Page 82 of Mila: The Godfather

Blue Butterfly

RIAGAN

“His laugh is my favorite melody.” – M

I don’t remember the precise moment my obsession with butterflies started. All I really remember is my mother always wearing a butterfly brooch on special occasions. A gift from her mother. I found out later from my father.

I guess my young mind held onto that one little detail of my mother in a desperate attempt not to forget her. Not that I ever could.

She’s everywhere.

In the stars, in the wind. Hell, in every beat of my heart.

As I grew older, I began to see those damn butterflies everywhere. The pretty blue ones would appear whenever I was having a shitty day all through the most recent one. On the day Da revealed his battle with a disease that is threatening to take him from me, a butterfly appeared out of fucking nowhere.

Fuck.

I can’t lose him too.

Funny how I haven’t thought about the shit that awaits me back in Philly once since arriving here with the girl currently looking like a mythical creature in her long white summer dress that’s almost see-through and her wild curls falling around her face, free of any make-up.

Tonight, she looks like an angel.

My angel, to be precise.

Here in my space, surrounded by exotic flowers and wild butterflies.

“You know… I am starting to believe this is all a figment of my imagination. I think all those romance books I’ve read have made me lose touch with reality.” Mila laughs softly. Her laugh is sweet and melodic. I noticed her cheeks have turned rosy. I find it endearing.

She also needs to understand that nothing about us is a dream. Nothing.

She’s done dreaming.

Done experiencing life through her sister’s eyes.

From now on, there’s no need for her to just dream.

All her wishes, goals, and aspirations will become a reality.

Stepping closer to where she’s standing, frozen at the threshold of this small glass house in the back of the main mansion. “It’s real, sweetheart.” As real as you and me.

The sound of my voice seems to have startled her, making me think she spaced out and forgot I was here with her. I’ve noticed she does that a lot. When she finds something fascinating or when she gets bored and uninterested in the subject at hand, she loses herself somewhere inside her head.

I find that I don’t mind it. Not one bit.

“Sometimes it’s difficult for me to discern reality since I’ve been hoping and dreaming for so long.” Mila moves around, touching everything in her path as if she’s making sure she’s here and it’s not a dream.

Her words hit me like an arrow straight to the heart. Not an arrow, no. Something more painful, like a fucking ax.

“You’re here.” I clear my throat once before speaking again. “You’re here with me.” I don’t take my eyes off her and wait for her reaction. A small smile. That’s all she gives me.

And that’s all I really need.

While I was having the beach mansion remodeled, I made sure to have a butterfly conservatory added next to the garden. It’s more like a glass house. One that cost me a pretty penny.

I used to mock some of my men for acting pussy-whipped over women, but I gave a whole other meaning to the word. I’ve been slowly changing my entire goddamn life for her.

I’ve never really been a holy man, not really.

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