Don Vittorio

The Amorielle family was started in 1902 by Alero Amorielle and is known for its extensive criminal record. They were accused of bank fraud, narcotics, and arms dealing. It was guaranteed a place among the great Mafia families that came to the USA. Most of the family members were killed in conflicts with other families and the whereabouts of the Amorielle family were unknown...

Until today.

***

— Vittorio. - Marco Amorielle called after knocking on the door of his son's room.

The gray-haired gentleman with green eyes opened the door and found his son standing in front of the mirror fixing his bow tie while being watched by his escort, a beautiful blond-haired woman dressed in a glamorous red dress.

"Oh, forgive me," Marco let out clumsily at the scene of his son with his girlfriend, "I didn't know Eleonora was here.

"Don't worry, father-in-law.", Said the young woman smiling towards the sixty-year-old gentleman. She turned away from her boyfriend.  "I was just helping this little boy get dressed."

"Little boy? That's not what you called me a few minutes ago. ", Teased the boy with a mischievous grin.

"Fewer details, young man, please.", Marco asked as he gestured with his hand. He smiled at his daughter-in-law and asked, " May I have a moment alone with the birthday boy?"

"Father-in-law.", Eleonora said walking towards Marco. She held her father-in-law's hand and kissed the golden ring, with the initials of the Amorielle family, arranged on Marco's little finger, after all, he was none other than the Head of the entire Italian-American Mafia. " Don Marco."

He nodded toward the young woman who left the premises leaving father and son alone. Marco approached his son who was still struggling with his bow tie which was slightly crooked, quite different from the one his father wore, perfect.

"Let me help you," asked the father, who was already putting his hands on his son's tie and untying it, "I bet this is all just nerves.  After all, it's not every day we turn thirty..."

"And even less so at your parents' pearl wedding celebration.", Completed Vittorio staring at his father who didn't show as exciting as he should have been about the memory, "Is everything okay, Dad?"

"Yes, why the question?", Marco replied with another question while struggling with his son's tie.

"I thought you would be more cheerful about your wedding anniversary... Thirty years of marriage is not for everyone."

"It is...it isn't. ", Agreed Marco smiling briefly at Vittorio who knew very well that fake smile of when something is bothering his father.

"What is it, Don Marco?", Vittorio asked seriously. He placed his hand over his father's stopping him from continuing to fix his tie.

Marco Amorielle stared at his son, no matter how hard he tried he couldn't pretend that everything was fine, for Vittorio knew him too well. He could only tell the truth.

"You mean you two are here!", Antonietta Amorielle said entering the room, annoyed. She approached the two, holding up the tail of her moss green dress, and then noticed that her son's tie was still undone, further increasing her irritation, "Why is your tie still like that?"

"Hi, Mama," Vittorio greeted his mother with a huge smile. He shrugged his shoulders as he went on to justify himself, "My tie insisted on being crooked and so Dad decided to help me."

"Your father?", Antonietta questioned as she stared at Marco. She turned to her son smiling and then said, "Don Marco Amorielle may be great at business, but when it comes to a bow tie it's me, Antonietta Amorielle, who he has always turned to. "

"That's right and look how I look," Marco let out pointing to his tie.

"Come, dear. Let me do that," Antonietta asked, putting herself in the place of her husband who stepped aside and then straightened her son's tie with her nimble hands as she said, "I hope this is the last time I fix your tie and that the next one will be done by your wife..."

"Here comes the lady with that subject. Eleonora and I are not yet at that degree in our relationship," Vittorio explained seriously, "We just celebrated one year of dating, Mama."

"Still, I think that's long enough. Your father and I got married in a month," Antonietta argued as she finished fixing her son's tie which was now perfect just like Marco's, "And look where we are..."

"Thirty years of marriage.", Marco finished before taking a deep breath, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by his wife who shot him a look with her green eyes.

There was something in the air between the couple that even Vittorio noticed. Knowing his parents, he bet that his mother must have exaggerated at some point about today's event and displeased his father, or the other way around. After all, the two had always sinned by excess and ended up scolding each other. Vittorio had already witnessed that cold war between them, that although they didn't argue in front of their son, they could never disguise that something was going on.

"We are here in the room of our only much-loved son," Antonietta continued as she lightly tapped her son's breastplate, "And future Head of this family."

"It's time to go...," Interrupted Don Marco as he watched his watch, " Eleonora must be turning into a statue out there by now."

"You are right, Papa.", Agreed on Vittorio who walked towards his closet and then opened one of his drawers, attracting his mother's attention, "I am not getting an engagement ring, just my watch, Madame Amorielle."

"It doesn't hurt to dream.", Antonietta mumbled as she moved her shoulders, briefly.

***

The guests were chatting excitedly when the presence of the Amorielle family was announced, who now appeared at the top of the marble staircase: Eleonora held her father-in-law's arm while Vittorio conceded his arm to Antonietta.

At that moment they were seen as royalty among all the families present.

Marco bowed his head in the direction of his clerk who clapped his hands twice, causing the guests to fall silent:

"Welcome, my friends. Welcome everyone to another Amorielle celebration. Today we have the joy of celebrating the birthday of my son, Vittorio Amorielle," Marco began, smiling at his son who was staring at him happily. Don Marco took his cup handed to him by the waiter who continued to hand it to his family members and then continued his speech, " So, a round of applause for Vittorio Amorielle because today it is him we will celebrate!"

The guests applauded the boy who now faced his mother who smiled at him as she applauded him. He brought his face close to his mother's ear as if kissing her cheek and asked:

- What is going on between you?

"My son, I promise that later you will know," assured his mother who kept a smile on her lips, but tears at the corners of her eyes.

***

The party was lively, but Vittorio longed for it to end. He could only think about his mother's words. Marco's heir remained seated at the table as he watched his parents, who despite the interaction between them, he had noticed that they did not touch each other even by force of habit. They had also not even danced, something quite unusual for the couple who loved a dance floor. I mean, they had not even danced with each other, but both Don Marco and Antonietta had fallen in with other people on the dance floor. Antonietta chose Giuseppe, Marco's Consigliere, as her dance partner, while Eleonora took it upon herself to be Marco's partner. As much as Vittorio didn't want to think about it, the only hypothesis that came to his mind was that his parents were getting divorced. But this was impossible in the Mafia, especially when it came to the Capo di tutti capi and his wife. Not that there was a law about divorce, but they all followed what the Catholic Church determined: until death do us part. Your father wouldn't be able to go against it, would he?

"Vittorio.", Called his father from the middle of the lane, "Come, it's time to deliver your present."

Vittorio stood up and walked towards his father who was laughing with Eleonora. Don Marco led the young woman's hand towards his son and then said:

- Take it.

"This gift I have already earned," Vittorio joked holding Eleonora by the waist.

"I know. I give the beautiful lady to go outside with the rest of the guests," Marco explained.