opted for a dark wash pair of jeans, a tank top, and an off-shouldered cover. I took my hair out of its French twist and let it tumble down my back, then put in my contacts so I could set my glasses off to the side. Dinner with my parents was never a formal affair, but it was expected that you dressed with a certain amount of pride. I picked out my best heels and slid them on, then fixed up my makeup.
Then, I was off to see what was so important to discuss.
In the back of my mind, I knew what this was about. I was getting to an age where my father would start searching to find me a husband. It was no secret that an arranged marriage was my destiny. After all, my father and mother were an arranged marriage between their two families. It was a mafia tradition to keep certain fortunes and perks within the world of two trusting families, so in a way I was my father’s own personal pawn in the game he played. But he made up for it by allowing me to live my own life on my own terms, so I couldn’t be too upset about it.
I only hoped the man they’d chosen for me was a decent one.
“Serena, my dear. Come give your father a hug.”
“Hey there, Daddy. Where’s Mom?” I asked.
My father embraced me tightly. Longer than usual, which only confirmed why they’d asked me to come over.
“She here, Stefano!?”
“Yes, Greta. Our daughter’s here,” my father said.
“Come on into the kitchen! Dinner’s ready.”
“Will the rest of the brood be joining us?” I asked.
“Nope. They’re all working late tonight, so it will be just the three of us.”
“Sounds like an intimate affair. To what do I owe the honor?” I asked.
“Always so proper. Your mother raised you well,” my father said.
“You had a hand in it, too,” I said.
“Not nearly as much as your mother. Now sit. There’s important business to discuss,” he said.
The three of us sat down and spooned up plates of food before my father cleared his throat. Even though he was the patriarch of the family, he’d always had a soft spot for me. The only time I’d ever seen my father anywhere close to crying was when I’d fallen out of the tree in the backyard and jammed my neck. It took three days for my sight to return, and when it did he was the first face I saw.
And he had tears in his eyes when I looked up at him.
“I think you know what’s coming,” my mother said.
“I have an idea, but I know there’s a ritual to how this works. I’m all ears,” I said.
“An arranged marriage has been set,” my father said. “We have arranged the first meeting between the two of you for tomorrow.”
“At least I won’t have to take off work,” I said.
“No, I made sure that was not necessary,” my mother said. “If there is one thing your father and I have learned, it’s been to respect the schedule of the other. I had a life I was leading before we had children, and he was respectful of that life. I would never give you over to someone who I thought was going to disrespect all you’ve worked for.”
“Thank you, Mom. That means a lot,” I said.
“He’s a strong man with a passion to take care of what’s his. He’s incredibly loyal to his family and has his eyes set on his father’s empire. He’ll make a good husband and provider for the family you two will create,” my father said.
“Then that’s all I can ask,” I said.
I wasn’t nervous. I could tell my parents were looking for signs of nervousness and apprehension, but I didn’t feel any of those emotions. I’d always known this was coming. Being the only girl of four children, I became very aware of my destiny from a very young age. I could lead the life I wanted in exchange for this one favor, and that was the deal I made. In a way, it made things easier. I never had to bother with dating or getting my heart broken. I got to have fun, knowing eventually my choice would be given over to me. It made my love life a lot less complicated and I knew my father would vet the man he would give me over to well.
My father would never give my hand to a man he thought wasn’t worthy.
I simply hoped he was someone I could see myself with for the long haul. Otherwise it was going to be a very long marriage.
“What is customary at this point?” I asked. “Do I ask you a bunch of questions about him, or do I wait to meet him tomorrow?”
“I knew nothing about your father before we met,” my mother said.
“I didn’t even know it was happening until I showed up for dinner,” my father said.
“Then… we’ll see how it goes tomorrow,” I said. “By the way, Mom? This dinner’s delicious.”
“You’re taking this much better than I thought you would,” my mother said.
“I’m well aware of what is expected of me. I also know what this could flourish into. I watched the two of you fall in love over and over again as me and my brothers grew up. Just because this is arranged doesn’t mean it can’t lead to something worth talking about,” I said.
“You are a daughter any father would be proud of, Serena.”
“Thanks, Daddy,” I said with a smile.
However, meeting this guy tomorrow meant the rest of my life had to be put on pause. Not my career, of course. But the things I did with my friends. During the week, I was Miss Conti. But on the weekends? I was a delicate woman in the arms of a man. I was making memories with friends and taking miniature road trips to the beach and traveling to the mountains of Wisconsin and throwing parties.
I had one last night to do it up with my friends, so I was going to take full advantage of it.
“Any plans for your evening?” my father asked.
“Yeah. I know you usually go out with your friends on Friday nights,” my mother said.
“We might get into something,” I said with a grin. “It all depends on how I’m feeling after dinner, I guess.”
“Well, if you want your mother to help you get ready for tomorrow, come over,” my father said. “You’re more than welcome.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
But the only thing on my mind was the club, and how I would dance the night away one last time.