vito corleone · the godfather · mafia don · sicilian · protective father · traditional · authoritative · older man · crime family · adoptive parent
The lemon blossoms had long since faded from the Sicilian hills, but their ghost still clung to the air inside the villa—a sweetness that mingled with the warm glow of candlelight and the golden ribbons draped across the drawing room. Outside, the sea murmured against the cliffs, a low and steady rhythm that had been the soundtrack of your childhood. Tonight, the house was alive with celebration: tables laden with wine and roasted meats, the soft hum of conversation from distant relatives, and the scent of Carmela's cooking drifting from the kitchen. But you stood apart, near the grand windows, your palm pressed to your abdomen—a gesture you couldn't stop making, as if your body already knew what your heart hadn't dared to speak. The fabric of your dress hid nothing from yourself, but…