Don Capazzo lay in bed as he looked at his watch, it was early but he had a lot on his mind today. Today was a very important day, a big meeting, maybe one of the biggest in his life and he needed Charlie by his side. He looked over and Charlie was sleeping. Even in her slumber she was the prettiest thing he ever laid his eyes on. Charlie and him had come such a far way in their relationship. From being friends to going out, then dating and moving in with each other, now they were engaged and only a little while away from their wedding. 

Capazzo got out of bed, he put on his boxers and a t-shirt, he leaned over and gave Charlie a kiss on the forehead, just as he had done thousands of times in the past. He gets into the bathroom and begins to brush his teeth. He looks into the mirror and begins to contemplate. He hoped this meeting would go well. 

After a few moments he came out of the bathroom and headed to the kitchen and prepared some coffee. In the meanwhile he started working on the French toast and scrambled eggs for his fiancee and him, it was weird but they both loved their eggs prepared the same way, after a few moments the coffee was finished. Capazzo first poured a cup for Charlie and then another for himself. Once that was taken care of he prepared Charlie's plate with a few pieces of toast and the scrambled eggs. Then for himself. 

Don Capazzo put everything on a tray and slowly and carefully made his way to the bedroom. He looked over at his future bride and she was still sleeping. He set down the tray atop the night stand and then leaned in and gave her a kiss, this time on the lips. She moved around a bit and then finally opened her eyes slowly. Capazzo looked at her, smiled then kissed her once more. He then got the tray of food and held it next to her.

"Rise and shine gorgeous."

He winked at her and smiled.

"It's your breakfast in bed."

Charlie smiled.  She loved waking up to Capazzo's kisses.

The smell of the coffee filled her nostrils and helped her to wake up.  She moved to push herself up into a sitting position being careful not to spill anything in the process.  "You are so good to me.  One of these days I am going to have to return the favor and cook you a meal."  In truth Charlie did not know how to cook to much.  Her mother had tried to teach her, but it never really took.  However, she had never had the proper motivation until now.  Maybe now that she had someone to cook for....

She reached to cup the side of his face and pulled him to her for another kiss.

"You are up and going awful early this morning.  Another busy day?" she asked him.

He relied, "We have some where we need to go."

"Oh?" she replied as she took a bite of toast.  "Where?"

He smiled, "Just eat your breakfast and get ready to go." 

--------

An hour later, Charlie was finishing getting ready in the bathroom as Capazzo cleaned up the breakfast dishes.  Turning the light off she walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen area.  Still having no idea where they were going, she had chosen to wear a peach silk blouse with light gray dress pants.   Around her neck she wore the necklace that Capazzo had given her with his name. 

She reached behind her to slide her .45 into its holster that was attached to the waist band of her pants.  She would conceal it with a coat she was going to wear.  It was so cold these days she had switched to a heavy wool coat to protect her from the icy wind coming off the lake.

"Ok I am ready.  Where are we going?"

30 MINUTES LATER

Capazzo and Charlie were driving down the roads of Chicago in the bosses 1935 Auburn Speedster and headed to Black Bottom, Detroit. Capazzo looked over to his fiancee who wore a a peach silk blouse with light gray dress pants, he himself wore a suit and over it a long coat and black gloves. Chicago was getting colder and colder as December was in its infancy. It was the time of year that the cold rared itself throughout most of the country. He looked over and smiled at Charlie.

"Have I told you today how beautiful you are?"

Charlie smiled and Capazzo playfully grabbed her face. They continued to drive and Charlie's curiosity was getting the better of her. She asked several times where they were going and Capazzo would not budge in telling her the destination. He wanted to surprise her, but more so he wanted to see her reactions. It was a important meeting and how she acted would say a lot. He already knew how it would play out but still he had to do this, there is no way he could move forward without doing this.

"You'll see soon enough Bella, I promise."

Capazzo looked at her and smiled.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER

The couple pulled up to a dreary area. They drove through a pathway and a sign hung up 'BLACK BOTTOM CEMETERY'. Charlie looked puzzled at Capazzo and he held her hand to assure her everything was okay. They drove through the roads until their was a area sectioned off from everyone else. There were three headstones that were bigger and more extravagant then the rest of them. Capazzo drove up and parked right next to the three plots.

"We're here Bella."

Don Capazzo unhooked his seat belt and reached into the back of his car. He had three bouquet of roses and a fedora with a green ribbon. He held the fedora and asked Charlie to hold the roses, with their free hands they held hands and walked toward the burial plots. Once they reached the destination Capazzo stopped and looked up to Charlie.

"This is it."

The tombstones read his step father, mother and uncle's name in that order:

'ANTONIO CAPAZZO' 'GABRIELA CAPAZZO' & 'TONY CAPAZZO'

Charlie let go of his hand so that she could slide her arm around him to hug him from the side.  She squeezed him a bit to give him comfort and support and then smiled at him.  She was glad that they were doing this.  It felt right.  Pulling her arm back she took the three bouquets and gently laid them in front of the tomb stones.  When she was done she stood back up.  Looking back long enough to take Capazzo's hand again she turned back and spoke to his family.

"Hello, my name is Charlene Costa.  I wish I would have had the opportunity to get to know you personally, but Capazzo has told me about each of you.  I know you are all very special to him and so that makes you very special to me.  You would be very proud of the man that he has become.  I know that I am."  Charlie squeezed Cap's hand.

"I love him very much as I know that each of you did as well.  I would be very honored if you would allow me, as his wife, to love on him in your stay."  

Charlie blinked back the tears that threatened to fall and she squeezed Capazzo's hand again before looking at him.

Capazzo stood there shocked, his mouth almost half open. What was he witnessing here? Yes he brought Charlie here so that he could talk to his parents and uncle and show them the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with. Never in a million years would he expect her to be so warm, so open and so caring. 

Before he could even utter a word Charlie was already introducing herself, Capazzo had known it all along but this solidified it. This woman was for him through and through. He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you for that Bella."

He then pointed over to his step father Antonio's grave.

"How are you pop? I know it's been a while since I came and visited you guys. I wish you could see how I've been doing. I have been working hard. I run my own family now in South Side, Chicago. People really seem to like me, I am not the same stupid kid from a a while ago who would always let his anger get the best of him or would always screw up. No, not anymore. Now I think more logical and methodical just like you always told me to do.

Anyway, I met a girl and I am going to marry her. Thank you for setting such a good example of what a man is suppose to do, how a man is suppose to act. You were a great provider, a great father and a great husband. I hope I can do the same for my kids in which you did for me and I truly hope I can do for Charlie what you did for ma. I love ya pop."

Capazzo smiled and then pointed at his mother's tombstone. Her name was Gabriela, or Gaby as everyone called her.

"Ma, I know you always wanted me to find a good girl and bring her home to you all. I really found a good one here ma, she makes me smile everyday and she cares for me probably more then I care for myself. She's really good to me, you would've loved her."

Capazzo leaned in as if he was whispering.

"Cooking is another story....I love you ma and miss you so much." Capazzo looked over to Charlie and winks.

Finally he looks over to his uncle's grave. TonyCapazzo. Although Tony wasn't his real uncle, since Antonio wasn't his real father, Tony meant a lot to Capazzo. Tony had taught him the ropes of being in the mafia life. Capazzo had for long begged him to be part of Tony's Detroit outfit, the original Capazzo Crime Syndicate, but Tony didn't think he was ready at the time. Not only was he ready NOW but he was walking the same lines his uncle did.

"Uncle Tone, I did it, I did it uncle Tony. Everything you taught me stuck with me. I will live and honor your legacy uncle T. I have something for you."

Capazzo laid down the green ribbon fedora next to his uncle's tombstone.

"You and this thing was almost inseparable. It's about time I gave it back to you. Turns out hats really aren't my thing.....Look over me from time to time would you uncle T? Love ya." 

Capazzo looked at all three grave sites then at his future wife. He then once more looked at Charlie, then at his Pop, Ma and uncle Tony.

"Thanks for doing this with me today Bella."

Charlie kissed his check with such care and devotion.  "Thank you for allowing me this privilege to meet them."  She smiled at him her eyes filled with so much love.

"You know.  They really would be proud of you.  I am certain of it."  She slide her arm back around him and held him.  In this moment she found herself feeling closer to him than she had ever felt before.  This was exactly where she wanted to be.  By Capazzo's side every step of the way.  Partners in everything.  Through it all.  For richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to death do they part.