The morning sun peeked through the blinds as Rosa and I lay kissing in my bed. Her lips were so soft, each kiss tenderer than the next. We had been up cuddling together since dawn. I hummed in satisfaction as I pulled away "how about I make us some breakfast?"

She pouted as she pulled a face "no, let's stay in bed. Besides, I'm not hungry." She kissed me again and I chuckled. I stared at her for a moment as the morning light made her blue eyes sparkle "what?" She asked.

"You're so beautiful, you know that?" I squeezed her hand that was resting in my palm.

She laughed as she looked down "no, I'm not" she grunted "I don't look the same as that girl from the photo."

"What photo...?" I questioned.

"The photo that you took of me on the beach on our honeymoon. When I found it in the letter I knew you had to be alive." Then it hit me. So that's what Lincoln did with the photo and that's why he was so concerned with the way I looked yesterday. I smiled to myself. That bastard. It had been the first coherent thought I'd made in the last 24 hours. The only thing I could focus on was the beautiful creature laying in front of me.

"You haven't changed a bit" we kissed again before being interrupted by the sound of her growling stomach. I pulled apart as we both eyed her tummy. "You really haven't changed a bit, more stubborn than ever." She giggled "come on, up we go. Time to feed you." I kissed her forehead before leaving the bed.

She rolled over and moaned "you're probably right." She sat up, her hair flopped over in a big ball. She looked at her clothes "I should probably change" then she perked up as her eyes popped open "Oh my… I forgot to pack clothes!"

I looked at her in disbelief "come on, are you serious? How could you forget that?!"

"I don't know, I just read that letter and my mind went blank...I feel so stupid."

"Don't feel stupid" I pulled her chin up with my thumb and pointer finger "I guess we're going shopping, that's all." She smiled at my understanding. "First we eat."

"You spoil me, Scaletta." She bit her bottom lip.

"Well, get used to it. I have 15 years to make up for." I winked at her as I left the room.

I started to get out the pans and eggs as she appeared in the doorway, leaning her head on the door frame as she admired me "is this what this was supposed to be like, waking up next to you? "

I grinned "how does it feel?"

She took in a breath and smiled "wonderful" she watched me a few moments longer then made her way to me. I felt her hands massage my back. "It smells good" she moved her arms around my body as she rested her head on my back. "I'm so happy we're together again." She whispered.

"Happy doesn't begin to describe how I feel." I turned and gave her a light kiss on the lips. I groaned "I will never get tired of that." She giggled as I went to the table and dished out the eggs on our plates.

Rosa:

We sat and ate breakfast in his tiny kitchen as the early morning sun beams danced on the table and floor. I listened to him talk about what he had planned for us today. I watched his composer, listened to his voice and realized there was something different about Vito.

His expressions were more animated and not like his usual cold and analytical stare. The one that you could studied for hours and still never know what he was thinking. His voice was raspier, which I guess came with age, and he was more vocal than he used to be. He reminded me more of Joe but a more serious version. I titled my head as I continued to listen and observe, then he stopped and looked at me. Shoot, I've been caught I thought.

"You're not listening to me." After all this time he still knew me so well.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, I was just…nothing, never mind" I stabbed a few egg pieces with my fork and brought them to my mouth.

"Come on, tell me. What were you thinking?" he leaned in, smiling. I wouldn't budge as he went to play footsie with me "Come on, tell me, tell me."

I giggled "Stop…" I covered my mouth with my hand as I swallowed my food "I'm just noticing a few things that are different about you."

"Oh...? Like what?" he was interested to know.

"Just little inflections in your voice. You talk a lot" I crinkled my nose as I smirked at him. "You remind me… of…" I was afraid to say his name, but if Vito was still alive I figured he was too "…Joe." I looked at him and watched his smile fade. His mouth dropped so low I thought it was going to fall from his chin. He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms "What's wrong?" I questioned.

He took a breath and picked up his plate "Nothing…are you done?" he went for my plate and before I could give him an answer, I watched it lift in front of me and swerve to the sink.

"Vito." I got up and walked to him. I touched his shoulder "What happened?" my stomach was churning as I watched his arm vigorously scrub the plate. I could tell by his reaction that what he was going to tell me was nothing good.

He threw the plate down and whipped the sweat from his brow "Dammit" he said. "Joe… Joe's….dead."

The words sat heavy in my ears. I saw him grip the sink "Oh, Vito…" I hugged him tight. He looked out the window as he told me the story. It was horrifying. How could anyone do that to a person, especially a fun loving guy like Joe? He didn't deserve that.

"The worst part is… I couldn't save him. I thought…maybe…" he sighed as he hung his head.

"Vito, don't! Do not blame yourself." I looked deep into his eyes so he could see how serious I was. I wanted to hear more of his story, but I didn't want to press him. He would tell me when he was ready. I kissed him "Please…"

He took a breath "You're right." He held me in his arms for a few moments longer. I rested my head on his chest and listened to his rapid heartbeat slow. My presences calmed him just like his did for me. "Those fuckers got theirs. My good friend took care of them."

I looked up at him, still holding on to him "Lincoln?"

He was surprised I knew his name "Yeah…how did you know that? Did I say his name?"

I laughed "No, he picked me up from the airport. He told me he wrote me because you were very upset recently."

I saw him blush as he looked away "He's a good kid. First guy I've met in a long time that is true to his word."

"He has done a lot for you…for us. We should invite him to dinner so we can, properly, get to know each other." I suggested.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. He has been going with a girl, we can invite her too." We were still holding each other.

"Hey…what business are you helping him with?" I inquired as he released me to go back to the dishes

I saw him stop for a moment and then continue washing the ceramic circles "it's complicated. I'll tell you, don't worry about it." I pouted my lips but didn't probe anymore. I trusted he would tell me soon.

The rest of the morning was fine. The conversations were light and mostly about how much we loved one another. I helped him wash dishes as he playful splashed water at me and I hit him with the dish rag. After that he got dressed to go shopping. I told him I would wait downstairs. I wanted to explore the place he lived these years we were without each other.

I hopped down the steps as I looked over the water at the city. Minus the intense smile of fish, it was a beautiful spot. I greeted the two mobsters at the steps "Good Morning." They followed me with their eyes, nodding in response. I peeked into the warehouse, leaving as soon as I realized it was nothing but dead fish and contraband. Then I went to the small shed that read "office." There was nothing there but a desk and on it was a newspaper article about the oddly placed restaurant Vito lived above. I read 4 stars at the top as the rest of the article raved about homemade meatballs and catfish scaloppini. I walked across the boardwalk to the restaurant and looked around inside. It was nautical themed with a touch of Italian features. My hands lightly caressed the wooden tables as I noticed the "closed for renovation" signs. Then on the wall hung a picture of Vito shaking hands with an important looking man. Who was that? I wondered, but my thoughts were interrupted by Vito's voice.

"That's the bastard who controlled me for the last fifteen years." I turned to face him, he continued "Sal Marcano…" he chuckled in disgust "…'good kid, Leo's father knew him,'…" He mimicked the words that were not his own "more like the biggest cocksucker you've ever met."

"You both looked pretty friendly here." I pointed to the photograph. He walked closer, observing the picture and reliving the moment.

He scoffed "he was pissed but he could put a smile on for the papers. The local "businessman" had to be recognized for his investment. I had turned this shit hole into a legitimate business and he resented me for it. I knew how badly he wanted me to fail so that he could just get rid of me." He was lost in a memory "I was sick of the usual mafia bullshit. The dope, the illegal contraband…I just wanted an honest to goodness business."

"I never knew you wanted to open a restaurant" I said to him.

"Yeah, well I needed a hobby to take my mind off of things and cooking was a good outlet." He paused "you know… the only reason I busted my ass to open this place was so that I could make money to skip town and see you."

My heart skipped a beat. I never got tired of hearing how he never stopped trying to get to me "What happened…?"

He sighed "…bastard Marcano had me shut the place down. Said there was too much traffic and that there were too many folks snooping around. Wanted to use it for more "useful endeavors" …turned it into a processing and packing plant for fish and inside those crates of fish were a ton of illegal substances…" he shook his head "the mother fucker made it his mission to destroy every ounce of happiness I ever had."

I hated seeing him in pain. I so badly wished I could turn back time so he never had to experience the things he did. He was strong, but I could see the years of torture had jaded him. I entwined my fingers in his as I swung his arm "Could Benny's reopen for a special customer? I would love to try the famous fist sized meatballs" he smiled and my heart thudded in my chest. I loved seeing that smile. "I could even help you clean the place up."

He kissed my hand "absolutely, but first I take you out on the town."

I gripped his arm and stared at him in the Louisiana sun. He was even more gorgeous in the natural light. I did notice his under eyes were dark, like he had a lot of stress these years he lived here. He held the door open for me as we got in his dull blue car. We drove down the street with the music blasting and the windows down. My hair whipped around in the wind as I laughed with so much joy, singing along to the Beatles and CCR with Vito. It felt good to be happy again, after being miserable for so long. There had been so many dark days that I forgot how good it felt to have your cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

He took me to the shopping district in Downtown. The street was beautiful. A mix of old southern buildings and modern store fronts. We went to a huge department store named "Buck's; Quality clothing" where I tried dress after dress. Vito was actually active in my shopping spree, picking out dresses for me to try on and accessories that would match. He sat on the dressing room couch as I spun and twirled in each beautiful fabric. Then I took his hands as I pulled him to the men's section. As much as I loved his fedora and polo shirts I wanted to dress him in something a little nicer.

We left the store with 5 new dress shirts and slacks for him and four new outfits for me, including the new one I put on to replace my wrinkled pale pink dress. We held hands as the store associate took our bags, dropping them off at our car. I clung to him as my mind drifted to the memories in Empire Bay. He would always surprise me with new dresses just because. I chuckled to myself, remembering how much I hated wearing skirts or dresses because I thought I would lose respect from the mobsters in the family. I was ashamed of my womanhood. Then Vito came along. He showed me how a woman should've been treated. He showed me my self-worth. I pulled myself closer to him, realizing how lucky I was to have found him and be with him again.

I think the French Ward was my favorite. Jazz music played on almost every corner. The sounds of the trumpet and saxophone filled my ears. It was a beautiful city at times and so inspiring. The intricate art deco designs and colors were breath taking.

I admired him as we strolled down the street, he laughed "You are supposed to be looking around you, not at me."

"I am, I can take a break and admire you too." he smiled.

We walked past the statue of Andrew Jackson and found a small café by the water. I sat down as Vito order us coffee. What a beautiful day. "Here you go" he set down the cup in front of me. We both sipped our coffee in silence "…I invited Lincoln and his girl over for dinner tonight."

I hummed in acceptance as I continued to stare ahead "Vito… what happened that day in that beach house when I left down the street? When I thought you were dead. Why did it take so long for us to meet? Why now, isn't there still some kind of danger?" I leaned in and whispered angrily "I mean you are obviously still in the mob." I sat back "I need to know, I can't keep making casual small talk about the weather and the art deco architecture of the city, anymore. We need to talk about it."

He looked around as he leaned in closer to me "alright, alright, calm down." He sighed "Leo, took pity on me by sending me down here. He had Sal keep an eye on me like a fucking babysitter. When I tried to make multiple attempts to run he hired a P.I. to find you. He threatened to kill you if I did anything else to cause trouble for him and his operation." He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face "I had daily beatings because I was too fucking stubborn to just retreat with my tail between my legs. When they found you…I had to stop.

Ever since then Sal never liked me. He gave me that shit hole to run and squeezed me dry for years making it impossible for me to have any money. Then he figured, if I wasn't paying my dues then he could convince the commission to kill me, no problem. About a month back Lincoln actually saved me from being wacked once and for all by Marcano's nephew" he struggled to summarize the large chunk of his life "Lincoln has a whole other story, but to make it short, Marcano betrayed and killed his only family and he is seeking revenge and asked for my help and two other mob leaders in the area.

…I didn't contact you because I wasn't sure if I would even be a live in the next couple of months. Between Marcano and Lincoln I wasn't sure who to trust and I didn't want to make it hard on you by resurrecting from the dead just to get killed for real." He looked down, the brim of his fedora covered his eyes "I couldn't bring you into this life again. You deserved so much more, that I just couldn't give you. Hopefully…soon… Lincoln will finish this whole thing and I can be a free man…before Marcano gets to me himself."

I was in complete shock. I sat silent for a while trying to take it all in "Vito, I'm sorry…I didn't realize."

"It's fine. I had to tell you eventually." He finished the last of his coffee as he looked out at the horizon. "It was the hardest thing in my life, being away from you. I felt trapped…I was trapped. It was a horrible thing; to have everyone you loved banished from your life; Joe, you, my sister." I was at a loss for words. I just sat there like an idiot. He checked his watch "shit, we better head back. They'll be at the dock soon."

"Vito…I…" we stood as I still couldn't form words. All I could do was go to him and hold him, so that's what I did. He kissed my head as we parted and headed back to the restaurant.

Vito:

Rosa came into the kitchen and smiled at me "Oh you are so sexy when you're cooking" she kissed my cheek as I thanked her. "The table is set and everything is ready. I'm just going to run upstairs for a second. Be right back…"

I heard her footsteps up the stairs "Crap, I don't have any more pepper down here. Hey Rosa," I called to her but she must've already been in the apartment. I followed her up and walked to the kitchen "Hey Rosa, can you grab the wine-" I stopped talking when I realized she was in the bedroom. The door was shut and I could hear her talking.

It was muffled and I got the end of the conversation "just wanted to check in… I made it safe... Okay, love you, sweetie...bye."

My chest ached as I looked at the floor in complete dismay. "Love you, Sweetie" I thought. Who could she be talking to? I shook my head. Maybe it's her neighbor or maybe she bought a dog and wanted it to hear her voice. She couldn't be with someone else. She just couldn't be.

I heard her coming and quickly ducked down to the kitchen cabinet. She exited the room and abruptly stopped when she saw me "Oh…Vito, how long have you-"

I cut her off as I grabbed the pepper "I had to grab some more pepper and the wine I had up here. I tried to call to you but you didn't respond"

"Oh, sorry I was…in the bathroom." She patted down her dress "Do you want me to take something?"

"No, I'm good." I stomped down the steps as she followed behind me. She couldn't be seeing some else, could she?