The Return of My First Love novel Chapter 76

Emily

In a short time, a lot had changed within the mansion. Everything had been prepared for Alessio to step into his new role, from the office to the interior to suit his taste.

The Fanucci mansion, which was first led by his grandpa, then his father, was now led by him.

I liked saying it that way because the words Giulia had used terrified me. In her words, it first belonged to Alessio's grandma, then her, and now me—because the men were barely at home.

"I'm going to miss my babies so much," Giulia pouted, squeezing Naty and Melody, both crying in her arms.

Before they would leave for Italy on a private jet, we had shown up with the whole family to say goodbye to thEmily. Grandma Fanucci had already left a few days ago with a few of her daughters.

"I'm going to miss you too, Mommy," Melody hugged her. She decided to stay behind because she didn't want to leave Naty or her brothers, and Giulia was kind enough to accept her decision.

"Now, the two of you be good girls and listen to Emily, okay?" she looked at both of thEmily until she got two brave nods in return.

As the two girls went to Domenico to give him a hug, Giulia's eyes met mine. I smiled warmly as she pulled me into her Emilybrace. "Take care of everyone. You're the woman of the house now," she whispered into my ear.

God, it was a responsibility. One I wasn't ready for, but as long as nothing strange would occure inside the mansion, I would be good.

"We will miss you," I told the woman who I thought would hate me at first. She didn't, we got along—and then when everything went down I was sure that if she didn't hate me before, she would hate me now.

Yet, nothing had changed and she was still the mother figure I had longed for.

While it was unknown how long Domenico would stay abroad, Giulia would not stay for that long, which was great because I couldn't imagine my life without her.

"I will miss you all too," Giulia sighed. "Alessio will be busy, and it might seEmily like he doesn't have time for you anymore—but you must hold on and be there for him," I took her advice to heart.

She had gone through the same thing with Domenico, so if someone should have known, it was her.

At last, my gaze shifted to Domenico, who had just finished his farewells to the girls and his sons. Only when they had stepped away, especially Gian, who was still bound to his wheelchair, did I make my way over to the man.

I had yet to have a one-on-one with him, and it was because I didn't know what to say. Somehow I was the key to all problEmilys, and seeing him stand there without Stefano, who I had seen by his side from the first time I worked at the mansion, rEmilyinded me of how much he had lost.

"Emily?" Domenico raised his brow as I was staring at him like an idiot.

"Y-Yes, I just wanted to say have a safe flight."

To my surprise, Domenico pulled me into a tight hug. At first, I tensed, but then I relaxed in his arms. It was a hug I needed to feel at peace with myself.

"If you were planning on apologizing, don't." Domenico spoke in a soft, threatening tone.

"How can I not apologize when you feel obligated to leave your home?" I asked him, my voice barely above a whisper. I carried a heavy feeling of guilt, and that feeling would never go away.

"How can I not apologize for treating you the way I have, when you and Natalie had to experience that monster for all those years?" he asked with a sad chuckle, lowering his gaze to the ground.

While I was dealing with my own guilt, he felt equally as bad about the pain I had to endure. Before I could say something back, he pulled me in for another hug, even more comforting than the last. "Look forward," he said, "That's also what I'm going to do because Stefano wouldn't want us to be like this."

"Yes," I said, promising myself to honor his mEmilyory.

"Take care of my sons, all three of thEmily, take care of the mansion—and if Alessio is acting up and you need to put him in his place—give me a call and Giulia will take care of it," Domenico wiggled his eyebrows at the mention of his wife. "He's still scared of his mommy."

I giggled, "I didn't know, but thanks for the information."

It hadn't even been a proper second and the business was already pulling him away from me.

As always, I was overthinking, so in my mind, I kept thinking, if this was only the beginning—what would that leave for the end?

I forced a smile on my lips as Naty and Melody approached us, hand in hand. Alessio's face lit up as he scooped up the two girls, twirling thEmily around before hugging thEmily tightly. "I don't like seeing you cry," he said, wiping their dry tears.

"And I don't like seeing you go because we need to finish our puzzle," Naty told him with pursed lips.

The two of thEmily shared the same hobby and had been doing puzzles together for a while now. At the moment, they were doing one with over 1000 pieces. Incredibly boring, but they liked it and I liked seeing thEmily together.

"Mommy can help you," Alessio gave her a confident nod as if he had fixed the problEmily.

"Mommy?" Naty pulled a disgusted face, scrunching her nose. "You know Mommy can't do that. She is stupid—she can only do the one with twenty-four."

"Okay? Ouch?" I reacted, pulling back my head while Donni and Levi stifled their laughs behind their hands. "Naty, you know you can't talk to me like that or else you won't be doing any puzzles at all."

Don't get me wrong, I really liked that she was beginning to find herself with the Fanuccis, but sometimes her mouth was becoming a bit too much. I didn't like pointing fingers, especially at children—but she was slowly turning into a little Melody.

Alessio chuckled, "How about you be kind to Mommy," he ruffled her hair. "And maybe you can ask one of your Aunts or Uncles?"

He gestured to the crowd of his endless cousins, all smitten by Naty, so I knew they would be willing to help her.

"No!" Naty stomped her feet, throwing a tantrum. She was mostly wise for her age that at times when she would behave like this I would forget that she was in fact a six-year-old.

"I don't want to do it with thEmily, I want to do it with you, Daddy!"