Between Love and Hate: A Familly Issue

"Matteo" He heard his named being called and turned to see his older brother Jovanni make his way towards him. Fantastic. Matteo thought his day would not be complete without a confrontation with his family.

"Jovanni" Matteo said politely, his mind preoccupied with Beth. Six months, she was six months pregnant.

"I have been trying to get in contact with you." Jovanni said, finally catching Matteo's attention.

"Why?" To say he was surprised was putting it mildly, Matteo had always been a dark mark for the DeLuca family, and as such was always avoided by most of its main members. Especially by Dominic and his perfect son Jovanni.

"Father and mother are in from Italy and they wish to have a family meeting. Mother really wants to see you." Matteo just stared at his brother. Jovanni was not a bad guy, it had just become easy for them to forget the other existed. Matteo had been practicing that trick since his parents had sent him away to boarding school in England and forgot he was there.

"Why are you telling me?" Matteo asked, eager to end the conversation, he could feel the throbbing in his head become more persistent. Matteo knew he would be sporting a major headache.

"Matteo this is a family meeting."

"I still don't understand why your telling me this." Matteo was in no mood for accommodating the golden boy, if he wanted something he would have to come out and ask for it.

"It's a nessasary family meeting Matteo, and whether you like it or not your family." Jovanni persisted.

"Umm" Matteo grunted and relaxed a little bit when he saw Gia make her way to them.

 

 

"Ciao Jovanni come stai?" Gia said inthusiastically in Italian.

 

"I'm fine Gia thank you. you look bellisima cara." He said looking at her a little too long, making her blush. The DeLuca brothers where so intense, Gia thought.

 

"Graci Jovanni you are very sweet."

 

"I hope to see you in the Bridgeport office tomorrow morning at nine." Jovanni said to a stony faced Matteo. "Buona Sera Gia, it was nice seeing you again." Jovanni walked back to the group he had been with earlier.

 

 

"I've been looking for you, its time." Gia said excitedly referring to the auction.

 

"Fantastic." Matteo said sarcastically. Gia laughed at Matteo's attitude. For the past month she had gotten to know Matteo better and saw he was nowhere near as scary as he wanted people to think and even though there still was no romantic inclinations in their relationship they where becoming good friends.

 

"You are a sourpuss you know."

 

 

***

 

 

 

 The tension in the room was so thick it could be cut with a knife, the occupants had not been together like they found themselves at that moment since Matteo's high school graduation and that had been for show, giving the world the expected picture of perfection from one of Europe's oldest and riches family. The silence was deafening and Matteo was losing his patience while they waited for Jovanni to comense the damn 'Family' reunion. Why did I come? Matteo kept asking himself.

 

"Jovanni must still be hold up with whatever emergency he is taking care of, so I'm just going to tell you first and then discuss this with him later. I wanted the both of you to be the first to know that I am stepping down from the board." Dominic DeLuca informed a stunned Matteo. "I have recently found out that I have a rare, very serious heart condition and my doctors recommend that I cut back on stress." The older man finished and Matteo looked at his mother whom as usual avoided meeting his eye.

 

 

"I also feel that it is time for you Matteo to stop fooling around with this soccer business and joined Jovanni on the board."

 

"I am not joining DeLuca Industries." Matteo said finally breaking the silence he kept since entering his father's office. The statement earned him a troubled look from his mother. They both noticed Dominic was getting angry but that was his usual reaction to Matteo.

 

"Why do you choose to waste your amazing talent for business on a soccer filed? You are a grown man Matteo and as such it is time that you assumed your responsibilities." Dominic tried one more time.

 

 

"Since when is DeLuca Industries my responsibility?" Matteo could feel his own anger rising. It burned a hole in his stomach to hear Dominic talk about honor, duty and responsibilities. Matteo had already given too much to a family that detested him.

 

"As a DeLuca it is your duty to run the family business..."

 

"That's what Jovanni was born for." Matteo interrupted the tired tirade.

 

"As my son..."

 

 

Those where the words that finally had Matteo going over the edge, losing all control and finally snapping. The old man had never before referred to Matteo as nothing more than a by-blow, a product of his mother's indiscretion. A living, breathing error, and all Matteo ever provoked in the man that was suppose to act as his father had been anger and abuse. Savage beatings as a child or complete neglect.

 

"I am not your son, you yourself physically beat that into my head very early on in my life every chance you got, so do not pull that 'I'm your father' shit." Matteo practically screamed and proceeded to walk away, he knew that attending the meeting would be a mistake.

 

 

"If you walk out that door you can kiss your inheritance goodbye." Dominic threaten in a last ditch effort to make Matteo do as he commanded. Dominic did not do it for any love he had for the bastard his wife tried to pass of as a legitimate DeLuca, but he did it because Matteo was a genius with business and he also had a strong personality unlike Jovanni who was a soft and kind man. The fact however remained that even though Dominic hated the air Matteo took in everyday they had to maintain a certain image and no one could ever know the family's dirty little secret.

 

 

"I am worth over eighty five million dollars on my own right without ever needed a cent form you. Keep your money." Matteo said and walked away.  He couldn't believe how much it still hurt to be around his supposed parents, even though he was a grown man at thirty years old every time he was around either one of them Matteo felt he did as a small lonely child who desperately seeking his parents love and approval.

 

 

While he waited for the elevator in the hallway Matteo heard the clicking of heels in a hurried pace, once she got  closer he could smell her dark, musky perfume and actually felt sick.

 

"Matteo wait." she said out of breath. Matteo stared at his mother wishing he was anywhere else but there. "Matteo please, keep an open mind and listen to your fa...Dominic. He is sick and can't suffer any unpleasantness." Lucia begged  her son and Matteo found it almost amusing that, that was the nicest, longest conversation he had ever had with his mother.

 

 

The elevator doors finally opened and Matteo stepped inside, he needed to get away from them, especially from her, because even though he did not agree with Dominic he could almost understand the brutal way the man had treated him growing up after all his wife had cheated on him with another man and gotten pregnant, then tried to pass off the child as her husband's, but her, he could never understand how can a mother be so cruelly distant with her own child. She had never hugged him or told him she loved him and ever time Dominic beat him she had simply picked up her martini and said to him 'Matteo you are the mistake I will forever pay for.' No her he would never understand.

 

"Good day mother." He said and saw how she flinched when he called her mother, just like she always did. Matteo needed to be with Beth, the only person who had ever showed him love, but first he had to see Gia, he would free them both.

 

***

 

 

 

"Oh Matteo, Buongiorno, are you here to see Gia?" Asked an enthusiastic  Juliana Costolli as she opened the door to her fifth avenue apartment.

 

"Hello ma'am, I am indeed here to see your daughter."

 

"Well go on in dear, unfortunately Mario is outside waiting for me, we have some shopping to do." She said breezing past him. Matteo waved goodbye as she got in the elevator feeling the first licks of guilt.

 

 



 

 

"Sorry about that, mama always makes poor papa go on endless shopping trips with her when they come to the US. You would think there where no shopping plazas in Italy." Gia laughed as she led Matteo to the sitting room.

 

"That's ok, in fact I'm glad that we are alone Gia there is something very important I have to tell you."

 

"Matteo you are scaring me, are things alright?" Gia asked concern after noticing his ashen face and nervous demeanor. Matteo was one of the most confident people she knew and he never, ever looked nervous.

 

"No Gia its not but I am trying to make things right. Gia I just found out that I am having a baby and as  such I feel it is my duty to marry the woman carrying my child." Once the words came out of his mouth Mattoe felt relieved. He also noticed that he did not possessed the angsts about marrying Beth than he did when he was engaged to Gia.

 

 

"What?" Gia said barely above a whisper, she couldn't believe what he was saying. Even though she did not love him Gia had gotten really close to Matteo and felt betrayed by what he was telling her. He was going to have a baby with some random woman. "How could you? How am I going to explain this to my parents?"

 

"Gia don't you think that after that news that if the only thing that crosses your mind is explain to your parents maybe this marriage is not a good idea." Matteo pleaded. He didn't want Gia angry with him, they had become very good friends during the time they had been engaged and he didn't want to lose the friendship.

 

 

"Please understand Gia, I cant turn my back on my child, I can't just be a financial supporter I want to be a hands on father. I want to in my child's life from the moment that child wakes up until he goes to bed at night." Matteo pleaded with her, he wanted her to understand. He needed to be with Beth and raise their child together not just be a monthly paycheck. He couldn't let that child grow up the way he did. Without love.

 

 

"Answer me one thing Matteo." Gia said after a long pause.

 

"Anything." Matteo told her seeing the fact that she was still talking as a good sign.

 

"Are you in love with this woman?" The question took Matteo by surprise, it was a question he continuously asked himself but could not seem to answer. What did he know about love? But deep down in his heart he knew that he could ever learn to love, Beth would be the one to show him how.

 

"Yes, I think I am."

 

 

"Please leave." Gia asked Matteo with a firm voice he had never heard her use before.

 

"I'm truly sorry Gia."

 

"Get out!!!"