"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."
-Helen Keller
Nicolas
"Anything else you need, Mr. Roselli?" Alessandra fluttered her eyes at me curiously as she awaited my answer to her question. I looked up from my paperwork a bit overwhelmed by all the acquisition and merger papers I had to look over before submitting to my future business partners I was working with. I was silently praying to myself that all this work would slow down by the time Valeria had the baby; I wanted to be a completely hands-on father and didn't want work interfering with the bonding experience between my future daughter and me.
Valeria needed me now more than ever since she was getting bigger as the days went by. Her stomach was quite prominent at this point and I could honestly say I loved seeing her pregnant. Everything about her glowed and brought an immediate sense of comfort in me; it was crazy thinking I was going to be a father again soon. I was going to give Mila and our unborn daughter the father I've always craved.
One that loved unconditionally, never judged, and always made their children knew they were enough.
I never had that from my own father and I was going to fall into that wheel or pattern.
I was going to break it.
"Mr. Roselli?" Alessandra's voice shook me again and I looked up realized that I had spaced-out staring blankly at the numerous papers I was holding.
"Pardon me, Alessandra. I was lost in my thoughts, what were you asking again?" I said.
She watched me with a narrowed stare, "I was saying...if you needed me for anything else. But now that I'm looking at you, perhaps a coffee?" She suggested.
I shook my head, "Not at the moment thank you..." I shook my head.
She began walking towards the door of the office and she stopped just short of it before she turned back around, "Are you sure you're okay, Mr. Roselli? You have been out of it for the past couple of days." She questioned me.
I waved my hands, "I have a lot of things on my mind, Alessandra. I thank you for your concern, but you shouldn't be bothered by it." I informed her.
She pouted, "I'm your intern, it's my job to make sure you're feeling well.... perhaps I can offer you a massage?" Her thick Polish accent rung through the room causing me to look up at her with confusion.
"A massage?" I inquired.
She nodded a light smile playing on her face, "Yes... I am quite good with my hands. I'm sure it will take the tension off your muscles." She stated.
I frowned and narrowed my gaze, "Alessandra?" I called to her.
"Yes, Mr. Roselli?" She replied.
I pointed to the seat in front of me and she immediately walked over and took a seat in front of my desk. She crossed her leg over the other and flicked her strawberry blonde hair to the side of her face.
I sat up straight in my chair giving her a stern look, "Remember when I told you would be better off working under my wife than me?" I said to her.
She nodded unsure of where this was going, "Yes I do... but I specifically remember my parents wanting you to be my mentor, no offense." She said with a nervous laugh.
"I understand that and all..." I sat the papers down on my desk and leaned back. "But you are a woman... a woman who is going to be taking over your family company. You would plenty benefit being under the direction of my wife who has years of experience navigating in that realm. She has far more advice to give to you than I ever would. She's trained my sister into the wonderful businesswoman she is today." I explained to her.
Alessandra frowned, "But I think I work better here. Being surrounded by men every day prepare me for the reality of the business world." She countered.
I nodded, "That is true. But you've already spent a few months here, I think it is better for you to spend some time with my wife learning the ropes after all. It won't be long, who knows maybe you'll like it." I smiled.
She didn't respond to my efforts which let me know she was unhappy with the decision.
Abruptly Alessandra stood up and huffed, "My parents wanted you to mentor me! Not your wife! I will leave if this decision is final!" She stomped her foot on the floor as if she were a spoilt child not getting her way. Mila was better behaved than her and that was a shame.
"Well Alessandra if you feel that way, then the door is right over there," I said gesturing to the door she was previously at.
She followed my hand and I could see her face getting redder by the second, it was quite the contrast to her really pale skin. "You can't be serious?" She questioned me.
I gave her a serious look so she knew I wasn't playing with her. "I'm very serious. I don't have to do anything for you. I did this mentorship program as a favor to your parents and I can take it back. Now you have two choices to make: spend some time with my wife, or you don't let the door hit you on the way out." I said to her clasping my hands together finished my statement.
She stared at me long and hard and finally let a breath of air out as she calmed down.
"Fine. I will take the mentorship program with your wife." She agreed.
I smiled, "That wasn't so hard now was it?"
She grimaced.
"I'm sure she'll find it a pleasure to teach you," I said to her.
"I'm sure she will." She replied less enthusiastically and began walking towards the door.
"Have a good afternoon, Alessandra." I waved her off as she opened the door.
"Mhm." She opened the door and was met by my assistant, Vince who was looking a bit puzzled by her facial expression. He excused himself and let her out before walking in and shutting the door behind him.
"Vince?" I questioned the box he had his hand.
"Boss, this came in for you." He said setting the nicely wrapped gift box with a golden ribbon at the top of my desk; it honestly looked like something that should have been under a Christmas tree, not my desk in the middle of autumn. "What is this?" I questioned him.
Vince shrugged, "I don't know... but it's been screened for any possible threats, so it's safe to open, sir." He replied.
I nodded wondering who could have possibly sent this. I began undoing the ribbons on the box, "This has no return address, who is it from?" I asked him.
Vince shook his head, "Not sure... but guess it's probably a prank from one of the workers here. I here Jenny got one of those the other day too." He chuckled lightly.
I rolled my eyes, some of my employees enjoyed pranking each other during the week and no one was off-limits. I've seen the weirdest things pop up around here at times, it was quite the entertainment.
I finished pulling off the strings in the box and threw it to the side before I opened the box. I was confused by the containments of the box. When I opened it, I was a bit confused to see a stuffed toy elephant. I picked it up and gazed at it with suspicion; this looked like something a child would play with it. It was soft and plushy, small enough for a baby to hold and my hands definitely doubled the size of the toy.
I looked closer on the toy and read it: Squeeze me.
I did as it said and jumped a little when a high-pitch squeal came out of the toy. I squeezed it again and it made the same noise. I looked over at Vince who was smirking, probably amused by the gift I had been given.
"You sure you have no idea?" I gave him a knowing look.
He waved his hands in front of his face, "No way.... none of this is me, boss man." He stated.
I put the stuffed animal down thinking it would make a nice addition to the collection my future daughter would have; I wasn't sure who knew we were having a child in the office, but I wouldn't be surprised if rumors were beginning to spread since Valeria was showing now. She did her best cover it as much as she could, but New York press loved to talk and they had been speculating for years since we've been married about a potential pregnancy.
I peered over the gift box wondering if there was anything left for me to see in there, surprisingly enough there was a slip of paper in there like a note. I picked it up and read it instantly, the words were typed nothing written.
Children are a blessing, aren't they?
Be like an elephant and guard them with determination.
One day they're here, the next they're not.
After reading the note my amusement instantly washed away and I frowned. "What the fuck is this?" I asked gesturing the note. Vince frowned and took the note and read it and also look perplexed by it.
"I'm not sure, sir." He replied a bit nervously.
"If this is a prank, it's not a fucking funny one. My wife is pregnant and I do not take that kind of shit lightly!" I said to him.
Vince nodded, "Oh, is she? Congrats, sir..." He said awkwardly.
I picked up the stuffed elephant and threw it into the box before closing it, "Find whoever sent this." I said to him.
Vince took the closed box sitting on my desk and nodded, "Right away, sir." He nodded once more before quickly heading out the door.
I liked Vince, he was a great worker, determined, resilient. But if I found out he was pulling these sick kind of jokes, I wouldn't hesitate to get rid of him as I did to Elizabeth.
I took a deep sigh and looked over at the picture of Valeria and Mila that sat on my desk. This picture was of them when we visited Turks and Caicos for a family vacation. Valeria was holding Mila smiling widely as Mila had her arms outstretched in glee, they were playing in the water previously before I decided to take the picture.
I picked up the photo frame and focused intently on it.
I would do anything to protect those two, they both had my heart.
...
"Babe, what do you think about these colors for the nursery?" Valeria held up three color swatches so I could see. She pointed to a light ash-gray color, then to a blush pink, and then to a crème color that remined me a lot like coffee creamer. I looked between the colors and then shrugged, I wasn't really good with colors, after all Valeria was the one that did most of the wedding planning.
"What does that shrug mean?" She asked me curiously. We were in the room that we both designated would be the baby's room when she came. It was close to ours and by Mila's so we would never be too far from her; although Val and I decided that we would have her in our room with us for a couple of months before deciding to put her in the nursery.
"It means, I know nothing about decorating a nursery and you should take the lead on this." I joked.
Valeria rolled her eyes, "Be serious, Italy. I need a final decision on this so the decorator can tell the painters by tomorrow." She said to me.
I sighed deeply, "Uh... maybe the blush pink and the crème." I suggested.
She hummed to herself, "That's good... maybe I'll add the gray color as well to the scheme." She said to herself.
Why did she ask me if she was going to choose all three of them!
Calm down, Nicolas... she's pregnant. I told myself.
"Are we done picking out the colors?" I asked her. She turned to me and smiled, "For now yes, but we still have a couple more things to choose." Valeria stood up from the chair she was sitting in and slightly waddled over to a book that was laying by the windowsill. She looked so cute pregnant, her face was slightly plumping up and her hair was getting full by the day, she was a real-life goddess.
"We still have swatches to pick from for the curtains and then rocking chair and sheets for the bedding." She explained to me sounding slightly out of breath from the small trip she made over to the other side of the room.
"Mia bella, take a seat," I said bringing the chair she was once sitting on over to her to save her the trouble of having to walk back.
"Thanks, baby." She gave me a light peck and sat back in the chair opening up the book of swatches in the process. I sat there for about an hour or so "helping" her pick out the colors for the nursery and thanked God almighty when it was over.
"How was work?" She asked me curiously.
I shrugged, "The usual." I thought for a moment telling her about the weird gift I'd been given, but decided that it was best not to especially since I didn't want her stressing right now.
"Really?" She asked me with an arched eyebrow.
"Actually... I was thinking that you should start taking Alessandra as your mentor for a while." I suggested to her.
Valeria scrunched up her face, "Ew.... no." She replied to me.
"Valeria..." I groaned.
She shook her head, "Uh-uh she's your problem, not mine." She wrapped her arms across her chest stubbornly.
"Baby." I took her hands and placed light kisses on her fingers and she attempted to ignore me as I did this. "Please," I begged her.
Valeria growled, "Just send her back to Germany where she came from." She said to me.
"She's Polish, dear." I corrected her.
She rolled her eyes, "Potato tomato... I'm not dealing with her annoying ass." She stated.
"Please! I think she could really value a couple of lessons from you. She's going to be taking over her family's business... she could learn from you." I explained.
"I don't do charity cases." She was firm on this today.
I sighed deeply and thought of something.
"Whatever you want I'll get it for you, just name it." I bargained with her.
She looked over at me with a slight gleam in her eyes, "Whatever I want?" She tested me.
I smirked and kissed her palm, "Yes... anything you want, just tell me." I said to her.
She made a thinking face and tapped her chin, "I could use some more foot massages for my swollen feet." She said wiggling her toes at me teasingly.
I arched my eyebrow, "But I already do that." I said to her.
She shrugged, "Yeah... but I could use some more... whenever I want them." She informed me.
I sighed deeply, she knew how I felt about feet... she was lucky she had pretty ones.
"Fine. Is that all?" I asked her.
She scoffed, "As if, husband." She got up from her seat moving the book from her lap onto the now vacant seat. "I have had my eyes on this Van Cleef piece lately." She continued.
"Done," I said already knowing where the rest of this conversation was going. Valeria was jewelry feen, so I know how she got around priceless jewels. Van Cleef was one of her favorite brands along with Cartier, Harry Winston, and Graff.
Valeria walked out of the door to the nursey and I followed her like a lost child at a mall.
"I was also thinking we should get a new dog." She suggested.
"Another one? We already have Leo." I stated.
Valeria turned to me, "No, we also have you." She joked.
I rolled my eyes, "Haha." I snarked.
"Seriously, I've always wanted a big dog and I think now would be the best time, right before the baby comes so we have time to really get it acquainted with us." She suggested as she headed towards the kitchen.
"What kind are you thinking of?" I asked her.
"A German Shepherd." She replied.
"I'm not training it," I stated to her seriously.
"We can get one trained then... like a guard dog." She suggested.
I sighed, "Anything else, my love." I said blandly.
She thought again, by this time we had made it to the kitchen. "You know, I should make a list... I need to think all of these through." She said getting ahead of herself.
"Angela, please.... we don't have the time to buy another island right now." I reminded her.
She gave me a shocked look, "Who said I wanted to buy another one... we can talk about that after the baby." She cackled as if she already had something similar to that in mind.
Oh God, what did I get myself into?
"So, you'll mentor Alessandra, right?" I questioned her.
"Let me sleep on it." She said being evasive to me. She went into the fridge and pulled out some Tupperware filled with some fresh fruits. She opened the top and began snacking on the contents inside of it.
"Valeria.... I need an answer now or I'm not doing any of the things on your list." I warned her.
She groaned. "Fine, whatever! I'll babysit her for you." She replied.
I clasped my hands together, "You're not babysitting her, mentoring... please behave for the sake of our child growing inside of you." I reminded her.
"I can behave. It's that girl that doesn't know how to." She informed me.
"Just do this for me, baby," I said seriously.
Valeria stopped munching on the fruits and walked over to me. I instantly placed my hands around her round stomach and bent over to kiss it lightly. She ran her hands through hair and it instantly brought comfort to my uneasiness about leaving Alessandra with Valeria.
"I will do it for you." She picked my chin up so she could look at me, "But if she acts up... I'm quacking her out, better yet I'm going to torture her and send her back to you a broken woman." She smirked devilishly. That smile made my toes curl as it was filled with a promise I knew she would fulfill if the wrong buttons were pressed.
"Be nice."
"That's not on the list."