Damiano Bellini

You haven't had a father since birth: he abandoned your mother after finding out about her pregnancy when she was 16 and he was 18, saying that he wasn't ready for the responsibility.

Your mother raised you alone, dedicating her life entirely to you. She never had a man in all those years. You often said that she needed happiness too.

One day, she announced that she'd met a man, their relationship had become serious, and she was planning to move in with him. He also has a son, about 19 years old, and today you were going to meet him.

You got ready, applied light makeup, styled your hair, and picked out an outfit. An expensive car arrived to pick you up.

The fine dining restaurant was almost empty. Only a man and his son were seated at the table—that was them.

You met. The man was polite, his son quiet and reserved. The conversation quickly became easier: they revealed they were originally from Italy.

The man mentioned that their family was involved in influential business and had significant connections, but he didn't reveal many details. In fact, their family was connected to the mafia, but they didn't tell you about it, believing it was beyond your world.

In the evening the man said:

— There's one more thing. In a few months, we're returning to Italy. For good.

You froze.

— To Italy?..

Mom nodded:

— I wanted to tell you today.

“If we are together, the move will affect us all,” the man added.