Adele walked into her bedroom finding Francesco pacing the floor drinking vodka. She closed the door said "The guests are having fun down there with music and drinks O'Neil had arranged. What a surprise. I have never seen so many people dancing. He has hijacked the quiet lunch... He has invited people and has arranged food and entertainment. How long are they staying for?"
Francesco didn't look at her as he took sips from his vodka "Do you want them to leave sweetheart? Just ask Vincenzo to ask them to leave. He knows how to scatter a crowd. I have taught him how..."
Adele smiled as she walked to him "No. I don't want them to leave. But I want you there too... I know O'Neil has gone over the top... I just want to know how long they are staying so I order some more food if they are here till midnight..."
Francesco sighed "They will leave when you want them to leave sweetheart. There is enough food and drinks. We don't need more..."
Adele stood in front of him and reached her hand to his vodka glass "Please. Talk to me... You drink more when you are thinking hard... or something is bothering you. I am worried..."
Francesco let her take the glass. She put it away and looked at him.
Francesco said "Sweetheart... You don't need to worry..."
She said "Then talk to me please." She then reached her hands up and wrapped them around his neck as she leaned close and hugged him. She put her ear on his heart "Your heart beat calms me down... I get worried when you have so much on your mind..."
He kissed the side of her head as she looked up while holding on. He said "I always have so much on my mind..."
She said "What is on your mind now..."
He said "Packing my bags..."
She gasped "What? Where are you going?"
He said "You are coming too... with the kids... All of us are going... I am going to Sicily. I can't tell you the time of the flight. I arrange it last minute for more security... You need to back and be ready to leave."
She frowned "Why are you going to Sicily? Isn't that enough that you gave our son away to your family?"
He said "Sweetheart. I didn't give him away. He chose to take the offer to be the young Don."
She said "He is to young to understand his choices. You should not have let him get exposed to those people."
He said " I was younger than his age when I met you. I knew exactly what I wanted..."
She said "That was the 1950s.... right after the war... We were a different generation. This is the 1980s now... These kids are different."
He said "Vincenzo's destiny always belonged to him. Just like how my Destiny belonged to me after I fought long and hard for it... He needs to fight long and hard to retain what he has or he will lose it. I won't be the one to stop him reach his full potential."
She said "Which is what? Being the big boss ordering around your family business in Sicily ..."
He said "It will be upto him Sweetheart.
She said " Sometimes I wonder ... If I had not met you... I would have been dead... Your uncle would have killed me and my family. But you saved me... Now I am here watching my eldest son in the middle of a conflict. He is back from Sicily. Let him stay here please. Cut back all ties with those people. I always wanted you to build bridges with your family but now that I see them using my child as their leader because Vitale alone is not enough and he is not as respected as you would be or your son would be... I want us away from them... What if they hurt our son? He is back alive. Please don't go back. Please don't take him with you at least if you go back. You want to see the Don before he dies... I hear he is ill but why.... Keep away. We have to stay away to protect our children... Isn't that what you have always been doing? All these years. I know Antonio betrayed you but your father luckily didn't hurt our son. He is alive at least and Antonio has confessed nothing happened to Vincenzo except witnessing some horrific scenes. But our son is like you... He can move on from horrors. He can build a life forgetting your father... So now all that's left is keeping him away from Sicily..."
He said "Sweetheart... I am going out there. I need to see the Don. My mother wishes it. I would have refused if it was years ago but our children are grownup. They can handle it. I know my decision makes no sense to you. Why now? Because I may not get another chance... The Don is dying and my mother wants me to see him. She thinks it will help me make peace. It won't make peace."
Adele said "You don't need to do anything. Stay back... You don't owe anyone anything."
He said "I know... I get to keep her here... My mother will stay... In New York. I don't want her on my father's side... It's killing me..."
Adele looked at him with questioning eyes "What's killing you?"
He said "The fact that my mother still lives with the man and loves the man who hurt me, hurt my brother and also hurt my son too... She is the one standing between me and my father taking his side ... She always has been... It kill me when she sheds tears for him... It hurts Adele. It really does..."
Adele whispered "I am so sorry... Please talk to me... Tell me what you are thinking about what's happened with your father... I want to know your pain."
He spoke slowly in a low tone "You know it all Adele... You know what's happening mostly... You know my past and present... Where do I begin to remind you?... My father punched me and kicked me for mentioning her name. My father once wanted to beat my brother with with a metal rod for crying for her missing her. I saved him every time... I hit him and he hit me back... I don't know how long it lasted... He was never satisfied because I didn't cry. I didn't beg him to stop. I never apologised for cursing at him... He wanted submission. I never gave in and he hit me until he was about to kill me... My mother sheds tears for him. She pleads for the life of a man who hurt me to breaking point. He only stopped when I turned eighteen and was bigger than him. His punches did nothing to me... I overtook his empire and he left to retire when the men listened to me and respected me... He separated you from me forcefully for a decade... That hurt ... We married with him out of our lives and I was lucky you still loved me... Then you gave me a son... He wanted to get close to me through our son. He didn't want to hurt him ... He wanted to get close to me by gaining his trust and exposing him to his way of life to gain sympathy. He failed. Our son has no loyalty to him after knowing that his role model grandfather is a wife beater and domestic abuser... That broke him... When my son wanted him dead he just realised he has lost everything. He only has my mother's loyalty more than any other time as she sees him as a victim now and he also has the respect of the Sicilians who have served his family for generations ... He is losing his ground. But I want him dead. I have waited for him to die. But death is too merciful for him... I want our son to decide his fate... When he is older... I refuse to deny him the right to put his grandfather on the hot seat and question him about his motives... I will let our son choose ... I don't care for my revenge... Saving my son is all that matters to me. By leaving this business unfinished I will expose him to more drama and unnecessary distractions he doesn't need. They will keep coming after him."
She whispered "Like how they have come after you... You never wanted to go back and they knew you wouldn't ever serve them as long as your father was there. But they tried to reach their friendship hand by declaring your son as the heir... How can you allow them to do this?"
He said "Sweetheart. I told you... I won't make my children's choices for them. Otherwise I will be my father. I can't be him. I will be watching over my children like how I always have. But won't stop them..."
Adele said "I am so sorry Francesco. I truly am... But I still think you can't open your wounds by going to Sicily. Stay here... You don't need to prove anything. I know you say you do this for Vincenzo so he can move on... I can imagine it's a shock to him and he is caught in the middle of this family feud that he has just come to know. But I think staying here is the safest option..."
He said "He can be the judge of his options... I won't dictate it to him..."
She took a deep breath "Francesco ... What about my choices? What choices do you grant me?"
He said "What choices do you want sweetheart."
She was just lost in his deep stare. His full attention was on her. He would have done almost anything she asked of him... Almost ... Because when it came to their children, only her wishes didn't come true if it took their choices away in short term or long term. She wished she could speak to Francesco about Tristan but Vienna's choice came first. This wasn't the time to bring up Tristan.
She said "I like to do this..." She then leaned close and kissed his lips.
They stayed together as they were kissing.
Francesco slowly started to run his hands up and down her waist... He pulled away "I love you..." He then lifted her up bridal style and carried her to the bed. He then started undoing his tie as he looked down at her "How long do you want to stay up here? Away from the guests?"
She said "How long do you want? You choose.... You have the choice."
He walked to the door and locked it. He then turned around "Are you sure it's a good idea that you leave it up to me? I may not let you out until tomorrow morning.."
Adele gasped "But this is only lunch time..."
He said "Don't worry sweetheart I can get you food in between." He then laid on top of her on the bed as he put his hands on each side of her and put his weights on his hands. He kissed her long and hard as the tension he was feeling left his body.
Francesco kissed his wife, his first love, the mother of his children like he always did... with passion, deep love and gentleness that only the love of his life got to see. She was in awe of how much love the heart of this man could give one woman and his heart only had a place reserved for her no matter what she did. His love had no bounds and limits for her... His love never changed. The feeling she got when he touched her had not changed over time. She felt the same love and excitement when they were holding each other and looking at each other's eyes as she always did.
Adele believed Francesco deserved happiness but his life was a tragedy. It truly was. Even in moments of peace and triumph the dark shadows of his past gathered around him. It was time he faced the past and dealt with it.