Our Legacy

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

"Val! Get the fuck up!"

My head drowsily picks up from my computer keyboard. The keys unstick from their dents in my face. I check the analog clock on the computer before turning to Mar.

"When did I fall asleep?"

"Are you seriously not doing anything for Christmas?" He ignores my question. "Do you have anything ready?"

"Marcello.. what are you talking about?" I rub the sleep out of my eyes. "Christmas isn't for another week—"

"We'll seeing as though it's one in the morning now.. Christmas is today.. and as of now, Ellie has nothing to wake up to I presume."

"Mar— I—, no it's not—" I stop when I check the date on my phone. Yes it is. Today is Christmas. "Cazzo! I'm such an idiot."

I knew I wanted Christmas to be a big deal for Ellie so I started getting things at the beginning of the month but most things were for her birthday. Now I've just been so busy— and I'm the shittiest father to ever fucking exist. At least I have a Christmas tree up. Damnit.

"Let's go." I tell him and hop up from my desk.

I haven't slept in forty-eight hours but this is the most awake I've been in awhile.

"What— Val?!" He shouts for me as I leave the room. Mar catches up to me. "Where are we going?"

"Let Enzo or papà know that we're leaving so they can be more aware of Ellie. We're going to the toy store."

"The toy store?" He presses like he was in shock. "What.. like we're poor?"

"Oh shut the fuck up! I think it's the only thing open.. and there's no way I can get custom Versace at this hour."

"Let's just find the mall or something."

"Fine. I don't give a shit." I hop in the drivers side. "But you're wrapping."

"You think I know how to wrap?" Mar laughs, his mouth open. "Those bitches are all going in bags."

"Fuck you."

• • •

"Papà!" Ellie shouts as she storms into my room giggling with glee.

I catch her in my arms as she jumps up onto me. I yawn like I was sleeping, pretending like my hands aren't cramping from attempting to wrap so many gifts. Somehow, with the forced help of my brothers, we were able to get gifts and wrap them all by seven o'clock.

I check the clock and it's now seven-fifteen. At least I was able to get my pajamas on before she broke down my door. Ellie is aware of the Christmas magic and was thrilled about the fat creeper who stalks kids.

Luckily, my papà didn't forget about Christmas and helped Ellie set cookies out last night. Cookies that Mar and Savino so happily ate.

"Papà! Nonno said Santa came!"

"Oh did he?" I tease, my eyes droopy. "I thought he only comes to good kid's houses." Ellie gasps and tosses herself away from me on my bed.

"I ammm papà!" She exclaims, pouting.

"Hmmm.. I guess so." I scoop her up and she giggles as I pepper her cheeks with kisses. "Should we go check?"

Ellie jumps up, hitting my chin in the process. I grunt. "Sì! Yes papà! Go, go, go!" She pulls my arm but I go nowhere. I let a chuckle slip past my lips.

Ellie is squirming for joy as we walk down the stairs together. Finally, she breaks through our connection and runs towards the Christmas tree in the living room. Piercing blue eyes brighten when Ellie sees all of her gifts. They're wrapped shitty in leftover Christmas wrapping paper and a roll that I found with unicorns on it. A few are in bags and a few are wrapped in crumples.

Ellie squeals louder than I've ever heard before. I catch Enzo at the doorframe behind me chucking to himself, watching Ellie with love.

"Papà! Santa came!"

"Did he really?" I cant hold back me smile when I see Ellie's gleaming look. She runs back and crashes into my arms. I pick her up.

"Yes, silly!" She giggles and points for me to walk her closer. "Look!" Ellie points to the piles of gifts on the ground.

"Yeah.. silly, use your eyes." Enzo taunts and I smack his hand away from me.

Ellie gasps when she starts to read some of the tag that aren't all just from Santa. "Thank you Papà! Thank you Zio E!" She says when she reads who some of them are from.

Some of the cheaper play toys are from "Santa" while the other more expensive gifts are from one of us. I didn't want Ellie bragging about her many gifts to her school friends who might not have the money to get as many as I can get her.

"Why don't you eat first while Zio E goes to wake up everyone else?" I suggest but Ellie looks slightly disgusted with that option. "Then let's open two gifts then breakfast then the rest, sì?" A sly smile lights her lips and I shake my head playfully.

Little devil.

Finally, the stress of the day was relieved as I watch Ellie so brightly open her gifts. She looks so happy and that's all I need in this moment.

She dances around with my brothers and plays with all her new things. She changes into a red fluffy dress for Christmas and makes me get dressed in dark green to match the theme. Papà takes our photo. The outfits are short-lived when Ellie gets pink glitter paint on it. She cried saying sorry but I just told her I'll buy her a new one.

And today reminds me of our future and how rewarding it is to share these types of days with my baby. Although I'm scared to watch Ellie grow up I know how excited I am to watch her live the rest of her life happy. I'll do anything to make sure she does. Anything.

• • •

The noise of clattering glassware wakes me up slightly. When I hear Ellie talking to someone, I stay frozen to pretend I'm still asleep.

I pretend not to notice the small sinks in the bed Ellie is making as she climbs up next to me. She mumbles to someone, whispering not so quietly.

When things go completely silent, I know something is up. It only takes a second for Ellie to jump straight onto my chest, knocking the wind out of me for a second. I jump up and groan when her knee digs into my stomach.

Fuck. That one hurt.

"Happy Birthday!" Ellie screams in my ear.

I open my eyes and settle Ellie into my lap. "Thank you, baby." I sit up and kiss her forehead gently, hugging her. "But what did I say about jumping on papà?" Ellie looks away, guilty.

"I'm sorry papà, I was excited."

I reassure her with a squeeze. "I know, that's why I am not mad." Like I could ever get mad at her anyways.

"Sorry..," she mumbles again, giving me a hug.

I look to the breakfast and then to my papà standing at the doorway. He smiles at us and I nod to him before he walks out of the room and shuts the door.

"Is this for me?" I ask, checking out the items on the platter. I move around the slightly burnt toast, the chocolate candies, the pancakes and orange. I pick up a chocolate. "Chocolate for breakfast, eh? For me?" I tease.

Ellie looks between me in the chocolate. Her look is silently saying.. yes for you but you were supposed to offer it to me so it can be mine.

"Uhm.. sì." She nods but her eyes are telling me something different.

A smirk bellows on my face. "Do you want some?"

Ellie quickly nods with a ridiculous smile on her face.

• • •

"Presents?" I ask when Ellie tells me she has gifts for me.

I've never received gifts for my birthday before. Once, though, my papà got me my first gun when I was ten on my birthday. The only reason he did it was because my mamma didn't know he had gotten it for me.

"Yes!" Ellie giggles like I'm crazy for ever suggesting that she wouldn't get me one. "Come on!" She pulls me to the couch and runs to Savino to help him with whatever he's doing.

Amused, I sit and watch as everyone starts to pile in. It looks like Savino hooks up a video to the tv. Ellie comes over to me and hands me a card to which I open and find a drawing of us. We're holding hands outside in the snow with a banner saying happy birthday. I tell her thank you and she cuddles close to me on the couch.

The video plays and someone shuts the lights off. I'm not sure what I was expecting but a smile lifts my lips when I see Ellie's face pop up. The video plays and what starts is a combination of videos my family had taken of Ellie since we've been together. I watch how only at two months with me she was so shy and by the end she's screaming/singing with Mar of a song that was playing on the tv. It may not be over-the-top or dramatic but watching my Ellie grow in film was something I didn't know I needed to see. It makes me realize how big she's gotten, how confident too.

After the video ends, all of us are laughing at the funny moments. Mar couldn't get passed the clip where he had convinced Ellie to dump ice-cold water on me while I was asleep. He made Savino replay it four times and by the end, even I was laughing.

"One more thing." Papà says getting a largely wrapped gift that I didn't notice leaning against the wall. I look at him oddly but he says nothing.

Ellie jumps to her knees, excited to see the gift. I offer to her to help me unwrap it and she is excited to oblige. While just half of the wrapping is off, I recognize what the gift is.

When the mafia Don becomes of power and has his own family, it's tradition to hang a frame of the family portrait above your fireplace.

Your close family is meant to be there when you change it, symbolizing the start of a new rule. I was never married so above my fireplace still hangs a painting of my parents, brothers and I. But when we fully unwrap the gift, I see a painting of both Ellie and me. My eyes glue to the work, enthralled by how well they captured Ellie and how beautiful she looks. Together we are the start of a new rule.

"It's us, papà!" Ellie's eyes gleam when she looks to me.

My eyes tear away from the painting and then go to her. I see how accurate it is, even down to the scar on her forehead from her fall.

"It is. It's beautiful, sì?"

"Sì!"

My eyes meet my papà's. I can't help the emotion I feel, the gratefulness. "It was time." Is all he says to me.

It was time. I suppose it was.

My brothers take the painting to look at it and I get up to give my papà a short hug. "Thank you." I say.

"Eleonora will make one hell of a Don. I know you'll raise her right."

As much as I don't want to be reminded one day my Ellie will be a vicious as me, I know he's right. Ellie is turning into such a strong little girl and I know she just might be the best Don this mafia will ever see.

"Fabio.. go get the ladder." Papà says.

"Wait.. why me? Ask Marcello or something!"

Papà gives him an annoyed glare. "Because you think those two can find a ladder by themselves?"

Fabio looks back to Marcello and Enzo fighting with each other over who knows what. Fabio sighs. "Fine," he mumbles.

Finally when it all gets set up, I step up the ladder and my family stands behind me as I take down the old portrait. The moment is eternally bittersweet. Especially with my family standing beside me. Papà and Enzo hand me the new portrait and I get it into the right spot.

We all step back and look at the newfound change. I don't bother mentioning the tears in my papà's eyes. I wonder how it feels to pass your legacy on and have it live on in someone else. I look to Ellie who stands in front of me, gazing at our picture. I think of how one day I'll do the same for her, by then she won't need me anymore. She'll be all grown up. I'm definitely not ready for that yet.

"You know one day that'll be yours up there." Fabio tells Ellie. He points to the painting.

"What?" She shrieks. "Nooo!" She shakes her head with a smile and hold onto her with my hand protectively over her.

"Oh yeah." Mar joins in. "And you'll be better then your papà."

Ellie giggles and I roll my eyes. "Don't you laugh at me!" I pick her up, tickling her slightly so she laughs some more.

While I joke with her, I know what's true. Ellie will carry on our legacy and she will be glorious.

• • •

My bedroom door creaks open and my eyes crack awake at the sound. I find Ellie's shadow of a figure slowly creeping in. When she runs over to the bed, I lift her and lay her beside me.

"What's wrong, piccolina?" I rasp, hugging her close to me, slowly stroking her hair. I know it's sometime in the middle of the night and she rarely ever needs me to sleep with her anymore.

There's a pause before she replies. "I don't know." She shrugs. "It doesn't feel good."

My eyes open again, I look to her with a questioning glance. Hm.

"Does your stomach hurt?" Her head shakes no. "Your head?" Again, she says no.

"It doesn't feel good." She repeats again.

I pause, thinking of what she could mean. I've never heard her say something like this.

"What is it baby? Does something feel like it's misplaced?"

She thinks. Ellie lies her head on my pillow. I rub her forehead in hopes that it will calm her down.

"Papà?"

"Yes?"

"How do you know if something bad will happen?"

For a moment, I want to take it as a sign. Then I remind myself she's only a kid and she doesn't know what she's saying.

"You can't ever know for sure. Why? Did something happen?"

"Are there bad guys coming?" I see the worry beneath her eyes.

My breath falters for a moment. "There are bad guys.. but I promise Ellie, they'll never get to you."

"Papà. . . I think the bad guys are coming."

I swallow the nerves clawing at my throat.

"Why do you say that?"

"I heard him say they were."

"Who?" I become more alert. Sitting up. "Who said that Ellie?" I say calmly but with a sense of urgency.

My hand is on my gun under my pillow and I've now become aware that my family isn't here. We successfully got everyone to calm down about our previous situation and we're working separately now. John should be stationed at the start of the hallway with Leon, the man training with John. I have our guards around the gates, twelve. Four at our front entrance and twenty-five on our street.

I need to remind myself that if something were to happen I would've been notified.

It also reminds me, though, that if there were an attack, there would only be six guards closest by.

"I don't know—"

"Ellie when did you hear this?" I can see her starting to get nervous so I speak to her gently.

"Outside..."

"By the gates?"

"When we said bye to nonno."

"Alright, thank you." I breathe out.

My father left hours ago. That leaves a lot of time for this to happen if something will.

I hold Ellie with one hand and grab my phone with the other. Getting ready to alert my family, I tell Ellie she'll be alright and that nothing will happen.

And just as I go to tell her she should go back to bed, I freeze at the sound of the alarm.

My phone turns red at the code, alerting me that one of my guards was just killed.

Faint sounds of gunshots ring through my ears and my eyes follow outside my window. My heart slams through my chest, I hold onto Ellie like she is going to disappear.

"Papà!?" Her voice is panicked. "What's that?" Ellie's voice wobbles with emotion.

"Ellie, I need you to listen to me very carefully. I need you to do exactly as I say, sì?" Her eyes wander frantically, tears bellowing into her eyes. "Sì, Ellie?" I repeat and her head shakes no.

"P-Papà?" She stutters when a gunshot sounds closer than before.

"Ellie, I need to see your brave face."

"What?" She whispers, a tear falling down her cheek.

"Give me the bravest face you can. I need you to be super brave right now. Can you be brave for me?"

I watch as her body starts to shiver. Then, to my relief she nods. "Yes." I wipe her tears quickly and watch as she breathes deep. I watch her collect herself as best as she can.

"Okay.. you need to stay behind me Ellie. I mean it. You need to follow my directions."

"Okay." Ellie's voice breaks but she stays strong.

I pull my gun out from under my pillow and load it with a clip from my nightstand.

"Let's go."

• • •