Romano thinks his brother is still dead.
I'd decided to follow Romano one night. I took Ita-chan along too, as he seems to know more about his brother's mafia than I do. Besides, if he made any noise and drew Romano's attention to us, that would be a good thing – it would mean Romano would have heard him.
We watched from a distance, horrified, as Romano beats someone, ties them up, and throws them in the boot of a black car. The car is driven away by a lackey.
Now, two hours later, we watch as another man is hit over the heat with the butt of a gun, drawing blood. Ita-chan clutches the hem of my shirt tightly. I don't know what I can do to soothe him.
"Get back against the wall," growls Romano. The man is slow, so he takes his collar and slams him into the bricks at the end of the alley.
"Please, I have a wife and kids!" the man sobs. Romano positions his gun. "I have a little brother who relies on me! He won't be able to cope without someone to help him out!" gabbles the man in fast Italian. Tears stream down his face as he begs for his life. Romano looks at him.
"Yeah. I used to have one of those. You should have paid the money."
Suddenly Ita-chan can't take it any more. I try to pull him back down, but he is on his feet and running towards the two men in the alley. He hasn't let go of my shirt and I am pulled forward as it rips and fall onto my front. The breath is knocked out of me so I can't even shout after him.
I scramble to my feet and pelt in the same direction. I arrive just as Ita-chan places himself in front of the man as Romano is about to pull the trigger, and I get the most horrid sensation of deja vu, and bile rises in my throat, and this time there is no miracle that can bring him back to life. Bullets rip through the soft flesh of Ita-chan's chest and straight through him to kill the man behind as well, and I throw up.
But that hasn't happened. It was just my mind. I hear a gun fall to the floor and look up as Romano stares disbelievingly at his brother.
"Veneziano..." he breathes, and falls onto his younger brother in a hug that makes them crash onto the ground.
The man runs away while he sees the chance, and I pass him as I run over to the Italian brothers. I crouch down next to him.
"Romano," I gasp, hopeful beyond belief, "are you back?" In response, Romano takes my head in a vice-grip, kisses me fiercely on both cheeks and fixes me in a tight embrace. I go as red as a tomato and Ita-chan laughs lightly. I bury my face into Romano's shoulder and cry for what was and what is, for what almost was and what almost wasn't. I am so happy to have him back. Unbelievably happy.
Because I realised something in his absence.
I love Romano.