She drives a minivan now. A minivan. A fucking toyota sienna of all things. Its days like these, when she realizes how she’s got here that makes her laugh. Reason one, she couldn’t keep her legs closed when it came to her boyfriend, now husband. That resulted in babies, lots of them. Babies that needed safety, security, and nurture. Something she couldn’t give while being in the profession she was in. Reason two, she was sick of it. Sick of running, sick of lying, sick of cheating, sick of hurting, sick of being a bad person. Nadia didn’t realize how sick of everything she was until she stopped. She was so used to the lifestyle that all these things just seemed normal. Running from the police, hiding from enemies,and getting shot at was not a life. It was so easy to breathe, so easy to finally stop looking over her shoulder or worrying that someone was after her blood. Leaving the mafia was the best and worse thing that ever happened to her. Best because it finally gave her a semblance of normalcy, worst because she had to actually live with guilt of what she did. When she was in the mafia, she didn’t care about the lives she destroyed or the things she took. It was survival of the fittest. She the hunter and everyone else the prey. Nadia was convinced that if she didn’t leave when she did, she would be so far gone Donovan wouldn’t even want her.
Normalcy still confuses her. Sometimes her mafia behavior will creep up on her. Nadia has to keep her anger in check like a normal person does. For example, when someone steals her parking spot, she has to fight the urge to slam into the side of their vehicle, or when someone gives her a smart remark at the PTA meetings she has to take deep breaths and count to ten before their stupid eight by ten pan brownies go flying on the floor. Or now when the cashier on aisle nine decides to give her the stink eye. She has to remind herself that she doesn’t have a knife hidden in her hair that she can throw to take her eye out. “That would give the bitch something to squint about.” She takes her hand off of the back of her head and focuses on the task at hand: groceries. Yep. she buys groceries now. No more Chinese takeout or kraft mac n cheese. She and Don ate loads of junk food back then. Moving from place to place warranted getting food from fast food places. Their getaway car was almost always littered with snacks from the quick mart. Ho-Hos, twinkies, and soda was all she had the chance to eat back then, which was funny because their money was amounting by the millions at that time. One would think they be dining at the best of restaurants. Now they do; but back then their version of a good meal was a packet of ramen noodles. Her diet was extremely different from how it was. Now everything is organic, grass fed, and local. After her first child was born she made sure that they put their hard earned money to good use. Better food, better everything. Normalcy was something her kids needed, deserved even. Nadia didn’t have that growing up, and she wished that she did.
Nadia pays for the food and heads towards her dumb minivan. She doesn’t even need it anymore, her kids are practically grown now with their own (way cooler) cars. But her trusty gold monstrosity hasn’t conked out yet, so she’s stuck with it until it does. By that time she’ll probably be a grandma. She laughs at the thought, an old woman whipping around in a sports car. At least she’d be happy. Sadly, she still has to pick her younger children up from school. Their keys were taken away from them. Same punishment, different deeds. Donatella and Maurizio were the ‘problem children’. Difficult is what she liked to call them ‘trouble making fuckers’ Don liked to call them, jokingly, but to each their own. Donatella was two seconds away from going to a boarding school, and Maurizio should have been sent to reform school years ago. Nadia’s surprised that she hadn’t received a call from the school. She relishes in the moment for a bit since her day had gone pretty well without error. But then it happens, the call. Right around the time she thought it would be. Two-fifteen. A long sigh draws from her lips and she turns her bluetooth on. “Hello Mary. Which one?” “Hm, I’m going to say guess.” “Maurizio?” “Good choice, but you’re wrong. Its Donatella, again. She’s been suspended.” “This is the second time this week are you kidding me?! What did she do?!” There is silence for a good five seconds and then the voice on the other line sighs. “Its really bad this time. The principal wants to talk to you. You’re lucky she didn’t get expelled.” Nadia bites back a swear word. “I’ll be down there in ten minutes.” And with that, she clicks the bluetooth off and starts counting to ten. Hopefully she’ll calm down before she gets to the school.
A five minute drive later, and she’s at the school. She probably earned herself a dozen tickets but she doesn’t care. Don could probably get the fee waived for her, or they can pay. It doesn’t matter, nothing matters except for the behind that she’s going to tan when she gets home. Donatella is going on the first plane ride to Italy Nadia can get her hands on. No ifs ands or buts about it. The minute she steps into the school all eyes are on her. She doesn’t know if its because she’s Donatella’s mom, or if its because she looks like she’s about to murder someone. Again, she doesn’t care. She’s pissed. Nadia reaches the principal’s office, whips the door open, and there sitting behind the chair is her sister. Natalia Artigas-Dean, the principal of Notre Dame Preparatory School. Both of them look pissed as hell, and they had good reason too. “I was actually having a good day today, Donatella. A good day!” Nadia says as she sits down. Donatella opens her mouth to say something but Nadia shakes her head. “Don’t you dare say anything, I don’t want to hear it.” She turns to her sister. “Tell me quickly so we can get this over with.” Her sister sighs and shakes her head. “She was caught behind the bleachers and...yeah. They want me to expel her.” And that’s all Nadia needs to hear before she drags Donatella out of school, her son Maurizio running closely behind.
The ride back home is eerily silent, save for the short phone call she and Don have. When they arrive at home, Nadia tells the kids to all get the groceries and she disappears further into the house. She knows that when Don comes into the picture, its going to be full blown hell. Nadia decides that she needs the peace and quiet before things start going to shit. “Watch your sister.” She tells her third oldest, Valentina. “I’m going to do a five minute meditation.”