Chapter XIX: Flashback

Arcangelo Regnante had been 24 on the night of the event.
He was visiting home after he managed to get a break from his job.
Having been a Harvard Alumni, who had a degree in engineering, and a rather well paying job in America.
His sister had gotten married the year before and was expecting her first child, his elder brother had been married for three years and had a beautiful little 2-year-old son. And now his mother was trying to get him to marry.
"Ma, Onofrio married the girl of his dreams." Arcangelo sighed to the woman before him, her hazel hair shimmering in the sunlight as she frowned at her son. "I don't even have a girlfriend at this point, marriage seems to be out of the question."
"Why don't you have a girlfriend, again?" His mother inquired for the umpteenth time.
"Because your baby boy sucks with the ladies, isn't that right bro?" His elder brother teased beside his mother.
"Coming from the guy who has only been with one woman his entire life."
"She is my soul mate!" His brother spoke dramatically.
"Shut the fuck up!" Their sister groaned from the lounge where she was searching for something to watch on the television,
"Language." Ellie's voice chastised as she made her way to the dining room with 2-year-old Arsenio. Walking over to Arcangelo, she handed the toddler to him as he grinned victoriously.
"Honey!" Onofrio exclaimed in disbelief as Ellie whipped around in surprise.
She looked at her husband for a moment before turning to look at her brother-in-law before back to her husband.
"Oh. Sorry, I keep mixing you two."
"Must the black hair and blue eyes." Arcangelo grinned as he played with his nephew, making weird faces as the child giggled hysterically.
"We don't even look anything alike." Onofrio pouted from his seat. "Why does he have my son?"
"Because he is my nephew." Arcangelo grinned teasingly. "And everyone knows that boys like their uncles more than their dad's."
"Not true!"
"True!"
"Boys!" Helen, their mother, intervened as they both settled down, Onofrio turning his attention to the paper as Arcangelo resumed playing with his nephew.
The front door suddenly opened and closed shut, followed by Alyna's greeting.
"Daddy!" She greeted enthusiastically as she stood from the sofa and greeted her father with a hug. Instantly Arcangelo tensed and so did his mother, meanwhile, his brother perked up.
"Good morning." Antonio Regnante greeted the population as they greeted in response.
"To what do we owe this sudden surprise?" Helen asked with a soft smile as she wrapped her arms around her husband's waist, looking up at him with intrigue as Arcangelo felt sick looking at the two like this.
Antonio didn't respond to her question, instead, he placed a kiss on her forehead before holding up two black envelopes with golden cursive writing.
"Onofrio, my boy." He spoke loudly, gaining his son's attention. "Welcome to the Mafia World." Antonio grinned as he held out an envelope to him.
With a surprised look, Onofrio took the envelope, seeing it addressed to him and his wife.
Tearing it open, he took out the gold and black card, reading the writing.
"I-I've been invited to the King's Auction?" He stammered in disbelief as their father beamed with pride. "Wow. This-this is quite the honor."
"It is indeed." Antonio beamed as he held up his own invitation. "I want to invite the Moretti's."
"Of course you do." Helen smiled with an eye roll.
"The Morettis' won't be able to come, daddy," Alyna informed from the doorway. "They're all taken Claire to the hospital."
"Oh!" Ellie suddenly gasped as everyone turned to look at her. "I don't think I can go either, I can't leave Arsenio."
"Oh, right." Onofrio realized that he had his son to consider as well. "Well...this is an invitation for two."
"You two should go," Arcangelo spoke up as he noticed the distraught look on his brother's face. "I can look after Arsenio."
"No, Arcangelo..."
"Come on, I can handle him. You two haven't been anywhere since he's been born. I think it's a well-deserved outing." He grinned reassuringly. "Besides, little boo and I will get to spend some quality time together."
"Yes, it sounds like a splendid idea." Antonio piped in as Arcangelo gritted his teeth. "You should take your brother's offer."
"What do you say?" Onofrio asked his wife, who looked uncertain.
"I don't know-"
"Don't you trust me, Ellie?" Arcangelo asked with a sad look as he regarded his sister-in-law.
"No! I do! Of course, I do!" Ellie stated. "It's just...I've never been away from Arsenio..."
"Come on, it's just for a few hours. What can possibly go wrong?" Arcangelo asked with a childish grin, "You can call and check in on us too."
"Oh! Okay! Fine," Ellie relented with an uncertain smile. "Fine, you can look after him tonight."
"You hear that, bud." Arcangelo grinned at his nephew, who was blubbering in his lap. "It's going to be a boy's day in."
***
A small smile made its way across 28-year-old Arcangelo's lips at the memory. He recalled how long it had taken for him to reassure Ellie that he would be alright with her son and nothing bad would happen.
However, Ellie wasn't satisfied and instead of getting dressed, she made a list of all the 'dos and donts' of taking care of Arsenio. She even made a step-by-step guide on how to prepare his milk. It was infuriating beyond comprehension at that time, however, her uneasiness was well understood. Since that was the first time she was going to be separated from her son, separation anxiety wasn't too uncommon.
And now, as Arcangelo looked back on the memory, he realized how much he actually missed the relentless banter between him and his elder brother, or the way Ellie constantly mixed up the two, or the way they would all sit down at the table for a delicious meal prepared by his mother.
The memories causing an ache in his chest as he rubbed at the place, trying to calm down
***
"For the love of God, Ellie!" Onofrio exclaimed from the bottom of the stairs. "Let's go!"
"Coming!" Ellie exclaimed as she turned back to Arcangelo who was holding her son. "I've written everything in that notebook, the instruction of how to prepare his cereal is on the box. He likes to be rocked when he's going to sleep. You need to hold his head properly when you're showering him and don't-- under any circumstances--allow him near the T.V."
"I got it, El." Arcangelo laughed at her as she fidgeted nervously. "We'll be good."
"Oh, maybe I shouldn't go."
"Ellie?" Antonio called from the bottom of the stairs as her fidgeting got worse.
"Go! Ellie, go!" Arcangelo urged as he led her down the stairs. "Everything will be alright, here. You have my phone number, so just call whenever you feel like it. Just go and enjoy yourself!"
Ellie hesitated a moment before cupping her son's face in her hands as she peppered him with kisses. "Don't worry, baby, mommy will be back soon. Bye Bye."
"Bye-bye." Arsenio waved to his mother as she smiled at him, placing another kiss on his forehead as she interlinked her arm with her husband. He waved to their son before giving an appreciative nod to his brother and stepping out the door.
"Be good you two," Helen warned lightheartedly as she placed a kiss on Arcangelo's cheek, patting his shoulder as she stared at him adoringly for a moment before heading out as well.
"Thank you for doing this." Antonio stopped, turning towards Arcangelo who looked at him impassively. "I appreciate it."
"I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for my brother." Arcangelo growled lowly at the man before him. "You can go fuck yourself for all I care, you lying, cheating, bastard."
Antonio stared at him impassively for a moment before turning on his heel and making his way out the door as Arcangelo closed it behind them, watching the two cars pull away from the window.
Inhaling deeply, he calmed himself before looking at his nephew with a smile.
"So, buddy. What should we do?"
Arcangelo played with Arsenio in the beginning as Ellie called a couple of times on her way to the auction. They weren't allowed cellular devices inside the hall, so she tried to do as much checking up as she could before she had to leave her phone behind.
Repeatedly, Arcangelo had assured that they were alright, and eventually she had to hang up because they were going into the auction hall.
"Tell him I love him." She exclaimed before her dial tone rung from the device.
"Mama loves you, buddy," Arcangelo told Arsenio as he was playing on the floor, babbling something as Arcangelo settled before him.
While Arsenio was being fed cereal, Arcangelo enjoyed a pizza, both of them settled on the floor and just eating calmly. That is until Arcangelo's phone rung.
"Yeah?"
"Sir, everything is set to go." The man on the other line informed him.
"Good." A devious smirk made its way across his lips as he glanced at the playing and unconcerned Arsenio before him. "I want Antonio Regnante dead by the end of the night, is that clear? Separate him from the rest of the crowd and put a bullet through his head."
"Yes, sir."
With that, Arcangelo hung up the phone as both he and Arsenio finished their dinner.
The two played for a while until Arsenio started to yawn tiredly, Arcangelo feeling just as lethargic as his nephew. Quietly, the little baby lay down on the carpet, drowsily playing with his car as his uncle chuckled at his stubbornness. Lying down beside him, he brushed away a few strands of the baby's hair, his wide blue eyes staring up at him.
"Sleep, buddy," Arcangelo instructed as the child stopped playing, his eyes dropping to the close, instantly falling asleep with Arcangelo following close behind.
Banging on the door awoke Arcangelo as he gave a startled jump. Looking at his surroundings in confusion and wondering why things were changing from blue to red. He blinked away the bleariness as he heard the knocking on the door.
It took him a moment to realize that the blue and red were police sirens, and that's when his senses jolted awake.
He looked to his side, relieved to see Arsenio still asleep.
Jumping to his feet, he opened the door, staring at the officer before him who had his cap held to his midriff, looking at Arcangelo sympathetically.
"How may I help you, officer?" Arcangelo asked, rubbing away the sleep from his eyes.
"I am sorry to inform, Mr. Regnante." The officer spoke gently as Arcangelo didn't understand why the officer was being like this. "There was an attack on the King's Auction tonight. No one survived."
Arcangelo blinked at the man before him, wondering if he heard wrong.
"I'm sorry." He spoke in a daze. "Did you just say no one survived?"
"My condolences, sir. Your father, mother, brother and sister-in-law were all killed tonight."
***
Apparently, no one ever understood when he said 'he killed his family'. They all assumed he blamed himself because he urged them to go. Whereas, in reality, he was the one who had ordered the attack. But he just wanted Antonio Regnante dead, no one else was meant to be harmed in any way.
However, the orders got mixed up, and everyone was killed.
Not only Antonio.
And it was his fault.
Now all those memories came flooding back not because of their death anniversary drawing near.
All those memories were resurfacing because he was staring down at a black and gold envelope. The same one his father and brother had received four years ago.
But this one was addressed to one Mr. Arcangelo Regnante.