Eleanor's POV:
I tap my pen on the desk as I play with my hair trying to remember the answer to the question.
It's been a few days and Francesco told me that my school allowed me to take my exams online. They would send the papers on the day of the exam and the teacher would stay on a call with me while I did it.
The only condition was that my microphone and camera stayed on at all times. I was more than fine with it as long as I didn't fail my exams. Today is the first exam I have to do online. It's physics, which isn't a strong suit of mine, but I'm aiming for the sixties at least.
The timer goes off on the teacher's end signaling that the exam is over. Before the teacher cut the call he informed me that I needed to scan the exam today and send it to him in not more than fifteen to twenty minutes or else they'd consider I cheated.
I agree with it and the minute he cuts the call I grab the exam and head up to the fourth floor. Francesco had permitted me to go up after my exam as he knew I needed to scan it. I knock on his office door and once I get the okay I walk in and hand him the papers.
As he scans the papers he asks "How do you think you did?"
I fidget with my hands, my eyes watching the scanner. "I don't think I went horrible, but then again physics is a pain for me so it might not be my best mark," I answer.
"And that's okay, we can't be good at everything. I know you're studying hard and that's all that matters." He reassures, a long pause stretches before he lets out a chuckle making me confused.
"I remember what I was like during exam season. Believe it or not, I wasn't the best student in my year. I had never gotten the point of the subjects we were taught so I used to leave the studying till the last minute, managing to get the grades I needed to pass and boy did my mother scold me for my laziness..." He reminiscences while I stare at the ground my mouth slightly parted.
"I never would have guessed," I murmur which makes him let out a deep chuckle.
"It wasn't until I got to University and entered the marketing programme that I got my act together." I notice he zones out slightly, telling me he's going back to that time and I listen intently.
"I met your mother at University, I dreamt about marrying her, having kids with her, and giving her the life she wanted. I wanted to make sure she was never missing out on anything. I knew I needed to pull myself together if I wanted to achieve that." He shakes his head with a small smile.
"It wasn't easy breaking the cycle I had put my brain into, but once I got into the new cycle I felt myself change. I saw things clearer and started understanding what others said better. It's surprising how having a reason for doing something can change a person. For me, your mother was my reason. I wanted to treat her right, show her that I was a good man, a man worth her trust. A man worthy of her hand and her kids." He concludes and I feel his words strike a chord in me.
I would never have thought of Francesco like that. From the outside, you wouldn't think he was a family man but his explanation just gave me a whole new view of him.
"W-What was mum like back then?" The question that has been nagging me finally comes out and his smile widens at the memories probably flushing his mind.
"She was... a feisty one I'll say. Always striving for independence, I remember how she made me grovel and work for her approval before we got together. But behind all that, she was a kind sole. She was a good woman, helped those in need and always stuck up for what was right.
"I can never explain the happiness she brought me, and when we got married it was beautiful. And from then on life felt better with her. She was an open book for me. Even though she always scolded me and told me it was my fault every time she was pregnant after the fifth time, I knew she loved all of you and would die before letting harm fall upon you, and I'd do the same." He leans against the wall.
"I remember how she would tell me that she never cared for what gender the baby would be, but I knew that deep down she always hoped for a girl at some point. Until one day we found we were pregnant with you," he looks me in the eye with a soft smile.
"Your brothers were so excited, everyone was. I remember how the eldest ones would run around with your mum to prepare your baby room. When her stomach got too big for her to do most stuff they would get her and do everything she needed without complaints. They would huddle around her, snuggle up to her and talk to you through her stomach." He explains softly and I feel my eyes widen.
"Needless to say you were a ray of sunshine when you were born. Your mother was the most protective of you, as she was with all your brothers. Barely left me unsupervised with you..." He shakes his head at the memory, an amused smile breaking out on his face.
"But then the day she ran away with you left me feeling cold. I had woken up to her side of the bed empty and when I went to check on you and didn't see you I had just thought she had taken you to the kitchen or somewhere in the house. I remember how my heart shattered when I didn't see you or Ella anywhere. I remember how the boys were. Broken and pained that they lost their mother and sister. We don't know why she did it and I don't think we'll ever know now but I know she had a good reason. Ella... she always did things for a reason and for whatever reason that led her to take you away I'm sure it's justified."
His expression is grim, the pained look in his eyes tells me how much he cared for Mum, for me. The realisation makes tears well up in my eyes but I push them back before he can see them.
The beeping from the scanner breaks the tension making me let out the breath I was holding. He sits in front of his laptop and I hear him click and type before telling me he sent the file with the scanned exam over to my teacher and I nod my thanks.
"May I talk to you for a minute before you go do as you wish?" he asks and I nod.
He leads me over to the same couch I sat on when he and the eldest brothers talked to me on my first day here. I sit with my hands in my lap, feet planted on the couch with enough room between him and me for me to be remotely comfortable.
"As you know you have thirteen brothers, and I can imagine that it may seem a bit stressful to live with so many but I can assure you won't have to. What we haven't informed you of till now is that Matteo, Lorenzo, Gino and Giovanni don't live here. They have their own homes close, only a ten-minute drive away. We felt it would be good for you to know to not only ease your mind but also because you live here now and have a right to know." He explains and I nod in understanding, acting as if I don't already know.
"Thank you for telling me," I say politely.
"No need for thanks, as I said you live with us now, it is only respectful to tell you such things."
Respect. Such a strong word that is followed by strong actions. It's not something that should be thrown around loosely, respect is only for those who are kind, loyal, trustworthy, and generally a good person - at least personally it's what I look for in a person when I determine if they should be respected.
Not everyone has the right to respect, but it doesn't mean those people are animals. Then again it always depends on the person's character and actions. What my captors did to my mum and me isn't something to be respected.
However just because a person should be respected it doesn't give them the right to be disrespectful to others. I remember how back in the cells before my captors had taken me away from Mum, she always told me that no matter what, I talk with respect to every person I meet for the first time, but if they didn't reciprocate it then I could go full badass on them.
The memory always made me smile in my head, her voice rang in my head every time someone was disrespectful to me, telling me to go badass on them. But one thing is for sure whenever I think of my mother, is that when I finally find our captors I will avenge both of us and make sure they pay for ever disrespecting us.
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A/N
Words: 1610
Guess who's back?
Back again
I'm back, phone a friend 😆
Hello my patient readers who won't cut my head of... hehe 🙂
Hope this chapter makes sense and is to y'alls liking. Tried showing Francesco in a more heart felt way. Wanted to show that besides being a Don, he's also a father and husband who just missed his little girl and wife and would do anything for his family.
Also wanted to show Ella's character a little too, I think both of them are great parents, and love their kids so much.
I can't believe the next chapter will be chapter 20!! AAAAAH!!!🙀🙀
Anyway, I won't hold you here any longer, as always don't be shy to comment, love reading them and answering them. And don't be shy to tell me if I have any grammatical mistakes.
The chapterly question this time is... are you an early bird or a night owl? I am a night owl 🦉
Have a good day or night
xoxo
Purple-writer