Oblivion

31

Adrian
  I stood at the funeral, tissues in one hand, holding my child's hand in the other. They're too young to understand the exact concept of the awful disaster that happened. Forever, until the day I die, I will look at my child, being reminded of them. A part of me hopes, maybe they lived, maybe they are living under a new name. Anything is possible in the mafia after all.

After this, I am abandoning the mafia, it's no longer safe. We decided on no children for the moment, but things change. We were prisoners of life. There's no escaping it. Other than death, no matter how harsh somebody's death can be, I have to think that they no longer suffer in the life that they had.

It won't be easy, I won't want to walk away from the life we built. But sometimes, life doesn't go the way we want. Life is torture, unfair, and cruel, but regardless we have to make it through, if not for me, than my child. I know have somebody I also have to look out for me, it's not just me anymore.

We stood in silence for roughly an hour, Carmen began to understand what was really going on. "When can we leave daddy?" Carmen looks up to me, her eyes filling with tears.

"As soon as this is done, we'll leave my little Carmen." I assure her, wiping away her small tears with my tissues.

She nods, then looks back to the grave. I do the same. My wife. My son. They're all gone. I still don't know what I'll do once we move away.

Finally, we leave as it starts to pour. I leave a photo I had of Alessia, Carmen and I on the top of her headstone,

"Maybe in our next life." I whisper, kissing my finger and then resting them on the headstone lightly.

I walk away, wiping away the remaining tears in my eyes. I sit down in the limousine next to Carmen, pulling her close to my side. She stays quiet the whole ride home. I have a feeling she knows now. More than she should.

I grab my suitcase and Carmen's as soon as we arrive home and put them in my car. Manuel, Emilie and Sophia stood outside our house, "Well, once everything is okay back here and safe for you two, come back, please. It won't be the same without you Adrian." Manuel frowns, giving me a tight hug. "Expect to see us back sometime. I don't know when that will be, but expect us." I tell him. Sophia and Carmen sob, as they hug each other tightly.

Emilie turns to me, pulling me in for a hug, "It's going to be a long road Adrian, are you sure you'll be okay to leave?" Emilie asks, seriously concerned with my mental health, "Yes yes you worry wart." I pick on her, leaving her with a slight smile. She punches me on the shoulder, "Shut up, you know I've really gotten to like you, and Alessia. If you ever need me, or hell, any of us to talk, just come back or call or something. And if leaving the States is good for you right now. Then good for you. Get healthy, move on. I believe in you Adrian. Now, this is goodbye, hopefully for now." Emilie smiles through some slight tears. "Goodbye you guys. And thank you for everything." I thank them. Carmen says her goodbyes, then follows me to my car. I buckle her into her seat behind the passenger.

I fix my mirror slightly, must be Alessia last drove this car. I look to Carmen behind me, "Ready?" I ask, she smiles slightly, turning her frown upside down, "Even more than you."