Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 46

Let's get it!

Jazmin

I had started getting the wedding plans together. Stephen and I had agreed on a small wedding thankfully. He had to compromise because there was no way we were having something grand in two months. I had a bunch of appointments lined up.

I made sure Stephen made over half of them. He was not going to sit back and just show up on the wedding day. He needed to be apart of the process. It's his wedding too, so I had to get his opinion on multiple things.

I was sitting around the house before the real work began. I wanted to take as much relaxing time as I could. In a few days, I wouldn't have anytime to relax.

It was fairly quiet at the house today, nothing much going on. The guys were around here somewhere, doing whatever they do. It seems like something happened the other day that rattled them a little bit. I've caught some bits and pieces of conversation. Not enough to put two and two together. Specifically the night Stephen came home really late.

I didn't dawn too much on it. Whatever it was, if I really needed to know about it, Stephen would've told me.

I got up as I couldn't just sit down. I was feeling fidgety. I always had something to do, so relaxing felt weird to me. I walked towards the back of the house to see Stephen sitting on the porch talking on the phone. I decided to go out there and see what he was up to.

"Yeah, just do that. If it doesn't go through, let me know." He said. He looked up at me for a moment. "Yeah, just do that. Alright." He hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket. "Amore."

"Stephen, I didn't expect to see you out here." I told him. "You're usually bound to that office."

"I decided I wanted a new environment. I switched it up a bit. Besides..." He shook his head, "I wasn't trying to do any intense work today. I just couldn't bring myself to do it."

I put my hand on his forehead and he gave me a confused look.

"You sick or something?" I questioned. "You not wanting to do work is something I thought I'd never see."

"Very funny. I'm not sick, just aggressively persuading myself not to do it. There's always something to do, don't get me wrong. There isn't a lot going on right now in the mafia world." He said.

"Is there like a weekly mafia newsletter you get or...." He laughed a bit and shook his head.

"Shut up." He slightly pushed me as I laughed. We were silent for a few moments, just looking at the view beyond the backyard. It was gorgeous to see the trees stacked on each other miles and miles away. From an overhead view, it seemed like it was a blanket of trees and you could just fall and they would catch you.

Then I directed my attention to Stephen. He was taking in the view as well. He always had a troubled look in his eyes. He never looked relaxed. I guess that's just what comes with the life. Even when he has moments where he smiles and he laughs, his demeanor always comes back to being haunted and disturbed. I hope one day to see that darkness diminish from behind his eyes.

It always fascinated me how different the guys and Stephen were. Take for example, Vinny. Vinny laughs all day everyday. At first glance, you would've never thought that man was in the mafia. He could get serious really quick when it came to business, but he was really a bundle of joy. Of course his tattoos could make you think one thing, but then when he starts talking you realize how nice he is.

I enjoy knowing Vinny and the relationship we have, but I don't know much about him. I never heard his story and he never talks about his family. He briefly told me about his mother and sister, but that was no more than where they lived.