For the Famiglia: Intertwined fate

Coffee date

I had fallen into a routine over the weeks of working. Marco kept me much busier and I had to say I actually enjoyed it even signing up for a financial management and accounting course at the community college to help further which wasn't far from Rina. Three days a week Rina and I would meet for breakfast at a cozy little deli not far from the schools. I smiled over the mug of coffee in my hand the place had a delicious range of food a lot of French pastries which I loved it made me miss the fluffy, powdered foods. These weren't as lovely but at least well done “missing the food back home?” Rina giggled as she observed me picking at the croissant on my plate.

“Lucky I was never a fan of seafood or I would be lost here” I laughed in return.

“Speak for yourself I could go for some Crawfish Etouffee. My aunt makes the best” she smiled obviously thinking of the memory.

“I remember” I couldn’t help but laugh “I could never handle the smell” Rina gasped as though offended “but yes probably the only thing I miss from home...”

“Your Ma making it easy for you not to miss her I’m guessing?” she questioned an eyebrow raised as she lifted the large mug to her lips.

“As always. She really didn’t care what husband I had as long as I was married... I swear even if she knew about...” I sighed “what was happening... I could have ended up in hospital...”

“You know what it’s like. They don’t get involved in others' marriages” Rina gave a sympathetic look.

“It’s to know she wouldn’t care, Rina” I sighed before giving a slight shrug.

“Your Ma was always a b***h” she smirked. She wasn’t wrong she was always a b***h, her nose so high in the air I was surprised she could see us mere mortals that stood below her.

“She keeps insisting I come home... My Pa keeps insisting to shut her up...”

“Did you tell them about the new job? You’ve got a job under Marco, they can’t argue with the heads of New York like that” it was easy for her to say a job was a job if someone tried to come and take Catarina I could only imagine the damage Santos would bring down if someone touched a hair on her head.

“It’s calmed down a little I suppose. It won’t be for long though that’s a guarantee” I grimaced at the thought. Deep down I knew it saddened me though my mother never needed to push me into marriage I wanted it... I wanted a family now it just felt like a reality I would never have and with my first marriage images of it were scared in my brain, I don’t know if I could move on.

“Have you thought about seeing someone about all that?” as though reading my mind Rina questioned.

“Like a therapist?” I scoffed “and what could I say? Look around, look at our world.”

“You wouldn’t have to say anything about that just about your marriage” she seemed to wince even at the mention it was a touchy subject one we rarely touched. The most we had even spoken about it was when I murdered the man. Reliving it in my head was enough verbalising it felt like it would be only worse.

“I just...” I started but Rina reached out and held my hand. She was always my closest confidant. We grew up in a close-knit group but Rina and I were close in age growing up her siblings being so much older and me being an only child.

“If you can’t, you can’t. Remember I am here” she smiled patting my hand with her own it gave me some comfort.

I better go” I sighed.

“Fia...”

“It’s not cause of this. I have to meet with Marco” I explained before waving over to the waitress to order some things to go while Rina watched me curiously.

“Are you ordering for him?” she questioned I simply nodded in reply “be wary with that, Fia. If those old bitches can’t wind it will hit the gossip mill like no tomorrow especially since he’s married.”

I cringed Marco and I hadn’t spoken much about personal matters but I had heard how things weren’t good between him and his wife it was a constant talk amongst the ladies ‘Vegas trash’ as they called her tarnishing them “We just work” I shrugged “Marco is kind enough it’s been a few weeks it sort of got into our routine and I just...” shrugging once more. I had always been this way hadn’t I providing people with things, giving and giving but rarely receiving I didn’t mind though.

“Was being nice” Rina finished I nodded before standing up from the seat.

“I will see you later,” I said before leaning down and placing a kiss on each of her cheeks before going to collect my order and prepare to leave.

:::

We met twice a week Marco wanted to be thorough with his bookwork since apparently, the last one didn’t go well I didn’t mind him going over it. I wondered why he didn’t pull in one of the guys they always had some guy on payroll for this sort of stuff after all but I assumed he had his reasons “this needs to be changed” I explained running my finger along the list of people listed under contractor. Anyone in this world would look over the books and know what they really meant but a normal person wouldn’t which is why everything needed to be kept looking on the up and up.

“Mm?” he looked on curiously.

“They are written too high for contractors, Marco. At first glance, it looks okay but if you're doing your tax” I sighed “it would look like they are overpaid we can just backtrack the payroll and adjust” I explained. Marco leaned over the book and observed the paper in front of us as I glanced at him waiting for an answer. At first, I was nervous to critique Marco’s books but he was open to advise which was a nice change. Any other time in my life trying to help hasn’t gotten me far especially trying to help with changes needing to be made my family were never open to it and my husband well I would have been smacked down before even finishing the sentence so Marco despite is ever serious expression and intimidating demeanour he was much more receptive which was surprising.

“Can you change it for me and get it back to me on Friday?” was his only question “we will go over it further than” shaking his head before stepping away from standing over me and the desk “the books are a fuckin’ mess I have another nine months to fix them otherwise it’s my a*s dealing with the IRS.”

“We will fix it easily by then” I encouraged he seemed sceptical of my supportive attitude. I noticed that about Marco he seemed to always expect me to have a string attached to anything I do not that I could blame him however since that was what our world was like.

“Thank you” he simply replied “I have to go” he looked at his phone with a frown “but we will meet Friday yes?” he looked at me expectantly and I could only nod it wasn’t as though I would turn him down “good, see you then and Fia” he called back once he got to the doorway “thank you for the coffee.”