Page 30 of Don't Let Go

“Umm… I don’t know how to answer that.” Did she mean this moment? This day? This lifetime?

She wiped her brow with the back of her hand. “I mean with school, with Paolo, with… everything.” She motioned toward herself and the backyard.

I knew what she meant. Was I happy with my life how it was? If I enjoyed living the mafia lifestyle.

“It’s not a bad life.” I scrubbed the crack some more before tossing my sponge into the water. I looked at my nails. Both pinkies were ruined, and three more nails were chipped. “Not a great life for the fingernails, though,” I tried to make light of the subject.

She offered me a hand up. I took it, brushing off the back of my pants.

“I’m serious.” She grabbed the bucket and poured it into the pool. “Do you know what tonight’s meeting is about?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I haven’t heard anything. Just that Paolo wants me by his side.”

“I was afraid of that.” She walked over to the pool controls and hit some buttons, making the pool drain.“ Tonight’s meeting is about expanding the business. It’s thriving here in Arizona. They want to tap you, Aurora.”

My eyebrows pushed together in confusion. “Tap me?”

She sighed, staring up toward the sky. The sun was setting, turning the sky cotton candy pink with orange highlights around the clouds. “Yes. They want you to be more involved. I think you’re too young, but since you’re with Paolo, many think it’s a great idea.”

“What does this have to do with Paolo?”

She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, trying to figure out how she wanted to string her words together.“ There’s a rumor that the boss sees a lot of potential in Paolo and wants to give him more responsibility. Because you’re with him, they think you need to prove your worth to the family even more.”

I swallowed, but it did nothing for the growing lump in my throat. Is Paolo rising in the ranks already? Did they want to test my loyalty? This was all happening faster than I imagined. I thought they’d look to Paolo when he graduated high school. I prayed I’d be out of dodge before they thought of me being worthy of anything.

My mouth was as dry as a desert. “I… I don’t know what to say.”

The pool gurgled as the water washed away. I stumbled toward the porch to lean against a wooden beam. Mamma wiped her hands on her jeans and placed them on my shoulders. “I want you to make your mark in this world. You can do that here with us, in this line of work, or you can break away and find a newpath. I’ll support you either way.” She cupped my chin, tipping my head back so I could look into her eyes. “But you need to decide quickly. The mafia isn’t forgiving if you flee, but since you’re young and not a true member, you still have a choice. Whereas I’ll always be stuck here if I like it or not.”

Did she truly feel stuck? Did my mamma want a new life if she could have one? I never knew she thought about these things.

I licked my lips. “I don’t want this life,” I whispered.

She kissed my forehead. “Then fiore mio, you need to find an escape plan fast.”

“How?” I felt dumbstruck, my whole life was pulled out from under me like a rug.

She walked to the pool pump and turned it off. “

“I’m sorry, but that’s for you to figure out,” she said, her apology hanging in the air, leaving me confused. “Now, let’s finish this and get to that meeting.”

While we washed and cleansed the inside of the pool, my mind raced. What was I going to do? How could I get away from Paolo? I wanted to wait until high school was over and let the distance from going to college crush our relationship. Now, I needed a whole new game plan, and I needed it fast.

“Let’s go get ready,” Mamma said, leaving the keys on the counter. She nodded at the two pool guys who walked through the gate past us. They were also in the family,and they oversaw the pool operated like normal, and refilled with water.

I shadowed my mamma quietly. Tonight was too soon to come up with a plan. I’d have to stay sharp and not agree to do anything I couldn’t get out of. Once the pressure of this night passed, I’d critically think about my way out of the mafia and toward a better way of life. I hoped Paolo wouldn’t retaliate when I made my exit, causing more harm to my loved ones.

15

Tyler

After picking my car up from the body shop, Iris finally responded. We agreed to meet at our favorite pizzeria in downtown Scottsdale. It was a quiet place with jar lighting pieces hanging from the ceiling, vintage movie posters hung on the walls with most of them signed, and an outside patio so you could vape and play some hacky sack or air hockey.

The place was packed tonight. I was lucky enough to snag a decent table within view of the waiters but not near the restrooms or the doors that brought in a draft.

All that was missing was Iris.

She's already ten minutes late. That's unlike her. Especially since this place wasn’t too far from her house. I kept checking my phone for an update, but it always told me the same thing. Her last message claimed she was on her way.

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