Chapter 343: St. Stephen's Day
*He is the saint of the bricklayers and masons. He cared for the poor and the needy. It is our duty to continue his ministry. – Nonna*
The traditions that Nonna had started lived on through Shiloh and Nonno. Nico knew her for only a few years before her death but was honored to be included in the traditions.
Shiloh had told Pagan that she would be gone just about all day. She was surprised when she got up the day after Christmas and he also got up. She was even more surprised when the girls were also up and ready by the time she walked down to the kitchen.
“What are you girls doing up so early?” Shiloh asked as she kissed each of them on their heads.
“Daddy said that today is the day that you celebrate Nonna.” Ashlyn said. “We want to help.”
“That’s really sweet girls.” She smiled at them. ‘It’s a lot of work, but I promise that you’ll feel really great as you crawl into bed tonight.”
“What all are we going to do today?” Pagan asked as he handed her a large cup of coffee.
“The first thing that we’ll do is go shopping.”
“Yay!” Ashlyn cheered.
Shiloh chuckled. “You may change your mind on that. It’s not the shopping that you may be thinking it is.”
“But it’s shopping?” Ashlyn pressed.
“It is and remember your excitement.” She suggested as she finished off her coffee.
“Do you want anything to eat?” Pagan asked.
“No, I fast today until dinner tonight.”
“What does that mean?” Alyssa asked.
“That means that from now until we meet Nonno and Nico for dinner tonight, I won’t have anything to eat and will only drink water.” She explained. “You do not have to do that.”
They left shortly after that and they took the hearse and Pagan’s SUV. The girls traded off throughout the morning on who got to ride in the hearse. The first stop was at a warehouse store, and she loaded both vehicles with canned and boxed goods.
Pagan was a little surprised when she then said that they were taking everything to the Open Arms Charity. But even more surprised when Siobhan greeted them with hugs.
“Nonno was just here.” Siobhan said as her volunteers began to unload both vehicles.
Shiloh told her what all was in the cars and Siobhan looked like she was about to cry. Becks and Molly arrived while the vehicles were still being unloaded.
“Tell me what else you need.” Shiloh told Siobhan and Becks.
“Let’s go upstairs.” Siobhan suggested.
“They do this every year.” Molly smiled at Pagan. “Today was Nonna’s birthday. She always saw her birthday being on St. Stephen’s Day as him telling her to take care of others.”
“Did you know her?” Pagan asked as his girls were playing on the inside playground with the other man’s daughters.
“I did.” Molly grinned. “So- Shiloh is a complicated woman. But deep down at her core, she’s a damned good woman. Don’t let her go.”
“Do you know what happened in Switzerland?” Pagan asked quietly.
Molly nodded. “She’s come a long way. And she’s finally happy.” He smiled at his friend. “You and the girls make her happy.”
“She makes us happy.” Pagan grinned as the older man picked up one of his toddler daughters. He considered asking the large man with bows in his long black hair and beard how many kids he had. It was a different statement that came out of his mouth. “You look like the Beast just before their dance.”
A loud humorous laugh echoed around them. “At least I’m not Gaston.”
The women came down shortly after that. Shiloh gave Pagan a list and a credit card to use at a sporting goods store. His list had sleeping bags, tents, coolers, backpacks and jackets on it.
“There’s no number on here.” Pagan said looking at the list. "How many do I get?"
“As many as you can buy.” Shiloh answered. “Ashlyn, why don’t you come with me? I’m going to go buy clothes and shoes.”
“Yes!” The little girl squealed as she ran towards the hearse.
“Where are we going?” Alyssa asked her dad.
“The sports store.” He admitted just before he kissed Shiloh. “I’ll see you back here?”
“Maybe. We’ll meet Nonno and Nico at Sophia’s around six.” She smiled at Molly. “How do you keep them all straight?”
He chuckled. “They all have enough attitude to correct me if I mix up their names.”
“Good for them.” Shiloh grinned as she made her way to the car.
Pagan climbed into his SUV and found an excited Alyssa ready to go fill up the car again. The seats were laid down and she got to sit in the front seat. It was a rare treat that they got to do that and both girls enjoyed.
After dropping off the second load of goods from the sports store, Pagan and Alyssa headed for Sophia’s. Pulling up to it, he thought that it was closed. A man walked out and told them to go on in while he parked the vehicle.
Inside the majority of the building was dark and Pagan knew that they were early but did not think that they were *that* early. A man that made Pagan think of Jimmy Garoppolo in an expensive suit walked towards them.
“Pagan?” the man asked with a slight accent.
“Nico?” Pagan asked holding out his hand.
“You are exactly what my cousin needs.” The man grinned before gripping his hand for a brief moment. Kneeling in front of Ashlyn, he looked up at her. “You, my dear, must be Ashlyn.”
“Yes, sir.” She said quietly.
“No, none of that with family. Just call me Nico.” He smiled at her, and Pagan knew that she was infatuated with him.
“Nico!” Shiloh called as she came through the door.
“There’s my girl.” He said standing up, placing a hand on Ashlyn’s shoulder as he kissed Shiloh on the cheek. “And this one must be Alyssa.”
Even Pagan’s little tomboy was suddenly infatuated with the man. Looking at him with hearts in her eyes, she nodded.
“Come. Come. Nonno is waiting for us.”
The man in the private dining room was not what Pagan had expected. With the family being Italian, he pictured somewhere between Tony Soprano and Don Vito Corleon. What he found was more like a buff Al Pacino.
“Welcome! Welcome!” He stood up and hugged both girls and kissed their cheeks. “Come girls, tell me what Santa brought you.”
As he watched the man interact with his daughters, Pagan tried to place where he had seen the older man before. Even Nico seemed somewhat familiar.
Shiloh wrapped her arms around his neck, and he smiled down at her as he pulled her close to him. Leaning down he kissed her before resting his forehead on hers.
“You do this every year?” he asked quietly, and she gave a soft yeah. “It’s a great way to be remembered.”
“I think so.” She agreed just as both girls laughed at something Nonno said.
