...Unconditional...
Dropping the groceries down onto the kitchen table, Francis Corelli lets out a weary sigh, running a hand down his face to fight off the growing fatigue. The day is barely half over, a whole list of things he still has left to do, needing to find the strength to keep going until it's all done.
Rolling his head from side to side, he takes a moment to stretch his limbs before tackling the task of putting away things he had purchased. It would take about half an hour to get things situated, but he finishes it before long. Keeping the ingredients for dinner out, knowing he'll need to get started on it soon if he wants to have dinner at a decent hour.
Glancing up at the clock, he lets out another long weary sigh, time seems to be getting away from him a lot lately. Tossing the meat in a bowl to sit in marination, Francis makes his way into the living room to clean up the mess that still remains there. It's been over a week since he hosted the guys in his home and since then he hasn't had any time to clean up. One assignment after another, he just couldn't find enough hours in the day to get things done.
Just as he's about to grab the garbage bin to get started, the familiar shrill of his cellphone rings through the air, causing a dragged out groan to escape his lips as he reaches for his phone instead of the bin. Answering, he voices his automatic acceptance before ending the call the shoving the phone back into his pockets. Yet another assignment falling into his lap.
Turning away from the mess of a living room, Francis makes his way into the kitchen to store his food in the fridge, knowing he won't have any energy to cook once he gets back. Going through the motions of preparing for another assignment, he secures his gun at the small of his back before sliding into his signature coat, locking up his home before heading out.
"Hey, old timer," his partner, Johnny O'Brien, voices when he arrives on the scene. "So much for a night off, huh?"
"No such thing, kid," Francis replies simply, seeing that this was going to be another long night. "Let's just get through this in one piece, deal?"
"Sure thing," Johnny agrees without hesitation. "Nights still getting to you?"
"Still got many ahead of me," Francis shrugs, his loss still weighing heavily on him, but he doesn't expect that to change anytime soon. "A conversation for another time."
"Yeah, okay," Johnny replies when he sees their boss, Sonny Corinthos, pull up with his head enforcer. "Show time."
Standing guard outside the boss's latest meeting, Francis keeps his mind focused on the moment, allowing his personal situation to melt away for the moment. Though his job is mostly standing around, locked and loaded, he knows that even the slightest distraction on his part can mean the difference between his boss making it out of a meeting dead or alive.
It would be a few hours of standing guard before Sonny is safely in his armored car and heading back to his penthouse. Parting ways with his partner, Francis decides to call it a night, trudging into his house and falling into bed moments later. His to-do list building with each passing day, but finding no strength to accomplish much these days past his job.
Morning brings with it a new list of things that needed to be done atop of the list that still remains from the weeks prior. Going through his checklist, Francis makes his way through town, checking in on the business that are under Sonny's protection. Handling any situations that may arise at each place to ensure that they remain satisfied with Sonny's protection detail.
Leaving the local diner, Francis finds himself heading in the direction of the park, something about taking a short nature walk calls to him. Taking in a deep breath once he steps foot into the park, a soft smile touches his lips, she had always loved walks. She was a lover of nature in all aspects. It was that wholesomeness that had called to him to begin with. His love, Melody, was a beautiful soul that he and this world never deserved.
"Excuse me," a soft voice pulls him from his thoughts. "I'm sorry for bothering you."
"That's alright," he replies with a soft smile, stunned at the striking resemblance this young girl has to his Melody. "How can I help you?"
"Um, I'm Elizabeth," she says cautiously as she holds out her hand to him. "Elizabeth Webber."
"Francis Corelli," he replies, shaking her hand for a moment before dropping his hand back to his side. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"You, too," she says happily, a bright smile spreading across her face. "Um, I was kind of wondering if you'd let me sketch you for my art assignment. I know it's a weird request and you are more than welcome to say no..."
"Would it take long?"
"No, not really," Elizabeth shakes her head. "I'm pretty good at remembering faces. I would just need you for a rough sketch. I can finish it off on my own after that."
"Okay then," Francis voices after glancing at this watch, seeing he had some time before he's needed at the warehouse. "I'd love to help. Do you need me anywhere specific?"
"Um...just by the fountain, if you don't mind," Elizabeth says as she quickly pulls out her sketchbook. "You can sit or stand, either would work, it's completely up to you."
Deciding he'd like to see the sketch when she's done with it, he goes for a standing position, knowing it held more depth than if he were to sit. Staring at the water of the fountain, Francis loses himself in thought as he stands for her sketch, memories of his lost love flooding his mind as he thinks of her. Something about this young woman in front of him reminds him so much of his Melody, seeing a similar fire burning within her that had once resided in his beloved.
"Um, Francis..." Elizabeth voices a while later as she stuffs her sketchbook back into her bag. "I'm done. Thank you for letting me do this. You're like the tenth person I asked and I really wasn't expecting you to say yes, but you did and I really appreciate that."
"Anyone ever tell you that you ramble?"
"Yeah, I get that a lot, actually," Elizabeth says with a laugh. "My mother calls it my unique quirk, but that's just her way of politely saying I'm weird. Not that I disagree, I'm nothing like my family, a black sheep of sorts. And...I'm doing it again. Anyway, thanks for the help. If there's anything I could do to help you, let me know, okay? I owe you one after all."
"You show me that when you're done with it and we'll call it even," Francis counters simply before glancing at his clock. "Looks like I'm running late. I have to get going."
"Yeah, okay," Elizabeth shakes her head. "I should have it done in a couple days, so, maybe you can meet me at Kelly's for lunch. What do you say?"
"Sure," Francis agrees. "See you in two days then."
"See you then," Elizabeth smiles brightly. "I'm holding you to that."
"You do that."
Granting her a smile as a farewell, Francis turns to head back to his car to head off to the warehouse, finding his day held just a little more light than it did before. Grabbing the roster from the lock box, he gets started on making sure that things are running properly. Checking that all employees logged in for today are actually there working. Running through shipment logs to make sure that the right shipments are there and that they haven't been sent any shipments meant for one of the other warehouses.
"Hey, man, don't forget the barbecue's at my place tonight," Johnny calls out to Francis as he gets ready to head out on patrol. "Bring your travel bag because it's bound to run late."
"Sure, kid," Francis replies as he signs off on the shipment. "I'll head over once I'm done here to help set up."
"Sounds good," Johnny happily accepts. "I've got a bigger route today so just let yourself in."
"Got it."
"Cool, I'll see you when I'm done."
In their world, change is inevitable, things change daily and even hourly sometimes that they all just needed something constant to rely on. Thus the weekly barbecue came to fruition and it must have been a good idea because two years later and it's still going strong. Turning his attention back to the tasks at hand, Francis puts thoughts of the barbecue on the back burner until he finishes everything he needs to do there. From the looks of it, it should only take him another hour to get things finished.