A/N: I own nothing but Maria and India. Any critiques would be much appreciated! I worked extra hard on this one
The Pavi is an uncle! Tonight, I'm in charge of little India. Fratello doesn't trust our sister but he says he trusts the Pavi. Can you believe it? She's only a few months old, but India is already smart, like her parents, and beautiful, like her mother. I won't let her end up like fratella, fratello, and I were. Like fratella still is. India is going to grow up to be a naturally pretty bella and the Pavi will make sure that doesn't change. If she becomes vain like her aunt and uncle, she could end up horribly disfigured, like the Pavi, or a unrecognizable, strung out scalpel slut like fratella. Only now am I becoming able to change my ways. That is all because of Maria helping the Pavi. She is like a mother to me. She found me one day, without my mask. Maria did not scream. She told me I should go maskless more often. Maria made the Pavi watch movies that, if the Pavi remembers right, were called chick flicks. They had someone with a deformity, be it internal or not, who was like me. Then some bullshit happened. Those simply annoyed me. But, Maria did not quit. Eventually, it began to work. I don't wear my mask much anymore. Only to public events. The Pavi is even thinking of finding a Maria. Luigi seems so much happier. Maybe a bella who loves the Pavi, even when I'm not in a mask will make me quit needing the constant attention of other bellas to make me feel handsome.
I will be sure India doesn't ever feel like I have. She's destined to look like Maria and Luigi. She's already got fratello's eyes and Maria's red curls. Maybe, if the Pavi works hard, I can teach her there are lots of beautifuls. Just like Maria taught me. I'll show her those old paintings of bigger bellas and of women who aren't the current pretty and show her how different can be beautiful. Maybe she'll even think her Uncle Pavi is handsome with no mask. I believe Maria when she says she does. Maybe one day, the Pavi's wife will be a bella who thinks he's handsome in no mask. India won't be vain and shallow like I was before everything changed. Father's almost death shook me up and then Maria and the more mentally sound Luigi helped the Pavi change his views. India will be like Maria.
Since she is a Largo, she could make it a trend to be natural. She'll make people think that everyone is beautiful in some way. Others will be saved from my mistakes. I was made vain by this society. I remember thinking my nanny was beautiful. Father told her she was an fat, ugly woman and would have to get surgery before being allowed to take his children anywhere. She did. She was never that pretty again. But since father said she was beautiful, my mind's warped perception of perfection began. I don't know why I didn't think I was handsome enough. Maybe because dad preferred Luigi. He was old enough to work for father so they were always together. The Pavi just wanted father and thought if he were more handsome, like fratello, father would spend time with me. So, I had my face replaced. Then, my body rejected the face. I was left scarred horribly. I stole the faces of the pretty bellas who looked like the women who father married. The women he paid attention to. Would father love me then?
India won't ever do any of that. She's oing to have too close of a relationship with Maria fratello, and me. We'll always pay attention. Shilo even adores her. Maybe, since Shilo and Maria are both surgery free, I can make sure India sees that? She'll see how beautiful she is because she is rare. She's a natural beauty. She isn't plastic. She's real skin and bones. Fratella doesn't have any real skin left. My only surgery was my face, so I'm mostly real. Luigi's surgeries have been minor. Fill a wrinkle here, restitch some collateral damage there. She'll see how fucked up fratella is and how good Shilo and Maria are. And she'll expect more than we did. I'll read her those stories with princesses and princes. Dad never read us those. We thought what he did was the most ideal way. Marry a pretty girl because she wants your money and you want her body. I only know about real love because of Luigi and Maria. India will be better than I was. I'll be sure of it.