She had a broken family. Yet she was happy. She didn't have a whole, but she was grateful for the half she had.
All Talia has ever known is her life with her mother. The four-year-old only understood that she didn't have a father, unlike her other f...
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"Levi, hand her to me!", Chloe snaps at me, "Or I'll tell mom that you were the one who did graffiti on the garage wall"
I glare at my sister who's grinning at me in victory. After much reluctance, I hand Talia over to her.
Currently, all of us except the parents were in Luca's bedroom. Since we had plans for going outside for dinner, I was sitting in a suit, trying my best not to rip it off. I don't do suits, and this is killing me!
"When will we go?", Talia asks tugging at her dress. She's probably the only one who understands my misery right now.
"Only a few minutes, Tesoro. Wait till the security detail is confirmed", Sandro replies trying to pry Talia off Chloe. But it's like she has permanently found comfort in Chloe's arms because she doesn't get up.
"Talia, who do you like better? Me or Chloe?", I ask in hopes of getting her back.
"She doesn't do favorites. Right, Talia? Although I am pretty sure she likes me the most", Luca says stretching on the bed.
"Papa's my favorite", she says shrugging. At that moment, I can practically hear the resounding sound of broken hearts. Talia though is completely oblivious of the effect her three-worded statement had on us. As if on cue, our parents call us downstairs.
"The security detail was verified so fast?", I ask Adriano.
"We had some new recruits so it was easy", Adriano says. Security for us was a must while going outside since we all were like walking targets for all our enemies. I'm pretty sure our parents had hired secret bodyguards to protect us all.
"So which restaurant are we going to?", Lucio asks, coming up behind me, as we walk downstairs.
"Delhi meets NY, the Indian one", Chloe answers, "Talia was missing Indian dishes, so we made a reservation there"
Soon enough we all are in the car, on our way to eat as Talia said Cholle Bhature.
"Please, this way everyone", a waiter guides us to our table. As we sit down on the chairs, uncle Leo asks the waiter to bring water for everyone. Chloe, Talia, and the twins are looking through the menu, while Sandro and Adriano talk about the safety protocol with each other. Enzo is talking to dad about his school.
As for my mother, she keeps looking around the restaurant.
"Mom! What are you doing?", I ask her.
"Look at the intricate patterns, aren't they beautiful?", she says pointing to a specific corner of the restaurant. I to look and realize that it really was unique and different.
"It looks like the architect was inspired by the Mauryan Empire. Those designs were quite popular at that time. It's a pity they collapsed after Ashoka, one of their greatest ruler's death.", she says with a sigh. I wasn't surprised at her knowledge of this information at all.
My mother is an archeologist. She had a keen eye for things like these. When Chloe and I were little kids, she used to handle the business with dad. This way, they both had time for us.
When we were old enough to care for ourselves, our father convinced her to follow her dream of being an archeologist. After that, she used to go on month-long trips, but whenever she was home, she made sure to spend all her time with us.
I can even remember all the times mom came back home pissed because dad hired secret bodyguards to protect her. They always had a vicious fight, which included mom hurling whatever came in her hand at dad. Chloe and I used to sit on the staircase, counting their points.
Of course, mom always won. Though that is a different story entirely.
"Here's your food", a waiter comes and lays all the food on the table.
"What all did we order?"
"Well, there's Cholle Bhature, Idli Sambar, and coke", Chloe answers, wrapping a napkin around Talia's neck.
"Dig in, children!", Uncle Leo says. That's all the indication we needed, and then we descend on the food like a pack of hungry wolves.
"When are you planning to tell father?", my dad asks Uncle Leo.
"We don't know, I mean he doesn't exactly favor any girls in the family", Uncle Leo replies with a frown. The moment Chloe hears this her face turns sour.
"Don't do it", Chloe has a scowl on her face, "It's better not to"
"Chloe honey-", Mom tries to talk to her, but she cuts her off.
"Don't mom, we all know how cruel he can be. For Talia's sake, it's better to keep her a secret from him"
"There's no need to paint any roses. We all know how he is. Let's go with Chloe's plan", Adriano says. We all didn't have any fond feelings for him, rather we tolerated him. Chloe though, she hated him with a passion.
Whenever they both were in the same room, they acted like strangers. He thinks that girls are a weakness in our family. If he only knew how wrong he is. Chloe was one of the most skilled fighters we had. Not the best but her fighting skills were no joke. She was the typical example of a wolf in sheep's clothing.
"You guys haven't even told him about the plan to turn the business legal. When will you? It's better not to procrastinate", mom says, pouring more water in Talia's empty glass.
"You haven't told him yet?", Lucio asks surprised. All my brothers including me turn towards them.
"We don't know how to tell him. The worst part is his reaction", my dad says.
"Break it to him without beating around the bush. Maybe he'll do us a favor and have a heart attack and hopefully die", Chloe lamented.
"He's still family, Chloe", Uncle chides her.
"Family, my ass. He loves power and money more than us", Chloe says clicking her tongue.
"I'll agree with that", Sandro who was sitting beside me mutters.
"We'll see, but for now, let's enjoy our time together", Uncle says waving his hand.
We all spend the rest of the night cracking jokes and sharing stories. I really hoped that this harmonious mood lasts forever. Unfortunately, all happy bubbles burst at one point in time.
