There were so many options for Calimero and what he could do today, but he felt that maybe today was a good time to just go out and do a few things that he needed to do. There would always be work to get done for the family whether he took care of it today or got back to it tomorrow. As was the life of a man who served so high up in the ranks of a mafia family. So although it was a bit of a rainy day he still wanted to take care of a few errands and then make his way over to the park.

He was about to open the front door of his house with his umbrella ready to spring into action and he decided to take one more glance at his list of errands...

Things to do:

Pick up dry cleaning

Check local flower shop for new items

Pick up cash from Butcher Shop

Drop off Financials Book at Ivory Tower

Grocery Shopping

Well....he had picked up his dry cleaning yesterday so that was done. The groceries could wait till tomorrow as he could probably just eat out tonight rather than worry about buying anything. With that settled, he crossed off "Grocery Shopping" and opened the door. The rain was coming down somewhat heavily so he made sure to open his umbrella quickly before fully stepping outside. He didn't want to get his new suit soaked with water.

The flower shop wasn't far from his own place of business in Detroit and then he would just have to make his way to the Ivory Tower in order to get to his office. The financials book he kept in the safe of his mini-Casino would need to be checked over this week in order to make sure nobody was skimming off the top. So either he'd take care of it in a day or two, or have somebody else do the work for him. Hopefully he wouldn't have to be arranging a funeral for anyone this week. He just wanted to find a few flowers or seeds today to ship to his business in Seattle and then eventually get to the park.

After a few blocks he finally spotted the flower shop, which made him happy as he would be able to finally get out of the rain. Plus his butcher shop was just around the corner. As he entered the shop a little bell connected to the door jingled alerting the owner to his presence. The old Italian man smiled and shouted, "Calimero! How are you!?"

The man's accent was thick, but he was always making an effort to learn English as he viewed America as a melting pot where people could embrace each others culture including their language. The man's name was Teodoro, a friendly man who enjoyed sharing his love of flowers and gardening with others. Calimero had thought of moving a flower shop to Detroit until he met this man, he could not in good conscience do that and hurt this mans livelihood. 

"Do you have anything new for me Teodoro? Anything that I've not yet bought from you?" Calimero smiled as he asked. 

Almost every time he came here, Teodoro had a new flower, vegetable, or tool for Calimero. This time though, the question caused the old man to act a bit nervous and reserved as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I....uh...well...I do not." The man seemed to be avoiding eye contact. 

"What is wrong Teodoro? How is it that the man with all the connections and love of gardening has nothing new this week?" Calimero was truly confused.

"Well, you see. I had a shipment of supplies stolen this week. I do not know who would do such a thing, but essentially I do not have anything new for you. I am so sorry Calimero." He seemed genuinely worried and upset.

"Do not worry Teodoro, all is okay. I shall look into it for you. As for now, take this to help out with any losses you may have suffered." Calimero pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket. Flipping through it he counted out $100....$170......$360....and finally $500. 

He placed it on the counter and Teodoro almost broke out in tears, "Grazie Calimero, GRAZIE!"

"It is nothing my friend. I will figure out what happened. That I promise you. Although it may not be quick, I will do my best to help you out in the very near future." Again Teodoro thanked him and Calimero left the shop.

Although he wasn't expecting to start the day with a loss of $500, he was happy to help the old man and his flower shop. Now on to the Butcher Shop. After a quick paced walk around the corner he found himself inside the Butcher Shop and heading through it to the door in the back. Up the stairs he went with a few quick steps, skipping a step or two as he went. It was lively upstairs and he was able to easily slip into his office unnoticed. After a few turns of the dial, he was able to open the safe hidden in the wall of his office behind a painting of the Italian countryside. Inside he found a notebook and decided he would take $200,000 out of the safe as well. Once it was all inside a briefcase he was on his way downstairs and out of the shop to head over to the Ivory Tower...

He wasn't feeling much like walking so he decided that he would hail a cab and spend the rest of this trip off his feet....

It was most certainly the better choice as he was getting a bit tired walking in the rain at the moment. The cab pulled up to curb not far off from the Ivory Tower, so he would still have a bit of a walk. With the briefcase in one hand and the umbrella in the other he made the trip up to the Ivory Tower Headquarters where his office was. Once inside he decided to quickly drop off his things and then dry off a bit by the fireplace. As he sat there he drank some water and read a few pages from a book he had picked up about Native American culture which he had recently been interested in since some discussions with Apache.

At that moment he heard the front door open and in came Vela, one of the other members of the Ivory Tower, she was dressed quite nicely today and for some reason she grabbed his attention the moment she came inside. She also had a similar idea and came over to dry off and warm up by the fire. 

He couldn't help but have a goofy smile appear on his face, "Hello Vela, how are you doing today? I know this is a bit random..."He paused as an odd sensation of anxiety washed over him, "Well you see, I was planning on taking a trip to the park today. I was wondering if you'd be interested in accompanying me. I know it is rainy, but it will keep others from going and allow for a chance to just be surrounded by nature and get away from the noise of the city." 

He wasn't sure what she would say in response, but he was hoping it would involve a yes....

Tick. 

Tock.

Vela’s mouth twitched as she watched the hour hand on the clock that hung high on the wall hit six. It was very early in the morning, and Vela wasn’t having it. She hadn’t slept for two days now doing God knows what, and she was sure that the dark circles under her eyes were crystal clear to anyone passing by. She was seated on a stool by the bar counter, patiently waiting for her daily dose of caffeine, knowing that it only made her more sleepy than awake. Vela widened her eyes, before rubbing them intensely. The lady behind the counter seemed to notice her distress, and she stood in front of her in a curious manner.

“You look terrible, hun. Haven’t you been sleeping?” She coaxed, one hand on her hip and the other holding an olive green, vintage kettle.

The woman gently smiled back at her, which gave Vela a sense of comfort.

“I…” She paused, being a bit taken aback that someone had approached her so casually, and started the basis of the conversation with her wellbeing.

“When you have insomnia, you’re never really asleep, but you’re never really awake. I guess that’s the best way I could put it.” Vela replied in haste, avoiding eye contact.

The woman shook her head, and began to pour Vela’s coffee from the kettle into a blue, polka dot, and floral decorated cup. Vela’s eyes suddenly lit up and she straightened her posture. She cleared her throat before she would begin to speak again. 

“Heh.. Thanks.” Vela acknowledged, nodding in the lady’s direction before she picked up the antique cup and brought it up to her lips. “After this, I’m ready to sleep.” She continued, exhaling deeply from her nose as the warm liquid ran down her throat. Vela thought about the day ahead of her, and she wondered how long she would last until she would fall asleep standing up. It was getting pretty close to that, it seemed, as her eyelids started to get droopy. “Go home, hun.” Vela was alarmed by the voice, and she quickly opened her eyes to realize the lady was still in front of her, staring intently. A blush crept up on Vela’s cheeks as she pursed her lips. She set the cup down from her mouth, and frustratingly ran a hand through her bangs. “Can’t. Work…” Vela glanced at the clock above the wall behind the lady, and it was the perfect time to head back to the headquarters now. She only came here first to get the coffee so she was set to go. “Eh okay. Gotta go. Can’t thank you enough for the coffee. Cya.” Vela took a couple more sips of her drink before she rose from her seat and waved goodbye to the kind lady. 

Early mornings at The Ivory Tower offices seemed to be the worst part of the day for Vela. She was usually cranky, and overall irritated at everything. It’s not that the people were bothering her, but it was more so that she was annoyed at herself for being so dumb to not sleep the night before. Vela envied those who could sleep like a baby during the nights. Often she was struck by late night thinking. Self-deprecating thoughts would enter her mind in the evenings and not go away until peak hour. It was bad for her mental health as she felt like she could snap any minute and turn bonkers. It didn’t surprise her when she accidentally trapped her thumb as she closed the door of her vehicle. She was stupid enough to leave her thumb on the area where the door would obviously hit, to which she reacted to by a painful groan.

“Please, why me!? Why why why!” She mentally slapped herself, blowing cool air on her thumb, and hugging it to her chest like it was going to run away.

Vela groaned one more time as she closed the door again, properly. As she entered the vicinity where some of the members would be, her eyes landed on the newest right hand man of the family, someone who she never really spoke to before. 

She knew she couldn’t get out of this. There seemed to be no one else in the office, since no one really came at this time. Especially in the mornings. Usually people would start popping up at 8 or 9. Vela gulped, approaching the man who was sitting by the fireplace. She suddenly felt extremely self-conscious, knowing that her hair and clothes was probably drenched from the pouring rain outside. There was an amused expression on his face, and it almost made Vela  break out a smile too, but she was too lazy so she settled for a wave. She walked up to him carefully, looking down at the ground shyly. Few seconds after, she was greeted by an invitation to the park, and there was a sort of desperation in his voice. She was flustered to say the least, but who was she to deny an offer like this? Vela turned her head to the glass windows, as the sounds of the rain splattering against the windows came to her ears. She looked back at Calimero, finally returning a smile. She was feeling adventurous, a sort of euphoric feeling because she was only on a tiny amount of sleep- and that was days ago. Vela’s shyness was heightened as she stood in front of Calimero, his presence which seemed to distract her from the fact that she was losing track of time. Maybe a walk in the rain was what she really needed? No, play it safe. She thought to herself. 

“Do you have another umbrella?” She beamed.

The question caught him a bit off guard, but he realized that it was a yes. Although she seemed to almost dance right around it with a bit of slyness. This made his chuckle and feel a bit more eager to go on this adventure with her. This had sparked a bit more courage in him lowering that odd feeling of anxiety, but from his next set of words you'd not have guessed it...

"Well, thank you. I mean I have an umbrella." He paused and rubbed his face with his hands, "Yes, I have another umbrella that you can use."

She seemed to enjoy his struggle to get the words out as she had a playful smile upon her face which made him feel at least a little less stupid in the moment. He got up and sort of jogged over towards the door grabbing an extra umbrella. Then as he returned to retrieve his own from next to the fire place where he left it to dry, he handed the other one over to her. 

He decided to quickly finish off the rest of the water that remained in his cup and placed it back down upon the coaster. Then with one quick motion he turned back to Vela with a grin on his face...

"Shall we be on our way?" Calimero motioned towards the door, "I would have tried to offer to share an umbrella, but I also think that would have led to us both getting a bit wet during our walk." 

The smile upon her face was quite distracting as they walked towards the door that he almost tripped over the leg of a table that sat against the wall, just next to the entryway. He reached out and opened the door, allowing her to go first as she opened up her umbrella. Following her lead he then opened his umbrella as he walked outside of the Ivory Tower HQ. She had made her way down the front steps and was turned around looking up at him as he made his way down. 

"The park is just a bit down the road so I figure we can just walk there ourselves rather than take a car." He smiled and thought that doing so would also allow them a bit more time to chat as they walked.

As they began to walk he felt himself get lost in his own thoughts. They brought him to a deeply spiritual place as he almost began to question what he was doing. Although he was a man of the cloth, he had his own rules and views when it came to Christianity and the bible. Some might frown upon his flirtatious actions so far today and what may lay ahead. That was always a challenge for him, whether here or back home in Sicily where he grew up. Especially back home where it would be quite frowned upon. He already had done so much that he believed God might not be happy about, but he also did so much that would most likely keep him as a worthy man of God.  So he shook off the doubts and the feelings that were nipping at him as they echoed the sentiments of those who did not truly understand the world as he saw it.

He brought himself back to reality and realized that Vela was looking at him with a bit of a perplexed look. This somewhat startled him as he realized he may have been stuck in his own thoughts much longer than he believed so. 

"Sorry, I was a bit lost in thought there. Sometimes the rain really creates this atmosphere where you can just so easily get lost in there thinking about almost anything. Whether it is the past, the future, or what you should eat later today." He laughed at his own dumb joke as he tried to lighten the mood after going silent for a couple minutes.

"So, how are you? I know we've not really talked to much before. But I have seen you around the Ivory Tower headquarters plenty. I've always meant to talk to you, but sometimes I get distracted or a bit nervous...." He paused for a moment and cut himself off as he could not believe he said that so openly.

He wasn't sure how to continue his sentence and sort of awkwardly laughed as now he was sure that he'd have to explain what he had meant by that...

Vela stood at the foot of the steps, patiently waiting for Calimero_DiGrazia to follow suit. She tried to stifle a laugh that would escape from her lips any minute now, as she watched him like a hawk.

“You alright there?” She queried, shading her forehead with a hand as more rain drops started to fall.

She found his clumsiness rather adorable, though she wouldn’t be able to admit that to his face. Vela’s shy personality was a burden that she would have to carry for the rest of her life until she would able to spark up any courage to speak without feeling judged or paranoid. She wished that she had grown up in a larger town where social interaction was forced, as being raised in an isolated home- far from the general population, contributed to why she was afraid of using her words. Hopefully her place in the family would be able to give her some more confidence. As he finally trotted down the short staircase, Vela got off the last step and made way for him.

“I’m fine with walking.” Vela possessed a smile, awkwardly looking before around before continuing her words. “Hey um.. thanks for the umbrella.” She let out a shaky breath, holding the umbrella close to her head.

It was freezing, but she tried to shake it off as she wanted to enjoy her time with Calimero. It would be a good chance to catch up, as it had already been 13 days since the official launch of The Ivory Tower, and this was the first time she would actually be able to have a real talk with him.

The tension in the air could definitely be felt, as she took more steps, the more timid she became. After some time of quietness, Vela looked over to him, noticing that he had been in his mind the whole time. Her face went red like a tomato and scratched the back of her head with one hand as the other was holding onto the handle of the umbrella for dear life. It would fly away any minute, just like her sanity at that moment. She didn’t mind the silence though, because it also gave her time to think about the next thing she would say to him. Her new challenge: Not to stutter in front of this man who evidently makes you feel weird things. Vela pinched herself. She did it again. Things? What things? She was clearly in denial, but it was funny that she couldn’t even take her eyes off him. They had walked for a few minutes now, and her eyes were trained on his face which seemed to be deep in concentration. Vela gave it a second thought if she should interrupt his train of thinking, but she shook her head and carried on walking the long path that they were on. Ahead of her, she could see the park in the distance. She squinted, the pouring rain making it hard for her to see clearly. There was an unoccupied bench, and it looked like it was made for the pair. Luckily, there was a tall, oak tree beside it. The branches towered over the bench and they provided shade from the rain. Vela knew that would be the only place to sit, as the grass would be wet and uncomfortable to sit on. 

She simpered, looking pleased with herself. Finally she could have something to bring up. Our butts will get, so uh, lets sit down on this nice-looking bench shall we? She rolled her eyes, looking the other way. Way to go Vela with your words. Finally, Calimero spoke, and she almost jumped at his voice. There was an apologetic look on his face, and she instantly felt bad because she didn’t want him thinking that she was irritated with him. Vela couldn’t help but avoid his eye contact as she was still having trouble with maintaining eye level courtesy, but she gently smiled when she bravely looked up again.

“I try to stay in the moment. Lately it’s been a major failure though because I keep on overthinking about my future. I feel like I’m trying to chase something, but got no idea what it is.” It was the truth. There was something pulling on her heart strings, and she couldn’t quite pinpoint it.

Surely it might have been the leftover scars from the dismantling of her previous crew? Maybe, maybe not. Vela shook her head, looking away shyly. “I-I’m fine though. Yes. It’s good that we now have a chance to talk in private…” She swiftly turned her head in the direction of the park, pointing to the wonderful scenery that surrounded it, about to utter a compliment about it but her body suddenly tensed when she thought more about what he said. The corner of her mouth quirked up, and she was sure that her cheeks were scarlet coloured. 

“Erm hey.. look, I don’t want you to feel like you have to hold your tongue around me. We work together, but I hope from hereon we can establish some kind of… friendly bond. Or maybe.. uh-“ It only took her a second before she burst in quiet giggles, the thought of maybe their friendship turning into something more making her flustered all over. She continued to walk a little faster in her steps, still covering her cheeks and looking down at the ground. She hadn’t realised that they had walked for quite a while already as the park was right in their faces. Vela turned around to face Calimero, still flushed. “D-did you wanna enlighten me on what you meant by getting nervous around me? I must admit, I’m kind of shocked that you say that. I.. I’m not really the one to make people feel that way…” 

For some reason, her knees went limp and slowly… those four walls she had built up for so long came crashing down as the words slipped from her lips. Vela didn’t know what she was getting herself into, but she didn’t care. She was too busy wondering how on earth this man managed to break down her walls, knowing that she promised herself a long time ago that she wouldn’t let anyone provoke her romantic side. 

A thought came into her mind, making her look away quickly as she smiled funnily.

You might have earned yourself a spot, Calimero DiGrazia.~

The rain was shifting between heavy and light quite often, making him unsure if this was just a simple storm or something more. If felt similar to his emotions as this day went by and he spent more time with Vela. The park was quickly approaching as they continued their walk and their small talk. He listened to Vela as she went on mentioning how she felt and her own thoughts, when she decided to abruptly turn around to face him. She wanted to revisit his uncensored comments on how she made him nervous....

He could feel the urge to put his own face in his palm at his own lack of control over what came out of his mouth. There was a bit of an awkward smile that appeared on his face as she asked the question. They continued on their way as he tried to think how best to answer the question. She made her way quickly to a bench nestled underneath a large tree that had kept it out of the heavy rain mostly making it the most ideal dry place to sit. Calimero followed her lead and took a seat underneath the tree....

The surrounding area was quite beautiful, even during all this rain that was constantly falling. He finally found some of the words he wanted to say to her and figured he would think of the rest as he talked.

"Well, to be honest with you I have my religious beliefs and ties. I am also a man just like any other. So during my early days of arriving here at the Ivory Tower from Chicago I had seen you around the headquarters." He paused as he felt those anxieties rising within him again, "I suppose what I'm trying to get at is that the moment I saw you I had thought to myself that you were quite beautiful."

He paused as the words left his mouth and he hoped it would be a welcomed statement and not cause any sort of negative response. She seemed to be hiding her face slightly as she listened and looked around the park. Not knowing what that meant he decided to continue...

"I had asked you to join me here as I thought maybe it would give me a chance to get to know you. You never know where something special or new and amazing can start. Sometimes you need to initiate such an adventure yourself." He smiled as he looked out at some ducks who were swimming across the pond.

The park was so quiet besides the sound of rain hitting the trees, ground, and surface of the pond. It was so peaceful and he couldn't hope for a better day besides possibly a nice sunny spring day. Although it is rare to have the park all to yourself as they did at that very moment...

Vela still had not said anything and he did begin to worry that maybe all that he said was a bit too much so soon. It was difficult for him to hold back what he was thinking most of the time. Being a man who helped those in church during confessional and just guiding them in general, he was so used to speaking him mind and not holding back. 

He was looking now at Vela who seemed to be a bit red at the cheeks although it was hard to tell with her hair hanging in her face. So he decided to move her hair ever so slightly to the side....

"So, did I lose you at some point? Should I start back at the beginning? Maybe I should come up with something else to say instead?" He smiled a goofy smile and hoped that his joke might break the awkward silence.

Vela was sure now that she had entered a sticky situation or rather, a love trap. There was no turning back from this, as she felt his fingertips slide across her face and reaching for the loose hair strand, before tucking it behind her ear.

"B-beautiful..?" She breathed, her eyes trained on his finger.

The goofy smile that was plastered on his face caused a group of butterflies to flutter around in her stomach, which was a weird feeling, but she invited it with open arms. Vela was at a loss for words as she moved her eyes to his. In all her years of living, she had never met someone who might have had the same effect on her as Calimero_DiGrazia did. She started to wonder if he was telling the truth or not, but she didn’t want to doubt him for a second. Vela decided to lay her trust in him, and she nodded slowly, but the ounce of doubt still rested in the back of her mind. “This is just weird.” She admitted, gently moving away from him and hugging her waist. “I think of myself as really average looking. Well that’s a lie. I think I’m the ugliest person to ever set foot in Detroit.” She gave him a side eye glance with a frown on her face. Vela was bitter about these things. These silly little competitions that women held for best looks. 

“And look at you. You’re-..“ She hesitated in her sentence, suddenly feeling insecure again. “…A charming, personable and extremely handsome man like yourself.. Heh. Compared to me?! I guess if you could turn me inside out, you could say my mind is beautiful but even then- I have the worst mentality ever. I put myself down, I..” Vela knew she was rambling, and she was afraid that now he would look at her differently.

That she was just a pathetic girl. By default, she was, and forever she thought she would die alone. Although there was a small inkling of hope that he would be able to recognize this was a cry-for-help thing.

“I’m sorry. You’re right, and I appreciate the compliment. I’m too hard on myself sometimes. Don’t worry. You’re fine. You didn’t lose me in your train of thoughts. I was right there with you the whole time. I’m a good listener, aren’t I?” She beckoned playfully.

Vela relaxed her shoulders, leaning back on the bench, wrapping her arms around her knees as she lifted them up on the seat. “Tell me, Calimero, what was your first experience of love like?” Curiosity had killed the cat, and she was feeling adventurous.

The rain seemed to die down, much like the tension that had filled the air before. It was now just simply two new friends getting to know each other. Uncovering each other’s secrets and peeling off the layers one by one. Vela looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes. “I hope she treated you well.” She spilled, before looking up at the sky above them. A rainbow had appeared, to which she pointed at, grinning. Vela had completely forgot about the question she asked, easily amused by the array of colours that was painted in the sky. She turned to Calimero again, taking his hand and getting him up off the seat.

“Dance with me. The rainbow is our music!” She laughed happily, suddenly forgetting about all the worries in the world.

Her dress twirled as she had one hand on his shoulder, the other resting in the comfort of his palm. Vela flinched, feeling the coldness from his hand. Ever since she was a young girl, she did this weird thing where she would discover someone’s cold hands and take them close to her lips, blowing warm air on them.

“Geez, you’re cold. Um. Hold on.” Vela gave a quiet laugh as she cupped her own hands around his, taking it close to her pale pink lips.

She looked up at his figure, which was towering over her own. Vela’s eyes bored into his, as she breathed out warm air from her mouth in an attempt to heat his hands up. A nervous laugh escaped her lips, and she took his hands away from her face, but still holding them close to her. “How’s that?” 

Calimero watched as her expression was possibly one of disbelief and also one of confusion at what he had said as the word "beautiful.." came out of her mouth. She eventually began to say some things that caused him to frown in response. He wanted to interject and stop her from saying what she was saying, but he also wanted her to be able to say how she felt and not have to hide it. 

She moved on to complimenting him, which somehow made him feel a bit worse that she would talk so wonderfully about him and not in such a way when referring to herself. As he sat there listening to her she seemed to change her "tune" just as fast as she had stated some of those negative things. The speed at which she was going was a bit difficult to keep up with. Eventually she asked him a question.....one about his first love. It was a long time before he thought about that...

Before he could even begin to speak she once again changed up the topic as the weather changed and revealed a rainbow in the sky. She grabbed him in order to begin dancing to a song that could not be heard, but seen. 

As they went he couldn't help but notice her dress and how the sun bounced off her hair and eyes. No matter what she thought, to him he could see only beauty as he looked at her. She suddenly stopped and referred to the coldness of his hands. Vela brought them close to her face and blew on them to bring them some warmth asking, "How's that?"

He chuckled before responding, "A bit warmer thank you. My father used to say that cold hands mean you have a warm heart."

There was a slight sadness that crept in at that thought, since his father had passed away some time ago and he did not have many memories of him. That statement was one of the few that had survived the test of time. 

"Thinking back to what you said before we began this dance though, I don't think you could ever convince me that you're not beautiful. I tell you I've seen the Sicilian countryside at sunrise and sunset. Yet that does not compare to watching you dance in the sunshine after a long storm." He smiled at her.

"I did enjoy the dance as well as the sight of you. I never thought of a rainbow as a tune to dance to. That takes quite the imagination I would say. This went from being a simple day to one of new experiences and plenty of fun. I'm glad that I did not just come here to the park on my own. Maybe it's okay to share the park on a rainy day if you're with only one other person." He picked up a rock on the wet grass and skipped it on the surface of the pond.

He watched it skip one time after another, almost in slow motion. This was a day that could have turned out quite simple and boring, but he took a chance and so far he was quite happy that he had decided to do so. If he had not chosen to ask Vela to join him, then he probably would have sat alone for some time just stuck with his thoughts rather than having a real conversation with somebody.

"Today has been....just wonderful...." He said it somewhat softly as his voice trailed off.

Vela watched him carefully, picking up a pebble from from the ground before tossing it out into the lake. It made an oddly satisfying sound, and she closed her eyes. Just listening to the water that had been splashed, the birds flying in the sky and the wind that whooshed past her. It was surreal. Not the view, but this moment of bliss that she found herself in.

“Good thing I was an early bird today. I wouldn’t have had the lucky chance to meet you either. We should do this more often.” Vela cleared her throat, picking up a rock herself and skipping it across the surface of the water as well.

It did the same bouncing motion. “I don’t know, really. I just can’t accept the fact that you called me beautiful. When you live your whole life being surrounded by girls that are prettier, taller and smarter than you- you hide behind a mask. Behind that mask is a whole lot of fears and insecurities.” Vela glumly added, and stood quietly for a second, admiring the crystal waters in the pond. “Maybe one day I’ll learn to love myself but I’m still a work in progress. Only time will tell.” She shrugged, thinking about what the rest of the day would entail. 

There was so many things that needed to be said, but at the same time Vela couldn’t bring herself to say the words. It continued to tug on her heart strings, and she suddenly felt a wave of happiness rush over her when she felt the sudden urge to embrace him in a hug. Vela took in the sight of the man in front of her, and she wondered if she was just infatuated or if she really was developing a crush on him. She was confused about her feelings, unsure whether what they had was real or if it was just a fantasy. There she was again. Second guessing everything. Vela noticed before that his eyes were filled with sorrow when he mentioned his father, and she felt like intruding when she asked, but she only hoped to help him release some grief. Nothingness filled the air before she spoke again, like the world had stopped turning and everything froze. Vela slouched in her position, placing her hands behind her back and sneaking glances at the ground again. “I hope you don’t mind me asking. You don’t have to answer if you feel uncomfortable, but… what was your father like? He seemed to have a way with his words. I could probably justify his statement. I can see it in you that you only mean well. I trust you Calimero_DiGrazia.” 

Maybe it was the way he carried himself that attracted Vela so much. Maybe it was his comforting words about how the Sicilian sunset couldn’t compare to her. Maybe, just maybe, it was fate. Vela nibbled on her bottom lip, as she waited for what he would respond. The sky above her that was once pastel blue turned into into a dark expanse of grey clouds, and Vela’s face suddenly reddened when she realised that their walk took longer than expected. Vela started to wonder if the others back at the office were getting worried. She played with a loose strand of her hair, twirling it around her finger and cherishing this moment she was living in.

Tiredness started to kick in, but she wasn’t paying it any attention as she was purely focused on the man standing in front of her. This was a chance encounter that she would never forget, mostly because it was actually the first time she had ever felt… valid? Important? Loved? Vela gently smiled and took her hands away from her hair as she put them at her sides. Nonetheless, Vela couldn’t help but get sad again. Even if something did arise, she didn’t know if it would last for much longer as they were in the same crew together. That meant maintain a strict working relationship and don’t involve feelings with business, right? She shook her head as the smile escaped her mouth. Vela didn’t know what was going to become of this moment, but she was afraid of the potential consequences. 

Vela started to question why romance in the mafia was seen as ‘forbidden’ to some.

The sound of the rocks hitting the water was quite pleasing to Calimero and one of the only things that was able to draw his attention away from Vela in any way. He continued to listen to her speak about herself and eventually she got to a question about his father, somebody he'd just mentioned briefly before. Everything she said caused him to really pause and just look out at the water....

He let out a slight sigh, "Well I'd say that we are all working on ourselves constantly as we grow as people. I don't think that everyone is always happy with themselves or their situations. I do hope though that perhaps one day I won't have to debate with you on how beautiful you are."

Then it was time for him to truly contemplate and find a way to answer her question about his father. He could feel his emotion showing upon his own face. It had been so long since his fathers passing, but he would revisit the memories of him from time to time as he spent some of his days in his Churches. 

"That is somewhat a difficult question to answer. I don't remember him entirely in every which way. I was somewhat young when he passed and there has been so many things that have happened in my life since then. But, if I had to do my best to describe him. I would say that he was a loving and caring father. Although he did have some problems with getting angry or being too stuck in his beliefs to accept what others wanted to say or think." He looked over at Vela who was listening intently.

"I'd say that I learned a lot from his character of what I should strive for and what I need to avoid. I think that is why when people come to me for religious or spiritual guidance, I am not so strict as many in the church. I know that not everyone thinks the same way or agrees on how one should act in life. All I know is that I can give them my two cents and hope that they either agree or take what I say and use it in some way. I don't want to be close minded."

He was not sure if he was doing a good enough job describing his father. It is so hard sometimes to truly describe a person and not leave anything out. Calimero felt in some ways that he was leaving so much out since he could probably spend a few hours talking about his father and the memories of him that he still carried with him. 

"What about you? Do you have any family here in the states or somewhere else?" He felt that he wanted to also let her share some about herself and where she came from.

He could have talked about his mother as well as his father, but maybe that could be saved for another time. She was still alive and well in the countryside. Money was being sent to her every other week to make sure she was able to live a comfortable life now that he was living in the states.

"Also, I was curious if perhaps you'd like to continue this conversation over some food? It doesn't have to be somewhere fancy, it could even be as simple as a food cart. I'm just getting a bit hungry now as lunch time approaches." He smiled at her and hoped that she would want to keep this lovely day going.

His words lingered in the air as the cool winds danced around them. Vela was captivated by his soul, and she was even more pulled in when he spoke so lovingly of his father. A sort of ache erupted inside her, but she knew it only came from a good heart.

“I’m sure your father is proud, Calimero. You have grown into a wonderful being. It’s great that you can acknowledge that not everyone believes in the same thing, nor has to. Instead of being hostile with those who don’t share the same views, you seem to be patient in understanding them.”

A long list of memories popped up in her mind right in that exact moment as she started to remember her father’s closed-minded ways. Vela’s mother had abandoned her when she was only just a little girl due to her involvement in some underground group. As a result, Vela’s father, Corvus, objected to her leaving Asia to look for her mother. Ropes seemed to tighten around her heart as she thought about the last things he mentioned in relation to Carina’s pack. “Rats…” He said it so easily like he never had her as his wife before.

It was bizarre for Vela to ever think that he would think so lowly of her because at one point they loved each other. Right? Nonetheless, she would never get the chance to figure that out. It had been months since Vela’s last encounter with her mother. Their last meeting being at some restaurant diner. Suddenly, Vela’s stomach grumbled when she heard of Calimero mentioning food.

“Why not? I could talk about my family too I guess.” She shrugged as she waited for Calimero_DiGrazia to turn around and head in the direction of some food place.

When she finally got notice of where they would be going, she turned to him as they walked and took a moment to appreciate the person standing next to her. Vela smiled in a wholesome manner, grateful that she was able to chat with him even if the Gods had sent down heavy rain that day. The rainbow was still in the sky, a sign that made Vela feel all bubbly inside.

The location they had finally arrived at smelled purely of fresh coffee beans, the scent wafting up her nostrils. The local cafe downtown was pretty small but it also meant that it had a very cozy and warm vibe. There were two, dark brown, single chesterfield sofas that were positioned on each side of a fireplace against the wall, and a round coffee table made of wood in the middle. It looked like the perfect spot for them to get comfortable and enjoy a nice meal. She politely gestured for a waiter to stop by their table, the gurgling sounds in her stomach getting louder with each step the waiter would take. Finally, a lady holding a pad and pen approached them, her gleeful smile standing out from the rest of her facial features. Vela relaxed her shoulders as she looked up at her with the order she had rehearsed in her mind minutes before.

“I’ll get an iced latte, thanks.. with um..” She scanned the menu in her hands, eyes lighting up at the different choices provided.

Vela decided that a cheese toastie didn’t sound too bad, though she was trying to keep up with her diet. Just for today, she thought to herself. The lady nodded, jotting down her order intensely on the pad before turning her attention to Calimero. “And you, sir?”

Calimero smiled as they walked and Vela seemed to be taking a gander at him. He still found it hard to take his eyes off of her as they walked too since she was so incredibly beautiful to him. It still somewhat pulled at the back of his mind if it was okay for him to have all these feelings, but he pushed past that and continued to enjoy the day and her company.

Eventually they arrived at a local Cafe where the smells of coffee and food hit him and his stomach felt almost excited. It wouldn't be a large meal, but he was grateful for the ability to put something in his stomach. The waitress arrived and slowly Vela scanned the menu and found her choice of drink and food. The waitress eventually turned to him...

"I'll have a coffee with plenty of sugar and milk in it. As for what I'll have to eat...." He also needed another moment to glance over everything, "I think that the cheese toastie sounds quite good so I will have one of those as well."

The waitress nodded at him as she finished scribbling onto her notepad. Then once she was gone it was just the two of them once again...

"So, where were we? I honestly am not sure where our conversation was going." He paused and then as if a light switch was flipped in his head, "Ah! Your family. So maybe you could tell me a bit about your own family upbringing? I mean you don't have to of course. I'm just curious."

He looked across the table with a smile that he hoped would make her feel that he was sincere in his want to know more about her, but also that he wouldn't push too far if she wanted to keep some of that to herself for now.

"After maybe I can tell you a bit about my mother or my life in Sicily. Basically anything you'd like to talk about, I'm happy to do so." The waitress arrived with their drinks and placed them on the table.

He took a sip of his coffee and nodded slightly in approval of the coffee. Calimero did not always drink coffee, but when he did he hoped it was top quality. Once again he looked across the table at Vela hoping to hear more about her as he couldn't learn enough. This was of course how any strong relationship was founded, on the learning of one another. 

Vela watched Calimero_DiGrazia say his order out to the lady, and she smiled upon hearing him want the cheese toastie as well. “Ah, a man of culture I see.” She passionately guessed, putting the menu aside and resuming the conversation they shared from the park. Vela flicked her black hair over her shoulder and took a long glance at the busy street outside before turning her attention back to him. Speaking about her family was such a sensitive topic for her, but when she noticed that honest smile plastered across his face, she reached a happy realization that she could trust him that he won’t go around spreading it. Vela would be extremely grateful, and she too would promise him that his secret was safe with her. A secret probably wouldn’t be the best way to describe it, but she knew that this was a personal subject for him as well and didn’t want to spread information about it unless he didn’t mind.

She was about to start rambling, when she saw the lady from before, greeting them with a sheepish grin as she set the drinks down on the table. “Enjoy you guys.” She walked away with a little dance to her step, making Vela smile wholeheartedly. “Such a warm and uplifting place here. I’d come again.” She shrugged, admitting her excitement as she took a small sip from her iced latte. “This is amazing. How’s the cheese toastie?” She wondered, her eyes travelling to the cheese that dripped from the sides of the bread. Finally, when she finished gawking over the food, it was back to gawking over Ca-..

Vela cleared her throat, realizing that she had left him hanging with her response. She began with a gentle tone in her voice. “My mum had abandoned my sister, Aquila, and I when we were very young. Thus, our father had to take both the parental responsibilities, and I can’t imagine how hard that was for him.” Vela peered up at Calimero through her dark eyelashes, not wanting to put too much of her childhood trauma onto him.

“Fast forward to when Aquila and I grew older, our father revealed that our mother had ties to an underground wolf pack in LA.” Vela instinctively stiffened, the impact of the memory making her quake with confusion. “Needless to say we were very taken aback. Our father wasn’t too pleased with us when Aquila and I told him that we would be flying to the states to find her.” Vela felt like she was in a confessional booth or something, as she remembered that Calimero was a padre. She started to laugh quietly to herself as she felt her cheeks flush. Vela hadn’t much knowledge about his religious ways but she did get an implication that maybe indulging into romantic-filled fantasies was forbidden in his way of life. This caused a slight pang of guilt in her heart for bringing up the topic in their conversation from before as she didn’t want to put him in a sticky situation.

A forced smile then made its way upon her lips and she took another sip from her iced latte before letting him speak again. “Sure. Tell me about your life in Sicily?” Vela began.