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The 6th – Part 1

July 6th, 2024

As the smoke clears, he stares at Joe Roome. Joe reloads and aims… “why?” The last word of a dying man as it seeps from his bloody lips with his shallow breath escaping. “The 6th… I Honor by Breaking.”

Retired… Joe is a peaceful man now that had and still has a code he follows. His past life led him to this one. His past life brought him clarity and conclusion. He was chasing the escape of reality and came to the realization that his reality is not one to escape. 21 years ago he found a path in a world of uncertainty. Losing his family because of his work led him to this understanding of his world. Death follows or Death runs. In Joe’s case, he made sure he made his path and determined what Death would do.

The company Joe worked for were hired help per say… hired to take out others in the path of those that wanted to gain power. They paid handsomely and at a young age Joe knew his skillset and what he was gaining. His naivety led him to realize there was no way out. Unless he made his way. Married and with a baby on the way, Joe knew he needed a change. Unfortunately his company did not see that. They wanted Joe to understand his importance to their business and all that he knew meant he could not walk away…

Brussels… 6am… Joe’s phone vibrates. Missed call from his wife. Joe tries repeatedly to call back… straight to voicemail. A knock on his hotel room door. His director, Ty Caps, is standing there with a blank stare on his face. “Joe, I am so sorry…” Joe grips his fists, “just tell me.” The pulsation of his own blood pressure in his head muffles Ty’s words. Joe falls into Ty’s arms as he is for the first time broken and alone again.

“Who did this?” Joe asks as his head is in his hands trying to comprehend his loss. “We believe it was the father of the last hit… The Verona brothers were going to leak the company’s employees. We had to take them out. Unfortunately they were able to get two names out before we got them. Their father seek vengeance on you and on Mark. Joe Roome and Mark Youshio were the two best the company had. They both had taken multiple players out for those in power. They grew to become best of friends while battling for the top hitman spot in their company. All that work led to this day. Mark was killed in a house fire and Joe’s wife was killed in a car crash… Joe knows the truth now.

“This is not over Ty… take me off the schedule… my only purpose now is Verona.” Ty grabs Joe’s hand… cool and tight skin on Joe’s knuckles. Joe glances up at him… “Do not try anything to change my mind” Joe whispers as Ty nods. “You have my word Joe.”

JFK… Joe walks out of the airport, takes a breath, and looks down at the picture of Anthony Verona… the head of the East Verona Mob Family in New York. “My company takes your sons, you take my wife and best friend… I take you…”
Atta Boy – To the Unsung Father

March 2nd, 2024

It’s been a while since I have written… usually I imagine a good premise and go from there. However; this time… it is a little different. Sometimes you dream at night and it just fades away like sand blowing in the desert. Sometimes you dream and it sticks with you like a memory engrained in your mind… last night was the memory. Waking up this morning at 36 years old, on my day off, and it is 6am. No I did not set an alarm… I did clean the kitchen, stretch and clear my throat like no one can hear me, and made coffee, just like my Father used to do. That’s when it hit me… the dream… or should I say memory.

I hear faint laughter… it is me as a little boy. I am watching myself like an omnipresent being from the ceiling. It is sunny out as I am running through my childhood home. The sun beams act like lasers coming through the window. I try to dodge them like Indiana Jones evading the big bolder while I am wearing my father’s t-shirt. A nightly ritual… I take my father’s t-shirt to wear to bed. It goes past my knees but I don’t care. The smell of his Drakkar Noir cologne permeates my senses; however, it helps me fall asleep while he is still at work.

Back to the sun beams… 6am Friday, during the summer days of childhood. I make sure not to wake my Brother or Mother as I reach the bathroom door, ever so cracked open with the water running. My father is brushing his teeth as he stares deeply into the mirror. As a child that stare meant nothing… as a 36 year old father that provides for his own family… we all know that stare is meant for the day ahead. Meant for how we are going to take the day by the horns, we will grind through all the hours at hand, and we will provide. I crack open the door a bit more, almost like an acknowledgement of “hey I’m here” as he glances through the mirror to lock eyes with me. He rinses his mouth and gives me a smile. The smell of coffee billows through the air as I try to find the right moment to ask him…

“Hey dad… since it’s Friday do you think we can do a Blockbuster night??” I squeeze my hands in anticipation. Knowing now as an adult how those questions could make or break a day for a kid, not knowing as a kid what it meant to work 12 hours and that is his norm for the week… I understand the magnitude of those questions now. He did not hesitate. “Pizza too? I’m thinkin’ Sicilian and knots, sound good?” The joy that exuded from my body as a kid must have brought him so much joy in return. While not knowing the long day ahead he had, all I know is I have the coolest dad.

Years of the same would happen, but we all grow older. Those blockbuster nights turned into “hey Dad can you drop me off at the movies?” turned into “sorry Dad I already have plans tonight.” To this day, I am so grateful for all that my Father has done for his family. The monumental decisions, to the every day acknowledgements. I cannot say enough, as a Father myself now, how proud I am of the Father I have. Spending those Blockbuster nights with us, going to our sporting events, just showing up… my father has showed me what priorities are and how to do that as a father myself.

I just want to say to all the old school Fathers, present day Fathers, and to my Father… thank you. It is our turn to look back to you and show our appreciation for how you were there for us… it is our turn to say… “atta boy”
Traditions – Volume 3 – AJ’s Journey

July 30th, 2023

30 years since the acceptance of his family’s lifestyle… the day AJ sealed his fate with his father… the day everything changed. It has been a whirlwind of emotions, mental anguish, redemption, and happiness. Within those years so much has happened and so much is set forth by the order of the rules of the tradition. “When do we start?” The last naïve thing AJ said to his father and only at 16. Within five years of that question, AJ not only lost all gullibility when seeing the truth about this world, but he grew a hard shell to the reality of the bad that can come from it. Now, the biggest obstacle that his father taught him was that all evil can not be washed away from this world. They are only human and only can do so much. However, it is what they do to take out those evil doers that can hopefully set forth a domino affect of good in the future.

Five years… from 16 to 21, AJ learned the true meaning of the shadow. How to watch, listen, feel, hear, react to the prey. Watching his father, a master at hunting those evil doers, months of watching, months of honing in the skillset to figure the perfect time, months of proof of why this prey is the one to take out. 4 kills a year is the norm. All different styles, to not attract attention of a form of serial, all reasons justified later when the news breaks on who that prey really was. Decades of this tradition and media has still not picked up on the fact that it is this family’s tradition unfolding. The outcomes always the same… “one less evil in society…” However, as the years gone on from AJ’s grandfather to father, there has been a shift in the world. The world has become more endearing to humans as a whole. While there are prey that deserve what’s coming to them, there are people out there that believe in redemption. There are groups that have formed to say it should be the courts decision and not someone else deciding that death is the option. AJ’s grandfather saw how the next generations could start feeling the same way and upset the pattern and rules of their tradition. The last rule… the hardest one to comprehend for the new generation, but after you retire from the tradition for your child to take over, you see it is a blessing in disguise.

After AJ’s first kill, the hardest one as anyone can imagine, he put his five years worth of training to good use. When his father retired, he knew that AJ was going to be special. Once he saw the way AJ studied the first prey, he knew that the family tradition would be in good hands. AJ revolutionized the tradition rule book and made it even harder for the media or anyone else to figure out who he was, or who his family was. Following in his father’s footsteps he became a professor of History at NYU. Once a year he would test his students to see if they can find or create a pattern between the 4 random kills that were publicized. Each year, without a doubt, no one came up with anything near the true answer… their professor and his tradition.

It has been 10 years since the first kill… 40 kills, and a regular life being led by AJ. A professor and married now by day… the Tradition keeper by night. His wife and her family have never suspected anything. His wife is a night nurse at NYU Langone. Perfect scenario for AJ to complete his Traditions. While his own mother was gone when his father completed the traditions, AJ was hesitant to keep the traditions going. He fell in love with his now wife when she was in school with him at NYU. His father had no idea back then, as it was year 5 of their training for AJ to take over. AJ kept it quiet and knew it would be hard to juggle. How could he give up one or the other? He knew it would be tough and one day he was going to let his father know his dilemma. The same day he was going to speak with his father, AJ’s future wife extatically explained that she is going to get here dream job as a night nurse. AJ hesitated for a second and burst out in excitement. As he grabbed her and spun her around, the excitement he really felt was completing his training and taking over the family traditions. Can he really have the best of both worlds?
Traditions – Volume 2

July 4th, 2023

AJ grasps the cool brass of his Father’s study door knob. Cotton mouth, sweat trickling down his forehead, clammy hands… “what am I doing” was his only thoughts as he rotates that knob. The cherry wood door creaks open. AJ straightens his posture as his eyes lock with the dark set eyes of his father. Slowly swinging his glasses in his hands, papers spread over the massive study desk, AJ’s father smiles for the first time in years. Stoic, almost like his brain needs to tell him to take a step against his will, AJ remembers to breathe. His father pushes back from the desk in his rolling leather chair. “AJ… no matter what happens from this point forward, you have made a choice, whether it was the urge of knowledge or the need for thrill, you are in the same position I was in at your age.

AJ tilts his head in a dog-like understanding… “16 son… that is when I was given my first envelope. 16, headed into my senior year of high school and my father changed my life forever. Most of me will forever be grateful for my own father bringing me into this life, but there is still that little part of me that holds onto humanity. That is going to be the one hurdle that you will continuously face. Decades our family has been a part of history, making the world a better place, without any recognition of what we have done to make said world more peaceful and rectified. That is how we like it, that is our pact to society… we take care of what is needed, no one finds out.”

AJ finally takes a seat in the other leather chair in the study as he is absorbing all his father is saying. His father is looking out the window as he pauses… the crackling fire pops ever so more than usual as AJ’s senses are heightened. Thoughts racing through his mind as he glances at the papers on the desk. Neatly placed piles, pictures of random people with a red X through them. Thumping is felt in AJ’s chest as he clears his throat. Silence is broken as he looks up from the papers to his father. His father is staring back at him with a smirk and a glassy look in his dark set eyes. “17 minutes of me explaining before you looked at my desk. you figured it out yet son? It took me 24 minutes when my father explained what we do in this world behind the scenes… in the shadows… in silence.”

AJ cracks his knuckles as he tries to comprehend the magnitude of this conversation. So… we… are… “we do not just kill son” AJ’s father cut him off. “It is a science, we do our homework, we have standards, we take out those needed to be gone. History shows us the path and future is where we will bring this world to a better place. I used to have hesitations when my father trained me. I would see the in-depth process of our traditions. But after years of training and shadowing my father, I finally got the hang of it. After my mind was cleared from my first tradition, I understood the importance of what we do. I did my second tradition… I studied the history of a man who was targeting young students coming out of Columbia University. He thought they would have money so he would attack them, lure them, or convince them to come back to his place. He made a few of them get the money from their parents but no matter the scenario he killed them. After watching this man for three months, he ended up killing two people. There would never be a third…” AJ stared at his father as everything started making sense. The quietness of his Father, the cold feeling he always got as he looked at his father, the hours he spent in his study. Always thinking how much work his father did at home as a college professor just did not make sense. AJ clears his throat as his father tries justifying their traditions.

His father stops in silence as AJ stands up. Face to face… AJ takes a breath… “When do we start?”
Traditions – Volume 1

February 18th, 2023

Drip… Drip… Drip… the mist of the morning dew is in the 5am air as AJ looks down. The dripping continues as his gloved right hand slightly shakes. The blade within said hand has a dark crimson color… as the blood is dripping off. Still shaking he remembers his training. “Focus son… you know what needed to be done… you know what to do next.

AJ shakes his head and wraps the knife in the cloth he takes out of his pocket, as he was taught. The lifeless body is on the ground, twenty paces from the man’s office within the History building. A professor at NYU. This man has spent the last 25 years as a professor of History and the last 21 year as a killer. AJ scans the area again, rule two – make sure your surroundings are clear… No witnesses, no cameras, no way of tracing. While this is AJ’s first kill, he knows it is his most important. His father trained him well. Locate your target, follow said target for 3 months to learn their patterns, find that one spot in their routine that is the hot zone to strike. This is the third most important rule. While not getting caught is obvious; becoming immune to every hesitation, becoming machine-like, striking, and getting out. That is the goal set forth. After years of training and learning from his father, AJ finally did what needed to be done. Following in the footsteps of his father he is ready to take over the family tradition… kill those that deserve… kill those that think they are above the law… make the hard choice to better society.

Lets take this back to the beginning… AJ and the family tradition he is about to become apart of. 16 years old. AJ’s just coming home from football practice. A manila envelope is pinned to his closet door in his bedroom… the outside reads “open at 7:21pm, follow the directions, find out what our family tradition is all about.” AJ takes a deep breath as he knew something was always off about his father. Never questioned it, just thought ever since his mom passed away he was just an eccentric, dark person that dove into his work.

7:20pm… 7:21pm… AJ, holding the envelope rips it quickly open. A letter is inside. “Good… you know how to be patient… you know how to follow the initial standards our traditions set forth… take a minute and understand that the moment you make the choice to go forward with learning our traditions there is no turning back. If you choose to ignore our traditions and want to live your life any way you see fit then burn this letter and heat up the dinner I left you on the stove. No hard feelings if that is your choice. You are my son and I will always be proud of anything you set your mind too. If you do decide to take part in our traditions then meet me in the study. I am behind my desk. The moment you open the door is the beginning of your path of learning our traditions.” AJ’s heart is racing… droplets of sweat form on his brow. He thinks long and hard…

In the study his father is sitting with his elbows on the desk, his hands perched under his chin, his glasses slightly swaying in his grasp… silence for what seems like an eternity, besides the crackling of the fire within the study. He picks up his cool glass of scotch. Brings it to his lips and sighs as the silence with the fire continues… he stares at the study’s door… the brass knob begins to turn…
Christmas

November 12th, 2022

As a child I would be ecstatic for this day to come

Even as an adult, it is music to my ears to hear those drummers drum

Older now and perspective is still the same

Sitting with my Daughter, watching Rudolph play the Reindeers game

So many years have gone by with one constant thing

The spirit of Christmas… a smile it will bring

When I was a boy, it was all about the family get togethers and gifts

As an adult, it is much more than that, feeling the holiday bliss

Shopping for others is what gives me a smile

Seeing Ally rip the paper on Christmas day, as I sip Eggnog for a while

“I knew it! Santa brought what I asked for, and I am not even done!”

I wink at Samantha and hold her hand, while Ally examines another one

The smile on her face is what this is all about for me

Holiday Season can live in all of us, no matter what you may hear or see

Tis the Season, listen to the music, eat the food, be with family

Because when it all comes together… you can truly feel that Holiday merry

First of many Christmas and Holiday poems/stories to come!
Tis The Season: A collection of Poems and Short Stories

November 12th, 2022

Christmas… Holidays… the whole season. Anyone that knows me knows there are no boundaries or limitations to my Christmas spirit. While this is the beginning of the season for most; for me this is year round. It lives inside of me, without judgement, qualms, or hesitation. Each year I get older, I still feel that giddy excitement, as the weather begins to change, the leaves fall, the smoky breath streams across the sky with every word spoken, it is time…

I have decided to revamp my writings to what I always hold dear to me. Christmas, Holidays, and this season. Hope you all enjoy these stories and poems, even if it just brings you into the spirit of it all for one moment… that is what this is all about. Here we go!
The Bad List: Chapter 3

October 4th, 2022

Three men… united by years of brotherhood and one more mission… get Damian Wright back safe and sound. Lou, Max, and Mike all know what is at stake. Worst case… lives lost. Best case… Damian is back and the government comes after all of them. Is it worth the risk? According to these three… you bet your ass it is worth the risk. Damian is like a brother to Max and Mike, while Lou has always kept an eye out for his little brother. The three of them are sitting on the plane on the tarmac in the Bahamas. Time to do what they set out to do… get Damian.

While on the flight, Max used his strengths in the IT world and his government access to pinpoint the last known location of Damian. Mike utilized his connections he has all over the world and was able to find a former asset a few miles from where they believe the extraction point will be. As for Lou… Lou sat in thought… thinking to himself, “how can all of this be? My little brother following in my footsteps… better than me in the job? Better than me in the skillset? But what about morally? I thought I taught him better about lines not being crossed or actions to take… and consequences, the consequences of everything we do. But… he is his own man. Maybe he is better than me to be able to just let it all go like that.”

“Lou, snap out of it” Max exclaims as he and Mike are staring at him waiting to get off the plane. “Let’s go… we have less than 10 hours before they find out what we are doing.” Max clicks “send” on his phone. “Email is sent to my bosses… they think I am following you to Peru as I told them that is where the lead said Damian has been taken.” Lou looks at them, “do they think I would really kill my brother?” Mike smirks, “no kid, they think you will bring Max to your brother and then you both will be killed.”

Lou looks at Max with distain… “what is he talking about Max? Why would Mike think that about Damian and me?” Lou grips his backpack strap around his right shoulder and shakes his head as he nudges Mike. “Listen, you were not sent that letter to kill your brother, the Government wants to take you both out. They know Damian messed up and they know you will stop at nothing to get him back. They cannot risk both their assets being taken alive… so they asked Mike and me to make sure the job gets done.” Lou scowls at them both, “wait… so you both got me here to do what exactly?” Lou slides his jacket to the side to reveal his gun. Mike steps in-between Lou and Max, “shut up man, you think we would just willingly go through with this? We are hanging ourselves out to dry by saving you both… you think we would betray our brotherhood that easily?” Lou sighs… “I am all in my head guys… so what then? You help me save Damian then we are on the run from the government?” Mike winks at Lou and smacks both Lou and Max in the shoulder… “why do you think I have assets all over the world?”

The three of them get into a Tesla. “Great job not standing out here Mike” Max exclaims as they are driving towards the safe house. Daryl chuckles as he is driving. “Actually sir, this is the best car to be in. Flashy and hiding in plain sight. Now if we were in a beat up taxi like the others, then we would get caught.” Daryl is one of many assets that Mike has connections to. Daryl actually trained with Mike and Damian prior to blowing out his knee in a training op. “So we have a safe house where we will set up in Nassau… ironically my twin brother Paul saw something suspicious yesterday. So, of course we checked it out. It is a warehouse a few miles away from where we are setting up. Your brother is in there Lou” Daryl said calmly like this was just simple conversation.

Lou smacks his hands on his knees. “So what are we waiting for? Lets get them with the element of surprise. We have three great shooters and a driver, what else do we need?” Daryl chuckles, “Lou I am not just a driver. My skills are intercepting intel and relaying it to my people… or just Mike so he can deal with it.” Mike looks at Lou as they pull up to the safe house. “Obviously we have not been 100% honest with you throughout this whole thing. But Max and I were able to find out through Daryl that Damian is in deep… he killed two men that are very powerful throughout the world. Unfortunately, one of them was a snitch for us… this is the real reason why you are here. Your brother started taking out people he deemed worthy. He did not follow a code like you or even follow his orders from the government. The last two people he killed were informants for us. Daryl intercepted a phone call from a CIA higher up to Damian pleading for him to stop. Damian’s response was that he is coming for everyone. The government recruited us as your closest allies to bring you here and take you and Damian out. What they do not comprehend is our brotherhood is stronger than the risk of them killing all of us.” Lou looks at Max, Mike, and Daryl… So then what’s the plan of extraction?”
The Bad List: Chapter 2

September 16th, 2022

Damian Wright… Brother… Son… Friend… Hired Dark Ops Assassin. Learned from the best when he got to the Marines. He was taught by Mike Berra. Mike worked along side Max Pennington and Lou Wright. Together they took out over 40 marks. When the three of them came home it was to silence. No crowds, no cheers, no one even knew the work they did to better the world. Years later, Mike stayed with the Marines as a trainer as Max and Lou worked their way up the Dark Ops ranks for the CIA. They always stayed in touch, but it wasn’t until Damian was personally assigned to his team that Mike began to wonder about coincidence.

Damian came on strong. “It’s in the blood” Mike would always say as Damian smirked. After 3 months of training, Mike got a phone call. While Damian was shooting the center of the targets each time, he glances at Mike. “What is it… is it Lou?” Mike looked at Damian, “nope you’re getting called to the big leagues son.” While still classified as a marine, Damian is now being erased from the record books. Mike does not hear from Damian since that day.

After years of success, taking out marks left and right, always saying yes to his handler, Damian decides to give Mike a call. It is December 24th, 12:21pm. Mike picks up his buzzing phone, “hey Mike, its Damian… I just wanted to say Merry Christmas before I go out. Mike hangs up. He starts texting. He slams his phone down.

Lou is preparing for his kill. Everything is planned down to the second. within 11 hours and 39 minutes he will complete his Bad List mark. His phone buzzes. He stares at it for a few minutes and puts it back in his pocket. “Stay focused… deal with this later” he tells himself.

Present moment… Lou is on his knees. The crumbled paper is beside him with his brother’s name on it. He pulls his phone out and looks at the text he got from the afternoon. “Call me – Mike.” Lou calls Mike… “So you know that your mark is your own brother?” The first words that come out of Mike’s mouth to Lou. “What the hell is going on. Why is my brother even an option, why is he even on this list!” Lou stands up and begins pacing. “I trained your brother Lou… too good I guess. It must be in the blood. You, Max, me, and now Damian… we are the best at what we do.” Lou begins to stand still as he realizes what Mike is about to say. “You trained my brother to be like us? You made him just like me? But why, why would the CIA need another me?”

Lou looks down at his phone, Mike is now trying to FaceTime him. He answers. Mike does a head nod then slowly turns the camera. Max is sitting next to him. Mike puts his finger up to his lips to make sure Lou does not say anything. Lou’s eyes widen as he realizes the entanglement the three of them are in with Damian becoming to look like a scapegoat. Max holds up a paper that reads “meet at corner coffee shop on 5th at 5am.” Lou nods and hangs up.

5am, coffee shop, Mike and Max are in the back booth, Lou walks in blowing into his hands for warmth. He sits down in their booth face to face with them. The waitress pours him a cup of black coffee. “Explain everything, I won’t get mad until I hear you both out” Lou says as he sips the coffee in his left hand and balls his right fist. “Relax Lou, I’ll tell you what’s up” Max says. Lou stares in anticipation. “You have rules, I get that, Mike gets that, even your brother gets that” Max is cut off by Lou “what the hell does my brother know about what we do and why would he get that?” Max looks at Mike and sighs… “Lou your brother was hired by the CIA. You have your rules, your codes, what ever you have to make you feel better and justified. You take out 1 of the 3… Damian takes out the other 2. It’s as simple as that. However, your brother, one of the best with no hesitation of doing his job and no rules, got a little sloppy.” Lou stares at the both of them… “Why didn’t one of you tell me after all that we’ve been through?” Mike puts his hand out and points at Lou, “You know the rules, we cannot discuss other Ops, no matter if its your brother. I train, Max finds marks, you kill the chosen, and Damian kills the leftovers. We all go home happy not knowing anything else and completing the jobs set forth by the CIA.”

“So now what… I have to kill my own brother?” Max looks at Lou, “No dipshit, I needed to do my job and make it look like Damian is the mark and you are the contract. You think I would make you kill your brother? You are all family to me. Damian is stuck in the Bahamas. He took out the other two from your list of three yesterday while you were planning your one kill. However, he called Mike. He said ‘Hi Mike it’s Damian, I just wanted to say Merry Christmas before I go out’ and that is the sign that he is in trouble. Once he made that call, Mike had to tell me so I can make the decoy Bad List with just Damian’s name on it. Then he texted you. The CIA knows Damian’s stuck and instead of sending a team to extract him they want to take him out. It is easier and cheaper to tie up loose ends then lose information to someone on the list or connected to someone on the list.”

Lou rubs his head with both his hands… “Max and I are coming out of retirement. The three of us are going to get Damian before the CIA questions anything. Trust me, we all are in a deep load of shit, but we can make this work if we all work together… just us three, that’s all we need and you know it” Mike pats Lou on the shoulder as he stands up. He reaches into his pocket… he throws three plane tickets on the table. First class seats to the Bahamas for December 25th at 7:21am. Max and Lou stand up, Lou grabs the tickets, “we get my brother, we get out of there, and we make sure the hire ups understand that this will not happen again.
The Choice Chapter 3

August 12th, 2022

Sometimes we just need our heads in the clouds. Clear the minds, clear the noise, and just be… this is what CW&FT at a Glance brings. A little time to clear everything, read some, and think forever. As a creative writer to be, I always am thinking of all the above. I have decided to share these thoughts here for all… not to convince, not to change, but just to open the minds to the little thoughts that may run through day to day. Enjoy!

“It was an accident…” could it be? Did Angelo go against all intuitions and actually make the right Choice.

Jimmy sighs in relief. “He might not have been the best person, but his intentions were not to kill you. At the same time you still didn’t alter Lilly’s future.” Angelo looks at both Jimmy and the Man in Black; tears start to well up as he is still unsure of the process. “She’s devastated… but not hurt. If I chose differently I would have killed a man who did not do anything to me on purpose. I would have been worse off than he must be now.” Jimmy smirks as he wipes off his glasses with his handkerchief, “you’re understanding… it’s not easy but there is a shining light behind the Choices my boy.”

The Man in Black clenches his fist and cranks his neck. “Choice two… choices oh choices. You see, the first may have been tough but here… here is where you falter.” He rubs his hands together as the fog dissipates and everything goes white. With a snap of his fingers, Jimmy and Angelo are standing side by side with the Man in Black at the foot of a king size bed. Silence for what seems like minutes… Angelo hears a familiar voice coming from the distance. Lilly slides the covers down with a stretch and a smile. The voice seems to get louder and louder as the person is coming to the door of the bedroom. The door opens and Angelo’s jaw drops… he sees his best friend Primo Amico.

“No… this isn’t real… my best friend and the love of my life?!” Jimmy steps in front of Angelo, “It is real son. I know it looks crazy but remember that you want her to be happy. You are smart, think… think of why this would happen.” As Jimmy says “happen” the Man in Black shoves him out of the way… “or how about you think of it logically, the way we all would… your girl and your best friend. How could they be ok with this? Why would they do this to you? Did they forget that you died? Did they forget you died on the day you proposed to Lilly?”

Angelo is face to face with with the Man in Black; shaking with adrenaline, fear, and frustration. “Go ahead, make it worse than it really is. They care about me and if I could pick anyone for Lilly it would be Primo. He is and will always be my best and first friend.” The Man in Black slams both Angelo and Jimmy to the ground. He picks up Angelo and throws him through the bedroom wall into the next room. He jumps on Angelo’s chest, puts his forearm to his throat and whispers in his ear ” you’re wrong.”

Angelo struggles to get a word out as he grabs the Man’s forearm, “Enough… there is nothing you can do with all your strength that will change my Choice. I will always want Lilly to be happy and if that means she fell in love with Primo then so be it.” A sharp ringing blasts through Angelo’s ears. The room turns white again. Angelo rubs his eyes as the ringing abruptly stops. Angelo sits up…

The Man in Black and Jimmy are standing side by side. “This kid really is a tough one,” the Man in Black says to Jimmy as he dusts off his jacket. Angelo pauses in confusion as both men seem to be alright with one another. They both put a hand out to help Angelo to his feet. They walk Angelo back to the master bedroom…

Primo lies down next to Lilly… a faint cry is heard from behind the three standing men. “A… a baby… they have a child? Angelo questions in a broken voice.

“Yes, they have a son… it has been ten years since they tragically lost you. I know it feels like it has been hours or days to you, but it has been a decade. At your funeral it was Primo that consoled Lilly and visa versa. Some of your family say that he took it harder than Lilly to some degree. You were his first friend… you were like a brother. This has become a perfect match for both Lilly and Primo. They fell in love and are happy because of you.”

Jimmy’s words hit hard for Angelo as they embrace in a hug that was years in the making. “Damn… this kid is good, maybe you were right Jimmy” the Man in Black says with a grin.

“The third Choice is surprisingly the easiest” the man in black says as he gives a friendly jab to Angelo’s shoulder. They walk down the hallway together, standing outside Primo and Lilly’s baby room. The Man in Black puts his hand out to shake Jimmy’s hand as he looks at Angelo… “Your Grandfather has been waiting here for you since he passed on. Once you arrived he told me that you were ready. I had to find out myself.” Another ringing is heard and Angelo takes a step back…

The Man in Black’s suit morphs into white and the ringing stops. “I am Maximo… I am the highest of Angels; this all has been a test to make sure that one day you can be amongst us. You honestly have what it takes… now you solidified what your grandfather has always thought. Jimmy is ready now… he can go up,” Maximo concludes as he smiles and shakes his hand.

“Depending on your next Choice, you will either go peacefully with him or you will stay here on earth with me. Your final Choice is… if you want to protect the baby of Lilly and Primo from here until his life is over as an old man. Like me, you will be here for decades protecting him without anyone ever knowing. What is your choice?”

Standing in front of Jimmy and Maximo, Angelo takes a breath. “Yes, I am ready… I want to do this… I feel I need to protect that baby boy and watch over this family forever.” Maximo smiles and tells Jimmy to give Angelo a hug one more time. As they embrace a bright light glows and Jimmy is gone.

“You made the right choice son… you have a few things to learn still but your tests of Choices were to make sure you can put this family and that boy before your own wants. To be a Guardian Angel, like me, you will be faced with great decisions for those that you guard. To give you a little more incentive to be at the top as a Guardian, listen to their conversation.” Maximo and Angelo lean in as Lilly and Primo look at their sleeping boy.

“So peaceful… our little Angelo,” Primo says as he gently rubs his baby boy’s cheek and winks at Lilly. Maximo smiles as Angelo puts his hands to his mouth and a tear rolls down his cheek. “You know you were always right about them Angelo… they always loved you and made a family foundation because of you. They will always remember you and honor you… for that they named their son Angelo.”

Angelo tries to compose himself as his emotions over flow. Maximo leans on the crib over baby Angelo. Baby Angelo opens his eyes and smiles at Angelo as if he is the only one that can see him. Angelo smiles back to baby Angelo as he now is also in a white suit like Maximo. Maximo smirks, “You are ready to do this… you are ready to be like me… you are ready to take care and protect this family… because at the end… you made The Choice.”