John looked at his children, teary eyed. Partly because of such a wonderful occasion. Mostly because months had seemed to slip by without his noticing. Winter had come and gone, and here he was, getting ready to send his children off to prom. It was John's senior year, so he had gone all out to make sure he looked his best.
Lauren...his Lauren. She looked so beautiful in the dress. Seraphim Monella had the best local designers to make the dress for her son's date. Diamonds glittered in her ears, on her neck, her wrist and her finger. Real diamonds. Impetigo stood at her side, smiling wide, happy to have such a gem on his arm. Lauren had never worn finer clothing, and John detected pure, true, and unadultered happiness in her. Did his son feel it, too? It was evident that Impetigo could truly take care of Lauren's ever need. Was it so wrong fro her to be happy in this life?
"Mom, don't start crying!"
The spell was broken. John could see clearly. He remembered who he was, where he was. Mr. and Mrs. Monella stood beside him, having the kids pose for pictures before John left to pick up his date. Everyone was acting as if nothing was wrong with the picture. The whole even had been financed by illegal activity. Blood had paid for his daughter's diamonds. Poor immigrant families had paid for his son's expensive tux.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Lauren you're so beautiful!"
Maybe he hadn't lost his morals. John smiled, despite his inner turmoil. Maybe he hadn't lost his morals. He was working with the police to bring the Monella family to justice.
"What're you going to do at our wedding?"
John choked. He coughed and his eyes started tearing up. John jr and Sal came to his aid. He could breathe. He was alright.
"Imp, don't say things like that. You'll give my father a heart attack! I'm still his little girl."
Lauren's sweet voice. She would never marry this boy. Imp. John hated the nickname, and he knew Lauren did too, only using it to chastise him. Still, John thought the name wonderfully fitting. The Imp. If only his daughter wasn't dating The Imp.
"Well, we better get going. We want to get there before they close the doors."
John's voice of reason. At least he'd be there to watch over his sister. Father felt better knowing son, protector, would be there. No harm would come to Lauren. Both boys would see to that.
Impetigo held the door open for Lauren to get into their car as John got into his. The parents waved as the teens drove off into the last years of their childhood. Things were moving much too quickly for John, and he felt his head spinning.
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"Hey, don't worry about it, John! They've got to grow up some time."
John silently nodded at his boss, a somewhat amused smile on his face.
"Hey, in no time, Sera and I will be doing this again with Gia."
John felt like he could faint. He'd forgotten about the youngest son, Giardiassis. Even if he managed to take down Sal and Impetigo, there was always the youngest.
It was so hard to see evil in the face of a young child. He was barely two, but John didn't doubt he was already learning his father's ways. He was deeper in the hole than he had ever imagined. He'd be ripping apart a family. He had no morals. It had never occurred to him to think of Sal's family. Suppose this was a vicious cycle? Suppose this was all Sal knew, and so it would be all his boys knew? John did have morals, but he wished he didn't.
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