Family: Out of Business

Doubted

Tony's pov

"Don't worry, brother, I won't let the word get out you're a caring human being and ruin your stellar reputation as an asshole playboy." I smirked at my baby brother, enjoying watching him squirm. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Did you hit your head while you were in hiding, brother? Because you must have knocked a screw or two loose. You're talking nonsense."

"So you are an asshole then?" I questioned sarcastically.

"That's not what I meant and you know it," EJ pouted, like a little boy.

"I know what you meant, fratellino (little brother). All lawyers are assholes, it's got nothing to do with your sparkling personality. We'll blame it all on your profession. Va bene (Okay)?"

"No, fratellone (older brother)," he said, sneering the term as if it was a curse word. "Stop putting words in my mouth and assuming you know what I'm trying to say," he ordered, in a quite annoyed tone.

Chuckling, I sarcastically replied, "Ovviamente, EJ, non accadrà di nuovo (Of course, EJ, it won't happen again). Puoi mai perdonarmi (Can you ever forgive me)?"

I have to admit, I find it quite amusing I'm the only one who can get him so worked up and flustered. He's normally so confident, conceited, and aloof. It's a nice change of pace indeed. I know he finds it infuriating that I can push his buttons to this extent. But isn't that what older brothers are for?

"Not funny, brother," EJ whined, like a bambino (baby boy), making me laugh even more,

Turning my attention back to the mess my daughter had created, I directed Lorenzo to save me the largest fragment of my beloved vase. I'll keep it as a memento of sorts. A reminder of what's truly important in life. Although that vase is irreplaceable, it holds no worth compared to my precious daughter. That jagged piece of porcelain will represent the fragility of man. Just as the shattered vase can't be pieced back together, a severed relationship with my daughter can never be made whole again.

I need to get my temper in check before I deal with her. As much as I want to throttle her right now for being so careless, I have to remind myself that vase is just an object, a possession with extreme monetary value, but no intrinsic worth. My daughter, on the other hand, is my entire world, my soul, my life.

Family is everything, afterall. Father certainly taught me that, drumming it into my head and beating it into my backside from the time I was in diapers up until the day he died. His death in itself, an everlasting example of the ultimate sacrifice he made for the sake of his children and grandchild. I fear I'll never have that level of courage or strength. I pray to God every night that I'll live up to his expectations as patriarch of this family and that I won't let him or my siblings and daughter down.

"No matter, Elliot James. If you'll excuse me, I have a daughter to discipline now," I said, snapping myself out of my self-reflective state and getting back to the task at hand.

"Please remember, brother, she's only a child and it was an accident," my little brother cautioned, in a rare moment of sentiment directed at someone other than himself.

Wrinkling my forehead, I questioned him out of curiosity more than anything else.

"Just what exactly are you afraid I'm going to do to her, fratello (brother)?"

Swallowing hard, he responded, "When I looked into your eyes as you ordered Claire to get great-grandfather's strap and wait for you in the study..." he hesitated, "I saw Father looking back at me."

My baby brother looked down out of fear or perhaps shame for what he just said.

"I know you meant that as a cautionary insult, but I'll take it as a compliment, fratellino (baby brother). Father was harsh at times with his discipline but I never doubted his love for us and you shouldn't either." I looked at EJ expectantly.