Highschool

THIRD PERSON

To: Marini, Vito

Cc: Marini, Domenico

Subject: Request for Extension of Curfew for a Special Evening Outing

Dear Mr. Marini,

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to inform you of a slight change in the plans I had previously discussed with you regarding the potencial date with Josephine. Originally, I had intended to spend the evening in a more conventional manner; however, I have come across a unique and rather extraordinary opportunity that I would love to share with Josephine.

There is currently a special plant exhibition being held at the botanical gardens in Newfolk, where they are showcasing a rare flower that only blooms at night. The timing of this event would allow us to experience the blooming in its full, stunning glory, and I believe it would be a truly memorable experience for Josephine, since she can held an own exhibition in her room.

Given the nature of the event, it will extend beyond the usual curfew time. With your kind permission, I would like to request an extension of the curfew for the evening to allow us to fully enjoy the exhibition. I will, of course, ensure that Josephine is safely escorted home as promptly as possible after the event concludes.

I sincerely hope this request is not too much of an inconvenience, and I would be most grateful for your understanding and consideration. Should you have any questions or concerns, I am more than happy to discuss them at your convenience.

Thank you very much for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you.

Warm regards, Luke Hastings

Vito leaned back in his chair, a flicker of amusement crossing his face as he glanced over at Domenico, who was holding his phone with a perplexed expression. "Why am I only in Cc?" Domenico asked, raising an eyebrow.

Vito's lips twitched in the smallest of smiles, a sign he was trying to contain a reaction. He could already sense the familiar undercurrent of tension in Domenico's voice. "I believe Luke intended to speak with you privately," Vito replied casually, though the look in his eyes suggested otherwise. "Maybe he values your opinion on matters of this nature more than mine."

Domenico narrowed his eyes, sensing the teasing tone. "Ha. Very funny, Vito. So you're telling me he didn't think I'd have something to say about Josephine going out late at night?"

Vito let out a quiet laugh, more a soft exhale than a true chuckle. "No, Nico, I think he knows you'd probably say no straight away. Maybe it's best that he sent it to me first."

Domenico's gaze dropped back to his phone, rereading Luke's email with an even deeper furrow in his brow. "A rare flower that only blooms at night? Really? How convenient." He scoffed, leaning back in his seat. "What a way to state a demand disguised as a polite question." Vito remained silent for a moment. Domenico was right, in some ways. Luke's email was carefully worded, but there wasn't even one question mark. "What's our move here, Vito? We still let him take her out, or do we put our foot down?"

Vito set his phone down on the table, finally shifting his posture, his hands steepled together in front of him, the familiar gesture that signaled his focus. He stared at Domenico for a moment, considering his brother's question carefully. "It is a good idea, we have to give him that," Vito said slowly, his tone measured, almost reluctant. "And I am sure she would be thrilled to see it. The exhibition sounds fascinating, and the idea of a rare flower blooming at night—it's the kind of thing Josephine would love." He paused, his gaze drifting as if he were picturing the scene in his mind. "And changing the security shouldn't be that much of a trouble."

Domenico nodded. "I'll let J know. Are you gonna talk with the boys?" he changed the topic.

Vito sighed. "You can do it if you want to."

"Hell no." He laughed, standing up. "Have fun, brother."

Vito watched his brother laugh and stand up, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. Domenico always knew how to make things feel a bit lighter, even in moments like this. Still, Vito couldn't help but roll his eyes at the way Domenico had deflected the responsibility.

"You're lucky I'm the one who has to do it," Vito muttered with a grin as Domenico waved him off and exited the room.

Vito took a deep breath, leaning back in his chair for a moment, letting his mind work through the conversation ahead. He could already picture Matteo and Riccardo's reactions—Matteo would be pragmatic, wanting to hear all the facts, while Riccardo would likely have an opinion formed before he even heard the whole story. Grabbing his phone once more, he shot a quick text to both Matteo and Riccardo.

Vito [9:02 p.m.] Would you mind to come into my office?

Matteo [9:03 p.m.] k

Vito [9:03 p.m.] What are you going to do with all the time you saved with that message?

Riccardo [9:03 p.m.] 👍

Vito [9:04 p.m.] Nevermind.

He chuckled quietly to himself, but the laughter quickly faded as the reality of the situation settled back in. No, this wouldn't be a simple chat. He could already picture Matteo's pragmatic approach, and Riccardo's gut reaction, which would be formed long before he even had the full story.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in," Vito called, not bothering to look up from his phone as he sent a final message to both brothers, trying to prepare himself mentally for the storm to come. The door creaked open, and the two brothers entered. Matteo was the first one in, his usual nonchalance masking the tension in his shoulders. Riccardo followed close behind, his jaw set and eyes dark. It was clear that neither had come to this meeting ready for compromise. Vito straightened in his chair as they took their seats across from him. Riccardo didn't waste time. He was already leaning forward, arms crossed over his chest.

"What's going on, Vito?" he asked, his voice tight. "You're being way too calm about all this."

Matteo raised an eyebrow but didn't interject. He was waiting for the full explanation, something Vito was grateful for. At least one of them was willing to listen. Vito exhaled slowly, folding his hands in front of him on the desk. "I don't think you're seeing the full picture here, Riccardo."

Riccardo's brow furrowed. "What do you mean? He's got a reputation. He's not the kind of guy I'd want around Josie. And you know what can happen when you mix popularity with a lack of responsibility."

Vito held up a hand, cutting him off. "I'm not saying he's perfect. Far from it. But you're not giving Josephine enough credit. She's not a little girl anymore. She's made up her mind. And we need to respect that."

Riccardo opened his mouth to argue, but Matteo finally spoke up, leaning forward, his arms casually resting on the table. "I get what you're saying, Vito. But you've got to admit that Riccardo's got a point. Luke's not exactly a saint. We just don't want her to get hurt."

Vito nodded, appreciating Matteo's measured approach. He had always been the more pragmatic one. "I agree. I'm not saying we just let her go without saying anything. But you need to see why it is important for her to have those kind of experiences."

Riccardo scowled, frustration boiling over in his expression. "She's my sister. You really think I'm just supposed to stand by and let some kid who doesn't even know her history take her out like it's no big deal? What if something happens?"

Vito's voice was steady, though it carried an undeniable edge. "Do you honestly think she doesn't know what she's doing? She's been through enough in her life to know the difference between a good decision and a bad one. And if she chooses wrong, we're here to pick her up. That's our job as her brothers. But it's her choice to make."

Riccardo opened his mouth, but Matteo cut in again, his tone calmer now. "But what if she has a panic attack? What if he triggers her, intentionlly or not?"

There was a pause as Vito looked between his brothers. Riccardo's jaw was still tight, his expression unwilling to let go of the protective instinct, while Matteo had settled back into his chair, arms folded, deep in thought.

"I know this isn't easy," Vito said, his voice softer now. "Hell, it's not easy for me either. But she needs to learn that not everyone in this world is bad." He paused. "The last thing we want is for her to start hiding things from us because she doesn't feel like we trust her."

Matteo sat back, his eyes narrowing slightly as he considered Vito's words. He wasn't convinced, but there was a flicker of understanding in his gaze, as if he were weighing the situation in a way he hadn't before. Riccardo, however, wasn't ready to back down. His arms were still crossed tightly over his chest, his expression a mixture of skepticism and worry.

"You're talking about trust," Riccardo said, his voice low but intense. "But trust goes both ways. We can't just let her take these risks without knowing that she's fully aware of the potential consequences. What if something happens that she's not prepared for? You can't just be like, 'Oh, it's her decision, let's hope for the best.'" He leaned forward again, his eyes narrowing. "And don't tell me you don't think about what could happen. We both know she's been through enough already. This could just open up old wounds."

Vito met Riccardo's gaze, unwavering. "I think about it all the time, Riccardo. But you're forgetting something important. Josephine's healing. She's growing, and she needs to experience the world in all its messiness. She's never going to move forward if we keep her sheltered and treat every step like it's a landmine. She deserves to live. Not just survive."

There was a long, tense silence in the room. Riccardo opened his mouth to speak again, but Matteo spoke up first, his voice quieter now. "But we wouldn't be there."

Vito glanced over at Matteo, surprised by the shift in his brother's tone. Matteo had always been the one to analyze things logically, never one to let his emotions take over. But now there was a hint of something deeper in his voice, a concern that mirrored Riccardo's. That was the heart of the issue. They wouldn't be there.

"You're not wrong," Vito said, his voice steady. "I can't deny that. If something happens—if she needs us—then we need to be there. But if we suffocate her with our own fear, if we hold her back from living... how can we expect her to grow? It's like keeping a bird in a cage. Yeah, it's safe, but it never learns to fly."

Riccardo let out a frustrated breath, the tension still thick in his shoulders. "I get the analogy, but she's not some bird, Vito. She's our sister. You don't just let your sister go out into the world on her own, especially when she's been through what she's been through. She needs us. We can't just sit back and let her go off with some guy who—"

"Who what?" Vito cut in, his voice sharper now. He leaned forward, eyes intense. "I know you two don't like him and I know you guys have some diffrences. But can you name me any other reason despite your own dislike which indicates a risk for her? Did he beat someone? Did he raped someone? Is he a liar? Does he do drugs? Is he reckless in a way it would opose a risk for her?"

Riccardo's face tightened at Vito's words, his jaw visibly clenching as the questions landed like sharp blows. He opened his mouth to respond, but the words stuck in his throat for a moment, as if he knew Vito was right in demanding specifics. He had no concrete evidence to support his gut feeling—nothing that would justify blocking Josephine's decision based purely on his dislike for Luke. His gaze locked with Vito's, his voice low but heavy with frustration. "No, he hasn't done any of that. But that doesn't mean I trust him, Vito. People have a way of hiding their true selves, and—"

"And Josephine has her way of reading people," Vito interrupted, his tone more forceful now. "She knows when something's off. You think she'd go out with someone she doesn't trust? We're talking about a girl who's been through hell and back. If she thought for a second Luke was a threat to her, she wouldn't even consider it. And you know that."

Riccardo's face remained taut, the frustration clear in the lines of his jaw. His lips pressed together tightly, his fists clenched in a subtle sign of tension. But Vito's words landed somewhere deep, causing him to hesitate just for a moment. His grip on his own emotions was slipping, and the urge to protect Josephine, to shield her from any potential hurt, seemed to intensify by the second. He opened his mouth, as if ready to speak, but paused, unwilling to acknowledge the validity in Vito's assessment.

"And if she needs help?" Matteo asked, his voice cutting through the thick air. His eyes were fixed on Vito, calm but laced with concern.

Vito's gaze shifted briefly, as if he was weighing how much of the truth to share, but his decision was swift. He leaned forward, his words deliberate. "There will be seven guards around her, Matteo. If anything happens, one will take care of her, while one will drive her home, two will be taking care of Luke, and the other three would clear the scene." He let the weight of his words settle before adding, "We're not leaving anything to chance."

Matteo's brow furrowed slightly. "So you don't trust him, too?" he asked, his tone more neutral now, but still searching for clarity. He wasn't sure whether he was more confused by Vito's preparedness or the fact that it seemed as if Vito had already made peace with the situation.

Vito's expression didn't shift, but his eyes held a quiet certainty. "I didn't say that," he replied, voice unwavering. "But trust isn't the issue here. It's about being prepared. She's going out with him, and we're making sure that no matter what happens, she's safe. That's what matters."

There was a long pause. Riccardo clenched his jaw, eyes narrowing as he weighed the implications of Vito's plan. "And what about the rule?" he asked, his voice thick with a mix of challenge and disbelief. "The one you made, Vito. The one about her not dating until she's forty-five. What happened to that?"

Vito sat back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest as he looked at Riccardo with a mixture of calm and resolve. His lips curved slightly, the faintest trace of a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, but it was a bittersweet expression. "The hardest part of being the eldest isn't making the rules," he said slowly. "It's knowing when to let go."