~ongoing~ ~unedited~
After eleven year old Parker is faced with her stepfather's death, she has to move in with her five older brothers. Her newly discovered family has secrets they are hiding from Parker, but Parker is keeping secrets of her own...
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After my little heart-to-heart with Lorenzo, he said we could have absolutely anything I wanted for dinner. Anything in the world he told me. He said we would have a nice family dinner, his reasoning being he wants to give me everything I was missing out on with James, starting with this meal. He understands he can't change the past but wants to focus on the future.
I, of course, was over the moon. From going to being starved to now having family meals, I couldn't be more happy. I told Lorenzo I couldn't decide what to eat as I never really got to eat.
Lorenzo told me he'd make it a surprise noticing I was getting overwhelmed on the matter. The only hint being it's something I have never had before. To be honest, that doesn't really help because I haven't had most things before. Nonetheless, nothing can wipe the smile off my face.
---
All my brothers were seated at the kitchen table. I was quite excited to be trying a new food. Looking around the table, I can tell Lorenzo is the only one that knows what the dish will be. My other brothers look intrigued as to see what we will be eating. My best guess is Lorenzo told them about our little talk.
I'm glad he told them, I trust Lorenzo. If he trusts them, then so be it. Plus, I don't want to repeat myself, telling just Lorenzo was hard enough.
The maids enter the room, hands full with our mystery dish. I bounce in excitement as my covered meal is placed infront of me. It may seem silly to be this excited but I have never really experienced a grand family dinner before.
After what feels like forever, Lorenzo nods his head, signaling the maids to reveal our dinner. The delicious smell is what hits me first. I can't quite put a name to this scent but it's aroma fills the room.
I look to my plate to see a food I've never seen before. Duh, that's the whole point. My face scrunches up in confusion.
"Involtini de pesce spada." Lorenzo announces with his thick italian accent after seeing my perplexed face.
I look to him with wide eyes. What the heck did he say this is? I was expected something a little less fancy if I'm being honest. But, I'm not complaining.
"This is a traditional dish from Sicily, where our family is from." Lorenzo continues.
I observe him describing the meal, I noticed he seems proud when he speaks of our families origins.
"A combination of breadcrumbs, lemon zest, capers, garlic, fresh herbs, pine nuts, currants, and cheese are stuffed in a thin swordfish fillet roll." He finishes looking around at the smiles placed on our brothers faces.
I guess, my brothers all enjoy authentic italian cuisine. They must not get to eat it often given how excited they are. Sure, there's always pasta, but this meal is different.
The fact that Lorenzo put this all together for me warms my heart. It must have been a challenge for the chefs to cook as well. I can't wait to try it!
My brothers all begin digging into the meal, I take that as my cue to begin as well. Grabbing my silverware, I cut a few small bites. I want to savor the meal.
Taking my first bite, I feel the flavors bursting through my mouth. A smile graces my lips as I nod approvingly. My brothers watch me enjoy from across the table.
As I am about to go in for my second bite, I feel a scratchy feeling in the back of my throat. That's weird, maybe that's just expected from this dish.
Deciding to ignore it, I stuff my mouth with another forkful. As I'm chewing, I start to feel my body becoming warmer, sweat covers my face. Maybe it's just spicey.
Despite the feeling in my throat and my body's reaction to the food, I continue shoveling the food into my mouth. If I make any comments, my brothers will probably think I'm being ungrateful. I can't have that, we made so much progress.
"How do you like it, bambina?" Lorenzo asks smiling.
I set my fork down looking to my eldest brother.
"It's really good." I respond offering a forced smile.
I mean, I'm not lying, it is delicious. My body just seems be acting up for some reason.
"Great, I'm glad your enjoying it." Lorenzo replies turning his attention back to his meal.
By now, I'm dripping in sweat. My throat is still incredibly scratchy and it's getting a little difficult to breathe. I'm probably just being dramatic.
Looking around the table once more, I see my brothers all happily devouring their meals. Wanting to please them, I take another hefty bite.
Chewing slowly and swallowing, I set my fork down on my plate. I can't eat anymore, something is definitely wrong.
I claw at my throat, suddenly finding it increasingly difficult to breathe.
"Slow down, piccola. Don't want you to choke, foods not going anywhere." I hear Luca laugh.
With my hands still scratching my throat, I turn to him with panic in my eyes.
"Parker?" Luca asks, no longer laughing seeing the fear written all over my face.
I'm hyperventilating now, and have effectively gotten the attention of the rest of the table.
"Bambina, what's wrong?" Matteo alarmingly asks.
I turn to him, tears of panic dripping down my face.
"c-can't bre-ath-he" I rasp out.
In an instant, Matteo is by my side. He begins accessing what the issue could be while I frantically try to catch my breath.
"Parker, are you allergic to anything?" He asks seeming to put things together in his mind.
I shrug my shoulders. I don't know If I'm allergic to anything, I never really had a chance to try many foods.
"I think she's in anaphylactic shock. Bruno I need you to run to the clinic and grab the bag for emergencies." Matteo states.
I see Bruno sprint out of the room at the speed of lighting.
I'm starting to feel dizzy and lightheaded from the obvious lack of oxygen. I grip Matteo's shirt in pure panic.
"You'll be okay, bambina. You must be alergic to something in the food, Bruno's going to fetch an Epi-pen, it will help you feel better." He tells me, pushing my hair behind my ear.
Moments later, Bruno reappears with a medical looking bag in hand. I watch as he frantically hands it to Matteo. Ripping it open, Matteo retrieves a large looking shot.
Without warning, Matteo jabs my thigh. I feel a sharp pain radiate through my leg before I start to find it a little easier to breathe.
I'm still panting as I feel Matteo scoop me into his arms, I melt into his embrace, feeling incredibly anxious. My heart is pounding at a very fast rate.
"We have to take her to the hospital, sometimes one dose of epinephrine isn't enough." I hear Matteo announce to our brothers as I am rushed away.
Why can't I just have a nice family meal with a catastrophe happening?
