“Shh. Two trips won’t kill you. Jade already moved your appointments and will take care of the cows.” Next is Maria, the youngest of all the kids. She’s my goddaughter, and there’s no way in hell I’d let her miss out. “And since Maria has been to this place several times, she’ll make an excellent tour guide.”
The kids pause as the news sinks in. Then the room erupts, screams of unrepressed joy. Kids, aren’t they great? My eardrums ring when I see the remaining family members.
“Hey Donny, I need you to room with Uri and keep him out of trouble.” And that's the truth. We’re all worried about Uri, and Donny has taken over as his guardian.
“But I’m drunk,” Donny slurs.
“Yeah, and it’s really gonna suck at rope drop tomorrow morning.” It’ll be a fucking nightmare. Giggle.
Donny grabs Uri’s arm and yells, “I don’t know what that means! What does that mean?” But Uri smiles and gives him a pat on the shoulder.
I continue, looking at the last couple I created, “And it would be cruel not to send Jenny. She knows every word to every song.”
Jenny bounces on her toes, “I do, I know every word.”
“And there’s no way Joey’s gonna miss out on that. Don’t worry, Macie will take care of your dog while you're gone.”
Two more luggage carts are rolled in, squeaking the entire time. The parents turn to the carts and then back at me. But the old guard has my attention. Their paunchy bellies and grey hairlines are like billboards for their age.
Gio is the father of the bride. He has the biggest belly and the worst back. In his youth, rooms hushed when he walked in. Now the rooms are still quiet, but everyone is on their phones texting instead of talking. He’s been crying and laughing all day and now, there’re twinges of disappointment on his face.
“Would you like to go too?” I ask him. He huffs and puffs, sliding his knuckles into his pockets.
“Go on my daughter’s honeymoon? No.”
I flip my palms upwards and glance around the room, "Technically, this is more of a family vacation. The honeymoon won’t start for a few days.”
“I can’t,” he counters. “There are rules about these kinds of things.”
There are. Four mob families even stepping foot into a region controlled by a different syndicate could be grounds for war. They need a proxy to negotiate the terms. Which I already did, because I’m one of the most powerful and intimidating humans on the East coast.
“The families running the tourist destinations are coming here for Thanksgiving. They want to see the parade and a few shows.” I lift my hand. “I already got them tickets and a hotel on the parade route.”
“Oh.” Gio rubs the back of his head. “Then yes, I want to go. I’ve been craving a Dole Whip.”
I lock eyes on Carlos, the head of the Mexican Cartel and nod, “You too.”
He grins and shifts from side to side. “Gracias.”
Only Andrey laughs, “Thousands of screaming kids, crowds pushing each other, sensory overload and forced fun. Sounds horrible.”
I evil cackle in my head. “I know. That’s why you’re taking pictures and sending them to me.” I point to one of the four luggage carts that has a black camera bag hanging from a hook.
“What?” The smirk dies on his face. “But it would be so much easier on my phone.”
“I’m aware, that’s why you’re using the camera. I expect nightly pictures.” He deflates and his shoulders sink.
“Is this a punishment?”
“Of course.” You can’t send your only son to Russia to die and not expect some form off a retribution. Not after everything I’ve done for him already.
He frowns, “Can I get a colonoscopy instead?”
“No.” My lips curl in a satisfied smirk.
But Ian steps forward. I’m not supposed to have favorites. I’m supposed to love all these kids the same. That’s simply not true. Ian will always have a special part in my soul, and he’ll never know why.
“You’re not going?” His voice cracks. I can’t tell if it’s emotional or the early onset of puberty. Then I see the sad and confused faces on all the kids, and for a second, I want to reconsider my plans.
