"So what? Our Family has money. Mamma can just buy me a seat at any table she wants!" Matteo declared, tugging at his cuffs and lifting his chin as if the gesture alone made the words true.
Salvatore gave me a subtle glance. Seeing that I didn't react, he smoothed his tie down with one flat palm and continued, "Your mother may love you, but she can't indulge you like this! Holding the Family together alone isn't easy for her. You need to show some ambition. How else will you earn your place, or make her confident enough to put the empire in your hands one day?"
Lucia chimed in earnestly, the inside of her cheek pressed between her teeth, her smile sweet. "Matteo, your father is right. Even though Adriana is your mother and will always take care of you, you need to prove yourself. Otherwise, how will you command the respect of the old Capos when you take the seat at the head of the table?"
Watching the two of them echo each other, I smiled faintly and said calmly, "It's fine. I've already planned everything for Matteo. I'll send him abroad to learn the trade away from prying eyes. Once he's back, he'll naturally take his place at the head of the Family. After all, everything I have is for Matteo."
Hearing this, the three of them smiled contentedly.
I smiled too, but for a different reason. They thought I was naive. I thought they were laughably foolish.
While the arrangements for his time abroad were being made, I took my son into the heart of the Family's operations every day, teaching him the ins and outs of every front and every ledger without reservation.
On the day of his departure, Salvatore accompanied him to the airfield, gripping his hand tightly, his face filled with reluctance. Lucia made a special trip too, bringing a pile of things for my son, fretting over how he'd manage so far from the Family's protection.
The two of them gave him endless reminders, creating a warm and touching scene, a true picture of parents' worry when their child travels far from home.
After my son boarded the plane, they watched it climb into the sky, their eyes brimming with tears until it vanished from view. Only then did they leave, reluctantly, tears still glistening.
Once my son was gone, Lucia came around less often, but Salvatore began slipping out more and more. Each time he returned, he seemed utterly drained.
When I asked about it, he'd claim he'd been with friends, or that he'd taken up boxing at a club downtown to stay sharp. On days he ran out of excuses, he'd feign sorrow, sighing dramatically and pressing his palm flat down his tie. "I raised Matteo with my own hands. He's never been away from me this long. I can't help but miss him. If I don't find something to occupy myself, I'll fall apart."
Ignoring the lingering trace of Lucia's signature perfume on his collar, I smiled and reassured him, "Matteo will be back soon. Then we can all be together again."
Salvatore's lips curved into a faint smile, laden with hidden meaning. "Yes. Soon, our family of three will be reunited."
Four years later, my son returned from abroad.
Just like old times, Lucia showed up early at my door, riding out with Salvatore and me to meet him.
The moment they saw my son, Lucia and Salvatore couldn't contain themselves, rushing forward to embrace him tightly as if no one else in the world existed.
After their emotional reunion, my son walked straight up to me and got to the point. "Mamma, I'm back. When will you hand over the Family to me?"
Seeing his eagerness, I smiled calmly and said, "Come. I've already called a sit-down before all the families. I'll name you successor in front of every one of them."
The room was packed to the rafters. Capos, made men, and the heads of allied syndicates had all gathered to witness the moment the Falcone bloodline passed its empire to its next Don.
Under the watchful eyes of them all, I announced, "My son, Matteo, will take his place as the new head of the Falcone Family."
