Marie went into the laundry room to make sure there was nothing in the wash that Lucky would need in Detroit.  The maid did there laundry every third day so there was not to much looking she had to do.  Picking up one of his jacket's she lifted it and examine it for any stains.  As she did she noticed a hole in the sleeve.  She cocked her head and stuck her finger through the hole. 

Just then the maid came in with the hamper from their room in preparation of doing the wash.  She saw the hole and exclaimed, "Forgive ma'am.  I did not see that earlier.  I shall mend it up for Mr. Luciano."

Marie looked at the Maid.  "Where did this come from?"  

"It was the oddest thing, ma'am.  I found it under Miss Isabella's bed this morning while sweeping and she taking a shower."

The maid sat the hamper down and then took the jacket to go mend it.  Marie followed her out and when to go see Isabella.  When she arrived at the young woman's door.  She knocked on the closed door.  "Isabella?"

Isabella heard the Godmother's voice and instantly raced over to her record player to turn it off before calling out, "Come in!"  Her voice was happy, youthful, and full of the enthusiasm that only the young can have on the eve of a big new venture.

She smiled at Marie coming into the room and turned back to her dresser where she was pulling out clothing to put into her suitcase.  "I have to say, moving out of your house is a MUCH bigger chore than moving in... thanks to Dad."  She chuckled.  "I didn't have half so many clothes before I came here to Chicago."

She put the slacks into the suitcase and stopped to look at Marie, "What can I do for you today?"

Marie smiled at the energy of the young woman.  They were not that far off in age, yet Marie felt ancient next to her.  

Marie leaned against the door frame a bit,  "I wanted you to know that the maid is mending your father's jacket that got damaged the other night."  She gauged the woman's response.

Isabella's face betrayed her instantly.  Her eyes darted to the bed where she'd left the jacket, her mouth gaped slightly, her brow furrowed and then a moment later she pushed it away.  She tried to play it off as nothing, when clearly it was anything but, "Oh... good.  I ... I should have gotten that to someone right away when we got back.  I'm sorry that I didn't, but at least it's being taken care of."

She turned back to her dresser and began gathering up clothes again, "I'm pretty sure he didn't even know it was ripped so, you know, it's probably good you got someone fixing it up.  I'm sure he'll be glad to have it back."

Marie stepped on into the room and closed the door behind her, but she stayed there so as not to make the woman feel any more cornered than she must already feel.  "Isabella..." Marie gently prodded softly and then allowed the awkward silence between them do the rest of the work.  She had to be very gentle with this.

Isabella sighs and sits on the edge of her bed, her shoulders sink slightly.

"Dad doesn't know about the hole. I'd appreciate you don't tell him about it... or that had the jacket because... it's... it's from a bullet."  Her voice cracks a little.  "Marie, I'm so sorry... this is the last thing you need to hear about in your condition.  I was suppose to watch his back and instead he was inches away from..."

Her voice trails off as she seems to be unwilling to say her fears out loud, even though it's very clear, she's worried for Lucky.

Marie went to sit next to the woman and she reached out to cover her hand gently for reassurance.  "My first husband, Luca, died during a war while he fought to protect our family.  It was something that was very hard for me to deal with especially when your father and I started to develop feelings for each other.  I was so frightened and when I get frightened I have a tendency to run.  However, I was a brand new CL in LA and it was impossible for me to run from your father so I sent him away instead.  I sent him to the old country to help my father with a situation.   I hoped that if I sent him away I would somehow protect myself from the pain of losing another person I cared about." 

Marie suddenly thought it might not be a good idea to tell her all the details of this story so she tried to sum it up to get to her point.  "To make a long story short, I did not just do this to your father once, but twice.  The last time I ran from him it was towards a very powerful man, a godfather who held much respect and sway.  I thought surely he was a man I could risk opening myself up to because he was so very well protected and secure in his place of power.  If anyone could survive this life it would be him." 

Marie looked at Isabella.  "In the end he too fell.  All of his power, his protection, his sway... it could not save him from the price that all men and women must one day pay."  She squeezed the young woman's hand gently.  "What we do is dangerous.  Most of us will not live to see a ripe old age, but everyone dies eventually.  It doesn't made if they are a mobster or a seamstress.  Death is a part of life.  When Godfather RomanReigns died I discovered something that has changed my life completely."

Marie removed her hand from Isabella's.  "When I was constantly focused on death it was impossible to live," Marie shook her head and continued, "and if I was not living I might as well be dead.  So I had a choice to make.  I could go on living a life of fear and letting it rule my every decision or I could choose to actually focus on living the life I had and living every moment to its fullest.  I lost so much time with your father to fear.  That is time I can never get back with him and I deeply regret that, but I refuse to allow it to steal any more time away from us."

"So..."  She says thoughtfully, "It would be your advice that I seize the moment and indulge in all the happiness that life brings my way - not in spite of the chance of loss, but because of it?"  Isabella did see the sense in what she was saying, but it was hard to imagine just putting aside her fear. 

"It's just, my father is all the family I have left in this world - well - I suppose you and the little guy will be soon too."  She looks at Marie's stomach and smiles.  Then she sighs.  That was, after all, a whole other ball of wax on her mind lately.

"I thought losing my mother was the hardest thing I ever experienced, but at least I had Dad here for me.  In Vegas I was suppose to be watching his back, helping protect him, and despite everything he still managed to come so close to dying."  She shakes her head.  "I have no idea what the hell I'd do without him here or what would become of me."

"What draws some many of us to this way of life is the comradery we feel for each other.  We truly are a family.  Not necessarily a blood family, but one that can often times be every bit as strong as a blood tie."

Marie patted her hand, "Live the life you have today.  You can deal with tomorrow when it comes knowing that you will never be alone again.  We have each other and we will always have each other."

Isabella leaned over and kissed Marie's cheek.  "Thank you for the advice."  She said softly.  "I am glad that you and my father found each other.  You're a good and kind soul and I'm glad to know you."