ALANA

28

ARES

"Oh! buongiorno novelli sposi" mama squeals as we enter the dining, making me shake my head at her childish behavior. "You two just look so good together it is match made in heaven." she says with a wide grin.
(good morning newly weds.)

"Mama, do my tie" I say, handing her it but she backs away.

"No no no, you have a wife now caro, she will be taking over these tedious tasks for me, won't you bella?" she replies with a look in Alana's direction.

"fallo è basta ma" I say to her. Why does she have to make it heinous.
(just do it ma)

"No, Alana, you know how to do a tie, sí tesoro?" She asks. I glance at my wife who nods. Mama looks back at me and smiles "See caro, she knows how! It is bad enough that I have had to do it for all these years, now you have a wife to take care of you" then she walks away as if she was not just the root of palpable tension between me and her daughter in law.

"You can do it after breakfast" I say to her, pulling out a chair so she can sit. She does then I sit next to her as my brothers walk in.

"Hey, you stole my seat" Carlos says, taking a seat across from me.

"Shutup" I say simply to which he laughs.

"Morning cognata, you look-"

"Carlos, Dico sul serio, stai zitto prima che ti faccia soffocare con un cornetto" I spit making him laugh loudly.
(I am serious, shut the fuck up before i make you choke on a croissant.)

"Buongiorno" Griff greets, sitting down with Aaron.

"So did anyone else hear a strange sound of bed springs last night or was it just me?" Aaron asks making Griff smirk but he looks away trying to hide it while Carlos almost chokes on his drink.

"Aaron." I seethe, giving him a sharp look. He raises his hands in surrender.

"What? I am allowed one joke in that area come on now brother" He laughs, looking around, probably for mama.

I look over at Alana who looks confused. Not embarrassed like I had expected. Fuck she didn't understand that joke did she?

Father and Ma enter soon, and we start eating. Alana only eats the cut up fruit and that is it.

I try to stop thinking about her and just eat. It is like my every thought has been consumed by her existence and it is troublesome for me to make peace with that. I brush off the thoughts.

"So cara, have you seen the closet yet? I can have someone help you put your things up today. But I only saw them bring by two suitcases, do you still have stuff at your house?" Mama strikes a conversation with her.

"Oh uhm, no, I do not have anything left at father's house. I suppose I just do not have that much stuff." She shrugs. Mama frowns at her.

"Well that is barely enough stuff for a young woman tesoro, do you not like shopping?" she asks. I cannot help but intently listen for her answers. It is a strange urge, but I do not know alot about her.

"I wouldn't know, I haven't been" she answers which illicits a gasp from ma and a raised eyebrow from father. I am quite shocked myself.

"What do you mean? You have not gone out to buy yourself dresses and shoes?" Mama asks in shock. I see Alana look confused again like she doesn't think it to be odd.

"No, stepmother would get me dresses made. 3 per month" she says. Mama eyebrows knot then seem to loosen as if she has solved a mystery.

"What a shame, well we will go shopping today, since your boring husband has work, you are free and my boring husband also has work so I am also free!" mama laughs making Alana scrunch up her nose and let out a small laugh.

We all soon finish breakfast, and I stand up to head back to my room to get my things. Alana follows behind me but does not come into my study when I walk in, she remains standing at the door.

"Why did you stop? I need you to do my tie" I tell her. She looks at me nervously before she takes small steps towards me.

"I did want to enter without your permission. Father gets angry if I enter his study without permission." She explains which makes me angry for some reason.

I just despise consigliere Colombo at this point. He sounds like a lousy father.

She reaches for my tie which I hand to her as she steps closer reaching out her arms to straighten my collar. Her arms barely reach my neck which makes my lips quirk. She starts to do the tie, eventually I feel her go on her toes to become taller, then let out a content sigh at her relief of gaining a little height.

When she is done, she goes back onto her feet with an accomplished smile on her face.

"I have never practiced on a man before" She tells me, fixing it some more. "It is different then doing it on Mrs. Fiore" she says. I feel my lip's finally give in and turn upwards.

"Grazie" she nods.

"Can I ask you something if it is not trouble?" How the fuck would her question be trouble? I nod for her to continue anyway. "What did Aaron mean earlier? He seemed to look at me when he said it? Have I done something?" she asks.

I let her words sink in. Her naïveté astonishes me to no end. How did she not catch on?

"No, you did nothing poca pecora, he was just being the insufferable asshole he is, I am sure you will get used to it" I tell her. I take out my black credit card and hand it to her. She looks at it in complete and utter confusion looking back up at me for help.

"For your shopping trip with mama, it is a credit card." I say. She frowns but doesn't comment just nods. "I have to go now, ciao" I say, walking out of the study to get away from her perfume that was slowly invading my senses and eating away at my resolve.