Constantino

Dalton has been given the weekend off to attend to some personal matters, and it makes me feel a little exposed without him by my side, whispering his confidence and advice into my ear.

The beach house is supposed to be a sanctuary to my wife’s memory, but I no longer want to keep it as a shrine to her.

It’s such a beautiful piece of property that it’s a waste to let it sit there idle without anybody to enjoy it. It’s a big step and not one I want to do alone.

The beach house is my refuge, and I no longer have to share it with my wife. She’s always going to be there. Every time I look at my son, I see her looking back at me. He’s still asleep, but it won’t be long before he rises from his slumber to stumble down to the kitchen, looking for something to eat.

Clelia and Otello have accompanied me. There are always going to be memories tied to the place, some good and some bad, but it’s about making new memories with those that I care about the most.

I can see her down at the beach collecting shells barefoot, wearing this white off-the-shoulder number. It’s early in the morning. I’m enjoying the view, but I’m feeling restless with that need to roam coming over me. There’s no rest for the wicked I suppose.

“I hope you’re hungry,” I call out over the balcony.

She looks up with her hand shielding her eyes from the sun. “I could eat,” she announces.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” I inquire.

“I couldn’t disturb you when you looked so peaceful. I did check in on Otello. He was snoring a little, but it was so cute. He takes after his father,” she teases.

“Hey, I don’t snore; I breathe heavy,” I defend.

“It was such a beautiful morning that I decided to get an early start. This place needs to be explored. It has to be appreciated,” she says, holding a handful of different colored shells.

My ostentatious Hawaiian shirt in red and black flowers flutters in the breeze. It’s open to reveal my muscular torso. It’s nice to let down my guard, but I’m always on edge waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Lucas is in jail, and despite his sister saying she didn’t want anything to do with him, she still foots the bill for his lawyer fees. Family is a fickle mistress. We might want to turn our backs, but they will always be blood through thick and thin. He will pay for his crimes while she has the business to run in their family name.

The argument that ensued when I learned she was going out of her way to help him was a doozy. We screamed at each other until the anger and resentment fueled us into a passionate fuck. The way that her nostrils flared and her body was vibrating made me excited beyond words.

It took a lot of soul-searching before realizing she’s never going to turn her back on her brother. It’s just a cross I’m going to have to bear. Clelia knows I don’t like talking about him, but she insists on keeping him relevant in our lives.

She’s a little too forgiving, in my opinion, but she reminds me that if my son did something wrong, I would never cast him adrift without some sort of lifeline.

“I bought a breakfast cookbook in that little bookstore in the next town over when we visited on the way here. It had some interesting recipes.” The time we spent here has been very special. I still can’t get over the look in Otello’s eyes when we roamed the streets.

The day we arrived my son ran down to the beach and dived headfirst into the waves without even taking his clothes off. It seems that this place has the power to uncover our childhood freedom to express ourselves without reservations.

“That boy is a free spirit, and we should live vicariously through him,” she giggles with her hand over her mouth.

It’s giving me a reason to smile at her juvenile comment.

“My son will always be the apple of my eye, and I want him to have the whole world on their knees basking in his brilliance. But I also want him to choose his own path, without the burden of my choices. I think that will be possible over time with your help,” I respond. I plan to give my son the life he deserves without me interfering in it.

Otello has taught me to see things differently. I still work hard to make money, but I can see my son is destined for greater things. He just needs encouragement and proper education to get him to that next level. A private school will give him discipline but also introduce him to children his own age. Clelia managed to convince me that by keeping him sheltered, I make him more vulnerable to life’s perils.

“I’m glad you made the compromise to let him attend that school. I’ve been there a few times, and it has a stellar reputation,” she adds.

He doesn’t like wearing the uniform, but it’s something he’s going to have to get used to. It’s a gated community of teachers and students alike. He can still stay at home when he is not at school studying.

I step back from the railing with my face toward the sun. I can feel the warmth against my skin, rejuvenating my spirit. A break from reality is necessary when I have too many balls in the air juggling at any given moment. It’s good to know that I can rely on Dalton. He even might be the true heir to the throne when the time comes to pass down the mantle of responsibility, should Otello choose differently.

It’s my son’s decision if he wants to be involved when he’s old enough to understand the intricacies of the business. He’s going to know there are other avenues to pursue than in my footsteps.

I’m staring out to sea when Clelia joins me on the balcony. I’m miles away, thinking about business back home.

“Hey, penny for your thoughts?” She smiles and wraps her arms around my shoulders.

I turn around. She truly is a breath of fresh air.

“Oh, just thinking about business…”

Her laughter tinkles on the breeze. “It appears you can never take the businessman out of Constantino Negrini! I still see the look of concern in your eyes even when you don’t think I’m looking. I can even see how your fingers are twitching with withdrawal from not having your phone on,” she teases with a finger tracing from my neck all the way down to the waist of my cargo shorts.

“You mentioned something about a cave nearby. We should go there after breakfast. I’ve heard rumors about a secret grotto. I’ll make some inquiries and see what I can find out about the whereabouts before we leave. You can only get there by swimming underwater, but I have to inquire if we need any diving equipment or not.  This will be an adventure,” I say with my back toward her, but her hands wrap around me, stopping me from going anywhere.

She pulls me to her. “I feel the weight of the world lifted when we come here. I have this funny feeling that you feel the same. We should make this a monthly pilgrimage to unwind and recharge our batteries. I doubt you’ll have to convince your son to come. We both saw how he reacted when he got here for the first time after his mother died,” she says that last word in a whisper, knowing that I’m not ready to tell my son the unvarnished truth.

I feel sometimes he’s going to hate me when he learns about her unfortunate death. Suicide isn’t a victimless crime. She died and left me to pick up the pieces.

“I don’t think Otello should come with us to look for the Grotto―it will be too dangerous!” she states.

I roll my eyes.

“He needs to know there’s nothing that he can’t accomplish, even if it means taking a risk or two. You can’t hide from life. Embracing it and living each moment like it’s your last is the only thing any of us can do. We don’t have to shoulder the responsibility of sheltering him from the big bad world. You taught me that remember?” I tease her.

She sighs deeply. “I don’t know how you manage to spin my advice. I agree with you in theory, but you have to know his limitations. You can’t expect a young boy to have your capabilities.”

“Hey, where’s my breakfast? And I’m coming with you. You can’t leave me behind!” Otello points to Clelia as he suddenly emerges, fresh as a daisy.

His hair is still wet―he must have just taken a shower. I’ve always stressed the importance of good hygiene. Manners and poise come with his position in life. He will have all the advantages but will always have the cloud of my reputation following him around. It’s important to develop small habits that will lead to bigger ones.

“Watch your manners, young man. And take that tone out of your voice,” I warn. He might be young, but being a brat is not something that I will ever accept.

“I apologize. I’m a bear without my first cup of coffee,” he says mockingly. The very same words I use every morning. He’s teasing and doesn’t even drink coffee. The little bastard!

Clelia smiles and brings him a glass of fresh juice. She’s shown my son a way to live without his mother―maybe even becoming a mother figure to him? I’m not sure how I feel about her sharing baby photographs with him. She told me she won’t let him forget about the woman responsible for bringing him into the world.

I thought I wanted to forget about her, but I now realize she will always be there in the background watching out for us. It doesn’t mean Clelia can’t have a place next to me, but I’ve never broached the topic with her.

We have a different kind of relationship. She stays in my bed throughout the night, and we share moments of bliss until we are satiated and spent. The sex gets better every time, with our minds and bodies exploring new and different ways to please each other.

But when the morning comes, she leaves. She’s always out looking after her business. And even though I do what I can to open some doors for her, it’s up to her to make the first good impression. Thankfully, she is just as good in business as she is in bed.

Clelia is at the stove putting the finishing touches to the breakfast and looks right at home in the kitchen. “Sally Homemaker” isn’t the way I would have described her. She does have this fire nobody can ignore, especially the dazzling diamonds of her eyes.

The meal is almost ready, but I have a different idea in mind for a breakfast dessert involving cherries and a well-timed flame. They sit at the table while I prepare everything, including the alcohol that will be burned off. This is the first time I’ve tried it, but I want to create something special.

I carefully add the ingredients and then light the concoction with the smell of cherries prevalent. I pour the mixture onto the already warm pancakes with strawberries and other fresh fruits mixed into the batter.

“I want you both to be brutally honest with me,” I say before stepping back to let them enjoy their first bite.

They both look at each other and smile.

“I would love to see the look on Dalton’s face when he learns about this,” Otello cracks with a massive grin on his face.

“Watch what you say. You’re still not too old to be put over my knee,” I warn with a straight face before breaking out into laughter.

Clelia

My lungs are burning with the effort of holding my breath underwater for as long as possible. Constantino is leading, with me following from behind with Otello. It’s later in the afternoon after we’ve digested the scrumptious breakfast.

The bubbles form around us while we continue to search for the grotto. The reports are spotty at best. A few recollections on the internet lead us in the right direction. We’ve taken the boat away from the cliff edge. It’s anchored and waiting for us to return safe and sound.

I finally agreed to Otello coming with us, providing he wore the appropriate apparatus. His son is wearing scuba gear, including an oxygen mask with a tank dropped over his shoulders. I’m a pretty good swimmer, and I don’t need anything more than my athletic prowess.

Otello wasn’t happy, but he knows fighting with us wasn’t going to get him anywhere. He thought he was old enough to swim without the gear, and because we weren’t using the kit, he could do the same.

He decided to relent when he found we were two immovable objects standing in his way. He wasn’t going to come along and had a typical tantrum. He screamed that it wasn’t fair, but we needed to be a unified force to keep him safe.

There doesn’t seem to be an end to this long and winding canal. The passage is becoming a tight squeeze, but we manage to navigate the sharp rocks stretching before us.

I want to tell Constantino how much I want to become part of his dysfunctional family. We don’t do much other than have the most explicit and wild sex imaginable. It always leaves me breathless, unable to form intelligent sentences after the dust settles.  I don’t have the energy to say what’s on my mind after a marathon sex session.

We might be adults, but we’re foolish not to take our own advice. It wouldn’t have taken much for him to acquire a couple more scuba gear and oxygen tanks to wear. We are both stubborn.

I finally see a light. It’s getting brighter by the second, and it’s holding my undivided attention. I forget about my breathing and suck in a little bit of water. It’s a good thing I’m close to the surface.

Lucas still needs me even when he’s in the wrong. Incarceration will do him some good. Visiting him is going to happen sooner than later. I just have to build up enough courage to see him behind the plexiglass. I still hate him for accidentally killing our father, but I will always love him. It’s a difficult thing to wrap my mind around.

My legs and arms are burning, but I’m able to persevere, knowing that Constantino is waiting for me on the other side. I force myself to find that necessary reserve.

I gasp when I finally surface to fill my lungs with necessary oxygen.

I have a moment to take everything in. The space is tiny, with a pool of water barely more than the circumference of a kiddie pool. Stalactites are dripping with water from above my head. They have been naturally forming for centuries.

It’s enclosed with very high ceilings. The water catches the light coming from a hole in the ceiling the size of a dime. It spotlights the object of my affection, and a smile forms on the edges of my mouth.

Constantino is sitting on the ledge with his legs dangling over the side. He’s splashing the water with his feet while offering his hand, which I gladly take.

“I know what you’re thinking. I agree with you. I gave this long uninterrupted speech to my son about being safe, but we decided to brave the unknown without the required gear.” He pulls me up beside him.

I’m wearing this red revealing two-piece bikini. It’s fun to see his reaction when he sees my body dripping wet. He leans forward with one hand touching my face before he blinks into focus as his son emerges right behind me a few seconds later.

He takes off the mask. “That was amazing,” he says with a finger pointed at me. “It’s great having you around; dad’s more fun with you. You have to promise never to go away!”

“It’s not nice to point, and I’m not sure how long I’ll be around,” I direct the comment toward Constantino.

He looks at me, and I see his eyes soften. “Well, that’s something we have to think about, Otello. It’s entirely up to Clelia. We can’t expect her to replace your mother, but…I have to confess, I like having her around too.”

“I know mom is never coming back. I think she’s in heaven,” he blurts out, a matter of fact

“What makes you think that?” Constantino stammers.

“I overheard you a while ago talking about it with Dalton. She died when I was a baby,” he says.

“I didn’t know…you should have said…you could’ve talked to me about it. We should discuss it together,” Constantino responds softly.

“I know she loved me,” he says. “You told me that.”

“She did with all of her heart. And even though she’s in heaven now, you can still talk to her. She’s always listening,” he encourages.

“I do…every night,”

“Your mother would be very proud of you. I know I am,” Constantino says with a hand on the young man’s shoulder.

My heart almost breaks to see this father and son moment.

“You will stay, won’t you?” Otello asks me, his eyes round and wide.

“Well, it looks like you both want me to stay―how can I refuse? But don’t expect me to keep quiet when you Negrini men are being too rough. The same thing goes for you, young man,” I say with my hand over his shoulder until we are blanketing him with love.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Clelia. I’m glad we found each other,” Constantino whispers under his breath.

Otello and I look at each other before attacking him with the tickle monsters. He’s laughing uncontrollably, and we find ourselves doing the same thing until we are lost in the moment.

It’s what I have always wanted and never knew it. The best things in life really are unexpected.

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