We walked into Damien's mansion."Armani!Mommy's back!"Then I heard him running."MOMMY!"He ran at me and I picked him up."Oh,my big boy."
"A-A-Armani?"I put him down as I heard Nora.I leaned down to his eye level."Remember how I talked about your nonna?Well,this is nonna Nora."
We went to the kitchen and started cooking togather.They got along so well!So fucking well!She even tucked him in."I should leave,bambina."
"Mom,I'm so happy he likes you.I can keep calling you mom,right?"She nodded."Please,keep calling me mom!"
* * *
I came back to the manor and Roman was waiting for me at the door,pacing around."Where the hell were you,mother?!"I scoffed."Can't I go out?Why are you here anyways?!"
"Mother,you barely leave the manor,you suddenly leave the manor for hours?!Are you kidding me?!"I rolled my eyes."You get your ass back into line!"
"WHERE WERE YOU?!""YOU DON'T GET TO RAISE YOUR VOICE AT ME,YOUNG MAN!"I sighed."I had the best day outside.I needed a day off and I got what I wanted."
He sighed."Ma,I just want to know you're safe when you're leaving.You didn't take the guards either!""I didn't want to take them.You had nothing to worry about."
"What did you do out there?""I didn't do much.Really,I didn't.But just so you know,I will be leaving again and I will be gone until this time of night."
"Why,ma?""Because I missed...the outside!I missed having a cup of coffee that wasn't in the household!Some fresh air because you have been nothing but controlling!"
"Me?!Controlling?!Mother do you-"I cut him off."I told you years ago,I kept telling you whenever you doubted and I am telling you now.She will come back eventually!"
"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!""NEITHER DO YOU!"I scoffed."Just because she left,doesn't mean I will.Doesn't mean that you need to watch over me 24/7."
* * *
It has been 3 weeks and I have been avoiding to talk with Damien ever since.In the morning,Nora and Basilio came over.While Nora,Basilio and Ruby played with Armani,Damien wanted to talk with me.
"So,I've waited patiently but even my patience has a point where it's too much."I nodded."Ask me.""How did it all happen?"
"Five years ago,the night of the ball,I learned about our older brother and our older sister,Griffin and Fiona.I also learned about Javier and Alessandro,Roman's older brothers."
"He kept all these secrets from me!He lied to me about his age even after we got married and he lied to me about the first time we met!I lost it!"
"I attended the ball but we went up to his office.We faught about how things were going to go down.When I told him I wanted to leave for my own sake,he said he had to have me one last time."
"Honestly?I wanted that as much as he did,if not more.Next morning I wrote him a letter.I have the letter's picture with me,still.I'll let you read it later."
"After I left the manor,I came to the airport and came to LA first.I talked it out with Ruby.We decided where I'd go to.I didn't tell her but I decided."
"I went to the bank and did enough money withdrawl to keep me going for a year if I couldn't find a job.I left for Palermo.I was going to hide in plain sight."
"That was until I learned about my pregnancy.During this three month period,I never left the gang.I was still doing the accountant work.Basilio kept me in the loop."
"I never asked about Roman and I didn't let Roman find out either.Whenever something was not being handled,Basilio would call me.I told him about Luca too.I had to."
"Even though he offered money for Luca for many times,I never took it.I moved to Milan after I learned,anyways.Two months before I gave birth,I came back to US."
"I figured giving birth to a Moretti would go to the Moretti himself within Italy borders.So,I gave birth to Armani Luca Moretti in US.We settled in a small town.It was peaceful."
"After I gave birth,that money I withdrawled wasn't enough anymore.So,I allowed Basilio to pay for anything related to Armani.I didn't let him pay for anything I was going to get use out of."
"I didn't let him because...Just in case Roman didn't like the idea of me using his money for my own selfish reasons,which wasn't going to happen either way.I didn't want his money.I never did."
"I didn't marry him for anything but love and happiness.Anyways...I home schooled Luca so he wouldn't have a record that Roman or anyone else could trace."
"So for four years,we stayed in that town.I worked at this town's diner.I sang every night and did the waitress work in the morning."
"The owner was so nice to me.Pops would let me bring Luca with me.While I worked he would do his assigned work or play with his toys."
"The town embraced us for years.Everyone was so nice.Kind of like what happened in Gilmore girls but also,it is nothing alike to that serie."
"When Armani turned three,I promised to take him to his daddy.Next year,he remembered.I broke my promise to his daddy.The promise to never leave him again."
"I wasn't going to break the promise I made to our son.I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I broke that one single promise.So,we packed and came to LA.From there,we flew to Rome."
"Although,you were with us when we flew to Rome."He nodded."And that is all?"I nodded."I got kidnapped once.When Armani was almost two years old."
"WHO?!""Relax,geez.It was just me.Basilio was in town so I gave Armani to my next door neighbor.After Basilio left,the guys who followed him,Jung-Ho's guys,they took me."
"I made it out of the cell,called Basilio and he went to Rosewood,to take care of Armani.In the mean time,I made it back to my son."
"How?How did you find the money,the clothes,the disguise?!"I smiled."When you are escaping from the rishest family in Korea,you get to steal a few things!"
"I stole more than I needed.I gave the extras to Basilio for the past two years and then we went on with our lives."
"How can you be so calm about this?!""I always have at least 20 guards from Basilio.Following me,looking out for me.They're all for Luca,though.They are looking out for me too because I am his mother."
Nora came with Armani."He wanted you.""What happened,big guy?"He climbed up to my lap."It's been..."He started counting his fingers and looked at the watch on my wrist.
"You've been gone for 3 hours!I missed you."I smiled."Awe...Baby boy,I'm here."I looked down at him."How about we take a nap before lunch.Then we can stay up a little late than usual to watch a movie."
"Really,mommy?!"I nodded."Yes,really,my prince!I bet your nonna and uncle would also love to join us!Maybe Lio would join too.Ruby would love to too,right?"
"Of course I would love to!"I turned back to Armani."So?""Thank you,mommy."I got up with him in my arms and we left to take a nap togather.
YOU ARE READING
That One Night
RomanceShe was supposed to meet her friend,however,it never got to the point where she could knock on her friend's door.She bumped into her brother's rival,that was not on her agenda. That one night changed a lot for her.Although,those memories slowly fade...