Page 123 of Arianna

Me: And you are full of shit. I think we both can agree on that.

Brat: TTYL ??

Me: What the fuck does that mean?

TTYL?

Me: Open a dictionary, Arianna. You’ll be surprised with how many words there are.

Brat: Get with the times, Senator Kenton. It might help you get the young vote… ??

Little shit.

Smiling to myself, I type a quick reply.

Me: See you soon, darling.

Three dots appear on screen for a couple of seconds before she her text message appears.

Brat: Until then, tyrant.??

Never has she sent a heart icon.

Fuck me…

With a smile on my face, I enter the building with a new purpose.

One that sets my soul on fire.

ARIANNA

21 Candles

“He feels like daylight after

a lifetime of nights.” – A

“It’s not much, but…” An eleven-year-old Kadra whispers so no one outside the door can hear her, just loud enough for her eldest sister, the birthday girl to. Kadra holds a burnt pancake up to her sister Arianna, with sadness written all over her face, while their youngest sister, Mila, looks proud while holding up a drawn cake colored in all shades of blues. “It burned while I was trying to keep a lookout for father's guards. Nonna was supposed to bring you a real cake, a chocolate one, like the type we see in that TV commercial, remember? I don't know what happened, but she didn't show up.” The middle sister whispers worriedly.

“I am sure everything is fine. Something must've come up. Don’t worry.” Arianna whispers back while holding the plate with the birthday pancake in one hand and Mila’s cake drawing in the other, smiling at her little sisters. “And this is so much better than chocolate cake.” She hates lying to her sisters, but today she does. To keep them from worrying about their grandmother, who never misses a scheduled visit, and to not break their hearts for not being able to give their big sister a cake.

None of that matters to the eldest Parisi sister.

Not really.

All she cares about is that her sisters are in that moment with her and not hurt.

Their parents don’t celebrate their daughters’ birthdays, not in the way all loving parents do. On the day their children were born. Like today.

December 23rd.

Gabriele and Milena Parisi celebrate on the day it is most convenient for them, and they only go to the trouble of throwing a big celebration to keep up appearances amongst the other families.

The Volpe and Nicolasi families, among other business associates.

And even then, the girls don’t get to eat cake because, in their mother’s words, sugar is for ugly girls. Girls who don’t care about their appearance and don’t wish to find a suitable husband.

Arianna Parisi wishes she could be free to tell her mother what she thinks about her judgmental, old-school, and downright offensive ideals.

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