Chapter 10: Chapter Ten

*Gabriela*

I couldn’t get off the plane fast enough. It was a small terminal and more field than anything. And I was the first one off. I thought Enzo or Charlie was going to prevent me from dashing down the steps as soon as they were placed on the ground, but they didn’t. They completely let me run free.

And I was running free, as well as crying at the same time, and then threw myself right in the arms of one of the most important people in my life. As soon as he caught me the dam of my emotional rollercoaster of the last half a year came pouring out of me.

“Oh, oh, oh. Baby girl, it’s all going to be alright now. You’re home, you’re home.” Giovanni Giordano warmly whispers as he squeezes me to him, patting my back as he does.

I cried harder as the words washed over me. It wasn’t just the kidnapping; it was everything I’ve been through since the day my mother died that was filtering out. I didn’t want to let him go, he had turned into my rock when the diagnosis came back, holding me up when I so desperately wanted to fall.

And the fact that it was here that Enzo had brought me…I was more than just happy. I was home.

“That’s right, let it all out sweetheart.” He soothes, still patting me and holding me to him. “Come, let me take a look at you. It’s been too long, la mia gioia.”

Sniffling, trying hard to get my shit together, I pull away a little so I could see his withering, but handsome face. He looked a little thinner than I last remembered, but seeing him here in front of me, I couldn’t be other than the happiest person alive.

His brows furrow as he rakes his eyes all over my face. “Even when you’re a mess, you’re still the most beautiful woman, I had ever set eyes on.”

That got a smile out of me.

“Aw, there she is.” He wipes the tears from my cheeks. “I missed you, nipote.”

I sighed deeply to get my emotions under control. “I missed you too.”

He grabs my cheeks into his hands and looks me straight in the eyes with determination and seriousness. “Now let’s take you back to the house so you can get much needed rest. We’ll straighten this whole thing out in due time, la mia gioia.”

Hearing the endearment once again warmed my heart. It’s been too long since I heard the sound of his voice. He was the grandfather I never got to have when I was younger and meeting him was the best thing to have ever happened to me and my mother when things really started to become difficult for the two of us.

I nodded my head in agreement. He turns away from me and looks beyond my shoulder. I stiffen a little when I see Domenico coming straight towards him with arms open wide and a huge smile on his face.

“Nonno!” He cries out like this was some kind of grand occasion.

As soon as he got close enough, pappi Gio raises a hand and starts hitting him over and over on his head, shoulders, and anywhere he could reach. I watched in suppressed laughter as the old man went to town on him all the while yelling out in angry Italian.

Domenico curled in on himself as he tries to escape his grandfather’s wrath. “Ow! Nonno! What did I do?! Nonno, I’m sorry! I’m sorry, alright! Charlie, help me out here!”

“I’m sorry, sir. But you brought this down on yourself.” Charlie walks up with a few bags in hand looking completely unfazed that the man was being beaten to death.

He didn’t look sorry at all.

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” He cries out as Pappi Gio pulls on his ear and growls, “We are going to have a nice long talk about your behavior young one.”

He releases him and looks beyond him, and it felt like the entire atmosphere switched to a more somber, settling mood. Enzo slowly walks up to him, not taking their eyes from each other. While Giovanni looks emotionally happy, Enzo showed more of an emotional grief look about him.

“Nonno.” He softly says as he stops right in front of him.

“Tesoro.” His grandfather replies just as gently.

Domenico rubs his ear as he looks between the two and then scoffs. “Hey, how is that fair that you call him Tesoro, but started berating me the moment I reached you?”

“Dom, shut up.” Enzo rolled his eyes.

Giovanni grunts at his youngest grandson and pulls his oldest into a bear hug. “It’s been way too long, Tesoro. We have much to catch up on.”

He lets him go and turns back to me. “Come! Maria has been cooking all morning and can’t wait to see you all.” He beams as he wraps his arm around my shoulders and leads us to his waiting vehicle.

***

Maria sets a plate of heaping pasta right down in front of me as she encourages us all to eat as much as we wanted. She was a nice middle-aged lady that had been taking care of Pappi Gio for the last ten years. Her family resided in the house that he had built for her just down the road. It had been a gift when he learned that fifteen people lived together in a little run-down home.

So, she, her husband and three children moved in with no hesitation and were forever grateful for his generosity. And she worked for him for free since she wouldn’t allow him to pay a cent more on their behalf. She took care of everything, so he didn’t have too.

Her husband worked on the farm with him, years before that, so a steady income was coming through at least. I grew up with her children, even though I was a good five years older than her oldest. It was still nice to have others roughly around my age to hang out with over the years.

“Eat! You’ve gotten too skinny!” Her thick Spanish accent came out as she piled another helping to my plate.

Giovanni chuckles as he digs in with no complaints. Domenico had table manners of a child as he shoved the food in his mouth, getting a smack to the head from his grandfather.

“What are you, five?” He snaps with a scowl on his face.

Domenico truly looked scolded. “I’m starving.” He mumbles.

“No reason to act like caveman.”

“Sorry, Nonno.”

The old man just sighs and pats him on the shoulder. “After dinner, us three will have a nice long talk.” He looks to Enzo with that statement, who just nods as he slowly chews his food.

He hasn’t said much since we arrived at the airport. In fact, he seemed to be a bit withdrawn and concerned about something. I knew Pappi Gio noticed it too, but he didn’t pressure him on the subject.

Exhaustion suddenly hits me hard and I push my plate away, the second portion only half eaten. “I think I’m ready to retire.” I announce and as I stand up, Enzo, Charlie and Domenico stand up immediately.

Giovanni looks to each of them with eyebrows raised. Charlie was the first to speak as he slightly bows and says, “Goodnight, Ms. Russo.”

He sits back down, making me smile. He was such a nice man. I look to the cousins as they both just stood there. Wiping any particles of bread from my person, I clear my throat and nod.

“Goodnight.” I turn to leave, but not without feeling the eyes of someone burning into my back as I walk from the room.

Personally, it was hard to look Enzo in the eye at the moment. The humiliation I felt on the plane was still there fresh in my mind. The fact that I thought he was going to kiss me! And that smirk on his face telling me he knew exactly what I thought. Ugh!

I wanted to crawl up in that toilet and flush myself down out into the sky and die from plummeting to the ground at full speed. I didn’t ever want to leave that stall. But I knew I couldn’t hide forever. Avoiding him seemed like a good idea, but nearly impossible with a presence such as his.

Heading up the stairs, I couldn’t help but stop at his room, a room that hasn’t been used in the last eight years. Papi Gio still left it the way it was before Enzo had left. Placing a hand on the hard wooden door, my cheeks pinken at the memories of falling asleep in there when I missed him like crazy.

And he didn’t even remember me.

My heart hardens at the fact, and I snatch my hand away from the door. He made feel like a fool up on that plane. And I vow right here, right now, that I wasn’t going to allow him to do it again.

From this day forward Enzo Giordano was nothing to me.