Summer Days, Drifting Away

V A L E R I U S ' P O V :

It's been just two weeks since I kicked my brothers out of my house. My papà too.

It was about time. They were getting on my damn nerves and Mar vacuumed out my refrigerator.

Still, that doesn't mean they don't come over unannounced. That happens everyday. Every single day. I have yet to get a break.

Ellie has been bored, cooped up in the house. We decided to take a trip to her nonno's house. Ellie and my papà have gotten along great so far. He loves her a lot.

Summer is something I never payed attention to. I never cared for swimming or kicking balls into various nets. Why focus on the weather when you're training to be the next mafia Don?

I thought of what other people do, what normal kids experience. The list I came up with consists of: sticky hands from ice cream, sweat, swimming and bugs. The only one that seemed interesting (and the least messy) was swimming. So, that's what we'll do today and since Ellie doesn't know how to swim yet, I'll teach her.

"How much longer?" Ellie whines as her feet swing back and forth. She sits in her purple car seat, her eyes focus on the trees passing by.

"Like I told you thirty seconds ago. We'll be there in like five minutes, piccolina." I repeat.

I'm glad being a mafia leader requires patience or else I'd be losing my mind right now.

That was the sixth time she asked me.

As Ellie taps her fingers on the door impatiently, we finally arrive to the mansion. I pull up to the gate and put in the passcode before passing the guards. They nod their head in respect.

I watch through the mirror as Ellie examines the trees and flowers. "Big house.." She mumbles, her eyes following every square inch of the house.

"Big like our house." I respond and she nods her head halfheartedly.

Our house is bigger though.

I shut the car off and walk out to open the back door. When I do, I grab Ellie's bag and toss it over my shoulder. I unbuckle Ellie and set her on the ground to walk with me.

"Mio principessa!" Papà exclaims when he sees us walking in. He takes Ellie out of my arms to give her a tight hug. Ellie giggles as he wiggles her around.

"Nonno!" She squeals with the same enthusiasm and my papà chuckles. He kisses her on the crown of her head.

He puts a squirming Ellie down and she stands by my side, bouncing with excitement. "Papà." I greet and we half-hug.

"Val." He greets back. "Your mamma is in the kitchen, Enzo is working in his office and the three idiots are outside probably doing something that will get them in trouble later." He tells me and I nod with a smile in place of a thank you.

I walk with Ellie holding my hand, towards the kitchen. Mamma actually did call to apologize a week ago but still, I can tell it's not completely out of a good heart.

"Mamma." I call out and she look at me with a wide smile. Completely abandoning the fruit she was cutting on the counter, she turns to me with open arms. I wrap one arm around her- keeping one holding Ellie's hand. Mamma kisses my cheek with a loud smack.

Ellie turns her head away from mamma. I feel her tense, her hand squeezing tighter on mine.

"Valerius! How have you been?" She asks sweetly and pulls away, still keeping a hand on my arm.

"We've been good." I reply- referring to both me and Ellie. I step back when I realize how uncomfortable Ellie seems. I feel her lingering behind my legs.

"Right! Hello, Eleonora!" Mamma says with a big fake smile. Ellie ignores the comment and tucks her head further into my legs.

Well. This isn't going very good.

"Well, we're going to go find Enzo." I tell her and mamma nods, looking at me with a tight smile. as

We find Enzo in his office on the third floor. I open the door and he immediately looks over to me. His glare is hard, he's about to start arguing with me when he looks down and sees Ellie standing happily by my feet, grinning at her secretly favorite Uncle.

"Arachidi, I didn't know you would be here today." He says softly. Ellie runs over to him and embraces him into a hug. He sets her on his lap. "What's today have in store for you?"

"We going to swim!" Ellie cheers with a giddy smile plastered on her face.

"Sounds fun. Do you know how to swim?" He questions with the same enthusiasm she carries.

"Nope!" She says with the same wide smile.

Enzo shakes his head in amusement. "Well I will come down when I finish my work, sì?" Ellie nods excitedly.

"Come on, baby, let's go scare those idiots." I say with a smirk and she jumps off of Enzo's lap to run over to me. She blows a kiss to him and he catches it, placing it to his heart, before we walk out of the room.

• • •

I set Ellie down on a chair used for tanning and start to get her stuff out of her bag. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my brothers going inside the house.

I take off Ellie's coverup and my shirt. I put sunscreen on us both.. which Ellie definitely did not appreciate at all. I open up her floaties. They're pink with little gold crowns all over. Papà bought them because he said it was the only thing acceptable for his little princess.

Now, I look like an idiot trying to blow up neon pink floaties. Why the hell are they so hard to blow up?

"You look like a fucking idiot." I snap my head up to see Fabio staring at me in his bathing suit.

Papà comes up from behind him and hits him on the head. "Watch your mouth." He chastises Fabio. My brother rubs the spot on his head.

When I turn back to Ellie she already blew up one of her floaties. "How did you do that?" I ask while picking it up. She shrugs and picks up the other one.

Well. That's one way to deflate my ego.

Fabio sits on the other chair, across from Ellie. "Idiot." He chuckles at me and this time I hit him on the head. "Ow!" He hisses. "Fuck you!"

After Ellie is done I start putting the floaties on her upper arms. I had to explain to her what they do for her to put them on. She was a bit nervous at a first glance.

Ellie walks to the side of the pool I notice the rest of my family coming out in their bathing suits as well (all but mamma). I have Ellie stay by the ledge while I slip into the pool.

The water isn't too cold which is good unless Marcello peed in the pool. I'm hoping that isn't the case. I don't want to deal with that today.

The water goes up to my mid-thigh because the shallow end is only four feet. I hold my arms out for Ellie. "Jump, piccolina. I'll catch you." She makes a face of uncertainty. Her nose scrunches up.

"Um..," She mumbles and sits down on the concrete. She reaches down and her fingers glide across the water until she pulls them back quickly. "I'on know.." She mumbles, starring at the water with uncertainty.

I lower my hands and look at her in her eyes. "It's just like a bath.. but a really big bath. Remember you were so excited!" I try to get her excited about it again. She lets out a nervous huff.

Ellie reaches down and touches the water again, this time for longer. She looks at me with soft eyes and tilts her head. "But what if I can'st do it?" She asks warily.

"You can, Ellie. I know you can." I force her on her feet. "I promise you can."

"Like this!" I hear Mar shout and as soon as I look up I see his body being flung at me. I barely have time to react.

I have no other choice but to catch him with Ellie watching, so I do. He lands in my arms and he cheers. The cheering barely lasts a second before I throw him into the deep end. He sinks deep down into the water with a thrash. Splash.

"What the hell, Marcello!" I shout. He gasps as he comes up from the water. I hear my brothers laughing and I grumble under my breath. Idiot.

I turn back to Ellie and she looks terrified. "Will you do that?" She questions in horror, her eyes wide.

Shit. "No. I promise I won't."

"M'kay..," She mumbles and gets up from her spot, walking a few steps backward.

Ellie stands just four steps away. I motion for her to come to me, finally she runs over and jumps. I catch her but let her body dip into the water and she squeals loudly. She grabs onto me tightly. Everyone starts to cheer for her. Ellie smiles proudly, laughing out of pure joy.

"Start kicking your legs back and forth." I tell her, holding her up with both of my hands on her waist. I start moving her through the water.

Ellie starts kicking her legs. Her tongue is stuck out in concentration, her feet make little splashes while she kicks.

"Wow, Ellie! I think you're better than Enzo!" Mar says as he swims closer to her.

"I can swim!" Enzo shouts over to us with a glare.

"Sure you can." Fabio mumbles sarcastically and Enzo gets up from his chair.

"Oh no." Mar and I mumble under our breaths. I start taking Ellie back to the shallow end while Mar follows shortly behind.

Fabio looks up from his phone to see an angry Enzo above him. Fabio's eyes widen when Enzo picks him up and slings him over his shoulder. Enzo runs and throws Fabio into the deep end, jumping in behind him.

I lift Ellie up so the waves won't hit her. Both boys start wrestling in the water. Enzo ends up standing on Fabio's head, essentially drowning him.

Eh. He'll live. Maybe.

"THIS IS WAR!" Marcello yells and does a battle cry before swimming into the deep end.

I hold Ellie up higher so she won't get lost in the waves.

Why the hell is he getting involved?

Three seconds later both Marcello and Fabio come out of the water, gasping hard for air. "Join me my brother!" Marcello yells to Savino.

Savino shakes their head, completely opposed to the idea.

"You boys are making a mess!" Mamma shrieks but no one pays any attention to her.

They thrash around, dunking and/or drowning each other. The waves in the pool get heavier and just as I thought, a wave smacks Ellie in the face.

Great. I'm going to kill them.

I pull her up on my hip and wipe the water off her face as she coughs, trying to get the water out of her mouth. I curse under my breath.

All the sudden I hear a spraying noise and follow it to see papà spraying my brothers with a hose. They all stop fighting and look at him, complaining about the cold temperature.

"Voi idioti vi siete dimenticati che c'è un bambina di quattro anni che non sa nuotare in piscina!" Have you forgotten about the four-year-old in the pool!Papà chides, putting the hose away. "Idiots! I've raised idiots!"

All of their heads snap towards Ellie and I. They're greeted by Ellie wiping water off of her face. They all look guilty. They come rushing over to apologize, cooing to her.

Ellie doesn't seem too affected. She hasn't even cried. The wave just shocked her.

Mar and Fabio steal Ellie out of my hands and start kissing her cheeks, repeatedly apologizing. All Ellie can do is giggle.

Suddenly Enzo pulls Ellie away and into his arms. She pants as she tries to catch her breath.

"Poor, arachidi. What have they done to you!" Enzo says dramatically. Ellie's smile grows wider. "This is why I'm your favorite zio, sì? Go on you can say it." A smug look makes it's way to my face and my other brothers scoff at him.

Ellie's smile turns malicious when she looks at Marcello and Fabio. "Uh-huh." She nods. "My favorite!" I chuckle, knowing she was saying it to mess with them.

"HEY!"

• • •