Amapola

**One year later**


"Good morning, little sister!" Rico bursts into the house as usual, catching us at the breakfast table.
"Good morning, Rico, stop calling me that," I say, tossing the napkin onto his lap.
"Don’t you have anything better to do this early?" Salvatore asks irritably. He always got this way when Rico was around.
Even though we’ve been together for a little over a year, Salvatore still keeps his serious demeanor around others. Only behind closed doors were we truly ourselves, without masks or reservations. Maybe only Angela had witnessed a rare display of affection from him toward me.
"Actually, I do, but I wanted to talk to Amapola before heading out. I’m here to wish her a wonderful day, filled with everything she’s always wanted."
"You talk like it’s her birthday," Salvatore grumbles.
"Don’t be so insensitive, brother. It might as well be. We all know how hard she worked to finally complete her course, don’t we?" Rico meets his gaze.
"You really can’t make it?" I ask sadly. I had grown so used to their presence, they felt like my brothers.
"Unfortunately, no, *principessa*. Your beloved boss has piled work on me today, but I promise we’ll find a way to celebrate afterward." I nod in understanding.
"Here comes the other one," Salvatore mumbles when he sees Fabrizio enter with a massive bouquet of wildflowers in his hands.
"You came to say you can’t make it either?" I ask, giving him a sad look.
"Don’t give me that look, *bella*," Fabrizio says, handing me the flowers. "Blame your dear boss for not giving us a single day off."
"If I don’t get time off, why should I give it to you?" Salvatore snaps irritably.
"Let’s go, Fabrizio. The beast is in a bad mood today," Rico teases, making Salvatore even more annoyed, while Fabrizio smiles.
Both greet me before leaving, wishing me a wonderful day and much success tonight.
"Don’t make that sad face, *mia Amah*." Salvatore presses a kiss to my lips and rests his forehead against mine as we stop in front of the large spa.
"But I wanted to stay with you," I whisper, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"Today is your day, *bella*. I want you to relax and be beautiful for tonight." He caresses my face with the back of his hand.
"What’s the point of being beautiful if you won’t be by my side?" I pout.
"But I’ll be home waiting for you for dinner, *mia bella*, and all my thoughts will be with you." He justifies, and I nod, even though everything I said is truly how I feel. I don’t like being dramatic; I know the limits that come with being involved with the mafia.
"Will I see you before I leave for the ceremony?"
"It’s unlikely, *mia principessa*, but I’ll be waiting for you when you return. I promise." He reassures me. "Amadeu will be with you, okay?"
"That’s not necessary, Salvatore."
"We’ve discussed this before." He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, making it clear there’s no room for argument. "Amadeu?" He presses the button that lowers the glass separating us from the bodyguards.
"Yes, sir?"
"You’ll stay with Amapola all day. Be vigilant and don’t leave her side."
"Don’t worry, boss." He raises the partition again, and Salvatore kisses me, leaving me practically breathless.
These small moments when we have to act as if we aren’t involved bother me sometimes, but I’ve had to learn to deal with it. It’s best not to create expectations.
I step into the spa with Amadeu close behind me. This was my graduation gift from Salvatore. Of course, he had subtly given me other things, but I refused to let him pay for the ceremony or my dress, which sparked a huge argument, but I didn’t give in.
I didn’t like the attention people showered on me when they saw me escorted by a bodyguard, and I was never alone. Salvatore was obsessed with control and security. He said the most important thing was that I was safe. People practically worshipped me, not realizing that none of it really belonged to me. All the glamour was part of the complete package that was Salvatore Dalla Costa. I just agreed to pay the price.

This was definitely the best year of my life. I finally got to live everything I had always dreamed of; I was able to study peacefully, work for a company that greatly enhanced my professional skills, and help my father not just financially, but by giving him the proper treatment for his alcohol addiction, along with a lot of love and care. But without a doubt, being by Salvatore’s side was what made me the happiest.
He was my foundation when I needed it the most, patient when work and studies took over my sanity and control, and above all, he was my shelter, my love, and the best lover I could ever have. Despite all his work and obligations to *la famiglia*, he was always attentive to my needs.
In this past year, I matured as a person and as a woman. I learned to assert myself, and although we continued to maintain our professional relationship at the company, outside of it, I followed Angela’s advice. I knew how to be wise; it was pointless to confront him directly. His position always required absolute control over everything, so I learned how to handle him gradually. Today, I understood that unlike the mafia boss Dalla Costa, Salvatore sometimes allowed himself to be guided, and I was happy to have that privilege just for myself. I had learned to dictate the rules disguised as obedience, and he hardly noticed it.
I renovated the house where I had lived my whole life with my parents. Salvatore and I agreed that he needed an occupation; his mind couldn't stay idle. So, he now worked making deliveries for one of Salvatore's legitimate businesses. He had lost everything in that damn accident, including job opportunities, and by giving that back to him, Salvatore brought him hope, a new perspective, and motivation to wake up every day.
Every now and then, he would come visit me, still apprehensive in Salvatore's presence. I believed it was because he was ashamed of his behavior when he first met him, but I noticed that just like him, Salvatore also felt the same way about how we had met.
I never openly told my father what was between me and Salvatore, but I knew he suspected. We were always together in any situation, and especially, I lived with him. It wasn’t common for an employee to live with her boss.
Deep down, I silently thanked him for never asking me directly or judging me for allowing myself to live in such a situation. But I believed he could see that Salvatore made me happy, or rather, that he made us both happy.