Demons Don't Smile

Chapter Six

"Absence is a house so vast that inside you will pass through its walls and hang pictures on the air."

― Pablo Neruda

Aadrian

What did I just do? What did I do?!

Did I just congratulate my son on his wife's pregnancy announcement?

No...that couldn't have been me.

But there I was awkwardly walking away from the two after having spoken rudely, actually that was the nicest I could possibly get to anyone; I just wasn't built like others were.

I couldn't be...kind.

A short two pats on Nicolas's left shoulder and a small casted glance towards Valeria's small baby bump and I was on my way back to where I was coming from. I could tell the both of them were shocked at my behavior, hell! I was shocked as well.

This was Amelia's fault, she constantly got into my head and encouraged me to speak with "kindness" and "respect" towards others and I think it was finally sinking into my thick skull.

I didn't want it to.

I was getting weaker and weaker as the days went by, I no longer was the menacing cold king that I once used to be to my family and outside community. It could be because I no longer had to work anymore; after I had given my company to Nicolas and he selfishly dismembered them and sold them to the highest bidder, I found satisfaction most days in my study reading and trying to limit my interaction with the outside world.

That still didn't stop Amelia from dragging me from the comfort of my library to this pop up party, uniting both sides of the family once again since the marriage of Valeria and Nicolas 2 years ago. It was pathetic in my opinion and I found myself mostly residing with the Italian side of the family as I watched the Bajan side of Valeria's family intermingle with mine.

I didn't like it, I thought that our family didn't need anymore contamination than it already has had, but from the corner of my eye I could see younger couples finding themselves entrapped in conversation with one another.

I was appalled, but kept most of my opinions to myself.

The hate in my heart, was not enough to keep myself from doing something that was out of my comfort zone.

I was still confused myself all the way to the gated community homes where Amelia and I shared a historic New York home whenever we were in the states. We had been staying here for about a month or two on and off as we traveled elsewhere to visit relatives and sight-see, but we were going back to Italy pretty soon.

I did not get any rest that night as Amelia constantly gushed about how we were finally getting another grandchild and this time from our first-born son.

"I thought it would never happen!" Amelia cried once again, tears were falling from her face, but she had a wide smile on her beautiful milky skin.

I always fathomed how someone could smile and cry at the same, nevertheless cry.

I didn't know what kind of emotion that was.

"Lea...it was bound to happen eventually, our son can barely keep it in his pants for an hour." I scoffed.

Amelia turned to me and slapped my shoulder, it sent a short flash of hot pain through my arm and I hissed.

She narrowed her eyes, "Can you be happy for him once? We're going to have a grandchild!" She clapped as she leaned over and burrowed her head into my chest.