by Serena Light
"Get a room you two!" Vincent exclaimed as they both had forgotten that he was still there.
"You get out of this one." Arcangelo rebuffed, wrapping his arms around Rosalie's waist as he pulled her closer, as she giggled at their antics.
"With pleasure," His best friend stated as he jumped off the sofa and slammed the door shut behind him, both Arcangelo and Rosalie glancing at each other before bursting into a fit of laughter.
Chapter XXXI: Meet the Parents
Rosalie sat in bed beside Arsenio as they both talked over a story book. Arcangelo had to attend a call, so the little boy took the opportunity of having her read a bedtime story to him.
"And so, the big dragon went and played with all his animal friends." Rosalie read as Arsenio had his head on her arm. "The end,"
"The dragon made a lot of friends." Arsenio smiled toothily at her, a gap in his front teeth as he had recently lost it by biting into a hard apple.
"Yes, he did." She nodded, ruffling his hair before placing a kiss on his forehead, feeling a sudden burst of affection for the little boy. Grinning, he stood on the bed, reaching his arms over his head as he started jumping.
"I am going to be as big as the dragon!" He exclaimed, jumping higher.
"Oh wow!" Rosalie enthused with a smile. "That's so big!"
"And I will breathe fire and play with my animal friends and give them rides on my back!"
Suddenly, a shriek escaped Arsenio as an arm wrapped around his midriff, pulling him back and against his uncle's chest as he tickled the little boy, both of them laughing hysterically.
"What will you do now, dragon?" Arcangelo laughed as he tickled the little boy who was writhing in his grasp. Lifting him off the bed, he spun him around before both of them collapsed on the bed, laughing breathlessly. As Arcangelo lay on his back, Arsenio climbed on top of him, accusingly pointing at him.
"Ha! You're defenseless against me now, human!"
"Oh! No! Don't hurt me, mister dragon!"
"What's the magic word?" Arsenio asked with squinted eyes.
"Please."
"Alright, I won't hurt you." He nodded self-assured as he rested his hands on his hips.
Arcangelo chuckled at the boy as he let him sit on his chest before sitting up with him in his lap.
"Alright, come on, let's get ready for bed."
"Okay, dad." Arsenio nodded as he got off his lap.
"Go say goodnight to Rosalie, then off to bed with you, mister."
Rushing over to the other side, he kissed Rosalie's cheek before wishing her a good night as she hugged him and kissed his forehead.
"Dream something sweet for me." She called after him as he ran out the door, followed by his guardian. Chuckling under her breath, Rosalie decided to get changed herself.
Stepping out of her skirt and blouse, she pulled on a simple black night dress with a v-neck before pulling on a cardigan on top. Removing her makeup and opening her hairdo, she made her way back to the bed before settling down on the covers, she scrolled through her phone while leaning against the headrest.
A sudden bounce on the bed had her look up before she found Arcangelo's lips on her own, hungrily devouring her as she moaned against him, cupping his face into her hands as he pushed her down on the bed.
"Someone's in a good mood today." She chuckled as they pull away, helping Arcangelo removes his blazer before starting on the buttons of his shirt.
"How can I not be when I have such a wonderful woman as my girlfriend?" He moaned against her lips as she smiled into the kiss. "By the way, we've been invited to breakfast tomorrow."
"Mhmm," She hummed, fumbling with the shirt. "By whom?"
"Mom and dad,"
Instantly she pulled away from the kiss, leaving Arcangelo in his slacks as he looked at her in momentary confusion.
"Who?" She asked him again, looking at him with wide eyes.
"Mom and dad?" Arcangelo repeated.
"You mean...Laura and Beppe?" Rosalie confirmed, creating distance. "Vincent's parents? Your surrogate family?"
"Yes..."
"Oh, God."
Rosalie had been told how Arcangelo and the four guys had all grown up in the same neighborhood and how they all were one another's family. But Arcangelo and Vincent having been best friends, literally consider each other's family their own, even calling the other's parents 'mom' and 'dad'. She had never met them but heard plenty about everyone. And now all of a sudden, she was going to meet them.
"What's the matter?"
"What's the matter?" She repeated in astonishment. "This is a huge milestone, Arcangelo!" She exclaimed as her boyfriend looked at her in amusement.
"These people are your family! They're like your parents!" She continued. "I'm going to meet your parents for the first time! You're introducing me to your family!"
A laugh burst through Arcangelo as he took in her distressed state, her hair all over the place as she stared at him with flushed cheeks and wide eyes.
"I think we're way past the milestone phase." He chuckled, kneeling on the bed.
"I'm meeting your family." She muttered to herself, anxiously gnawing at her nails.
"Hey," He chuckled as he pulled her hands away, placing a tender kiss on her lips. "There is nothing to worry about." He assured as he pushed her cardigan off her shoulders, pulling her back for a deep kiss.
"What if they don't like me?" She asked uncertainly, pulling away at the last minute.
"They'll love you," Arcangelo informed, kissing her shoulder.
"What if I do something embarrassing?"
"Then we'll laugh and look back at it as a fond memory."
"What if I do something wrong?" Rosalie gasped as Arcangelo groaned, resting his head on her shoulder
"You won't." He sighed, cupping her face in his hand. "Now calm down, I'm going to get changed and then we're going to bed." He informed her as he got off the bed, heading towards the walk-in closet.
"Sleep? How can you think about sleep?"
"Like I can think about the weather,"
"I will so not be able to sleep tonight."
"Then I'll exhaust you to sleep." Arcangelo retorted from the closet.
"Ha!" Rosalie chortled at his words, watching him step out in a pair of boxer shorts as he looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Challenge accepted." He grinned, tossing his t-shirt onto the sofa as he stalked towards her. Rosalie opened her mouth to say something but couldn't manage to get a word across before Arcangelo had her pushed against a wall, her hands pinned above her head as he kissed her fervently.
The sound of the alarm had both Arcangelo and Rosalie jolt awake, a groan escaping them as they untangled themselves from each other. Grunting, he reached behind him and turned off the sound before laying down, groggily rubbing his eyes.
"I'm so sore..." Rosalie moaned, wincing at the slightest of movements. "I'm aching all over."
Arcangelo chuckled lightly as he turned to look at her bare back.
"Shouldn't have challenged me last night, princess,"
"Shut up."
"Come on, up you get." He groaned, sitting up in bed as he looked around for his shorts. "We have to get up and leave."
"Shit!" Rosalie jolted upright at the realization that she was meeting the parents today, hissing at her hasty movement.
"Are you really that hurt?" Arcangelo asked in concern, seemingly having underestimated his actions last night.
"What am I wearing?" She asked him in panic, carefully getting out of bed she pulled on her robe over her naked figure before turning towards Arcangelo who was looking at her with concern. "What are you wearing?"
"Button up and slacks."
"What am I wearing?"
"I don't know..." He trailed uncertainly, wondering if she was hurt or not. "Are you hurt-"
"-I need to shower." She suddenly gasped, realizing how in need of a bath she was.
A chuckle escaped Arcangelo as he figured she wasn't too hurt. Grabbing
hold of her hand, he led her to the washroom, closing the door behind them.
"What if I mess up?" Rosalie asked for the umpteenth time as she was pulling on her dress, forcing Arcangelo to abandon the process of pulling on his slacks as he groaned in exasperation.
"Rosalie. These people are all very excited to meet you." He sighed. "They will love you no matter what you do, and they are not going to judge you for anything. They are all very happy to get to know you, that is all. You have literally nothing to worry about, they are all amazing people. So please, stop fretting over nothing and get dressed so we can leave." He spoke while tucking his deep blue button up in his white slacks.
With a little bit of appeasement, Rosalie pulled on the white net floral dress, asking Arcangelo to zip it up as he did.
"Dad! I'm ready!" Arsenio came barreling into their bedroom in denim jeans paired with a red plaid shirt, a baseball cap covering his hair. "Let's go!"
"Hold on." Arcangelo chuckled as he fastened his shoes into place, watching Rosalie gather her belongings into a bag before wearing the necklace and bracelet he had gifted her. "Ready to leave?"
Rosalie nodded to his question as she reached out her to Arsenio, the little boy holding it as the three of them made their way downstairs, settling into the Range Rover as they drove in relative silence save for the music playing on the radio.
"Wait, are we going to the neighborhood you grew up in?" Rosalie suddenly realized, whipping her head in Arcangelo's direction.
"Yes, it is." He nodded with a fond smile. "I'll show you my childhood home too."
"Who is going to be there at the breakfast?"
"Everyone."
"Define 'everyone'."
"Well, the Morettis', Allevas', Balduccis' and Vitalis'."
"Can...can you name them for me?" She asked him uncertainly, swallowing thickly.
"Sure," Arcangelo spoke, never tearing his gaze away from the road as he took a turn. "So Vincent's family consists of his parents, Beppe and Laura, and then his three sisters: Clara. Maddie, Josie, with their husbands and kids as well as Alyna, Claudia, and little Alberto."
"Three sisters?"
"Yup. Vincent was the only son between the four of them."
"Okay, who else?"
"Lorenzo's family consists of his father and wife, Karrah, and daughter, Bianca, including his elder sister, Mya and her husband and son: Orlando and Renzo. Marcello's family includes his parents and wife, Natasha, and his elder and younger brother, Fabrio and Gabrielle, with their wives: Serena and Ysabel, and kids. Romeo's family has his mother along with his wife Juliet, their son Tazio, with his elder brother, Valentino with his wife Zaira and two kids, Gustavo and Gabi and his younger sister, Lucy."
"That..." Rosalie trailed. "That is a lot of names."
"Don't worry." Arcangelo chuckled, "I'll introduce you to everyone."
"Don't you dare leave me alone!" She stated, turning to look at the amused smile on his face.
"Alright, alright," He laughed. "I won't leave you alone."
She nodded in satisfaction as he took another turn, entering a meticulously kept suburban neighborhood with children playing, parents chatting with others tending to their gardens. Rosalie stared in awe as they turned into a street. The house they pulled up at was a beautiful beige colored two-story house, the walls covered in vines as Rosalie could see it bursting with life through the window looking in.
"Here we are."Arcangelo smiled, putting the car into parking as he turned to look at the awestruck expression on his girlfriend's face. "Come on," He beckoned her while getting out of the car, Arsenio close behind.
Swallowing nervously, Rosalie followed a behind them as the door suddenly burst open, a cacophony of sounds being carried outside as an old plump woman with dirty blonde hair and grey eyes came outside, greeting Arcangelo with a hug and Arsenio with a kiss. Next thing she knew, a plethora of people were rushing outside to greet them. Everyone ranging in size and age as she didn't recognize anyone besides the guys she had seen at the estate, instant anxiety, and panic welling in her chest as she felt completely lost in their enthusiastic and friendly greetings.
"Wait!" Arcangelo exclaimed with a laugh as people were trying to pull him inside, all of them talking simultaneously. Pulling out of their grasps he walked over to Rosalie, noticing the panic in her eyes as he gave her a reassuring smile, intertwining their hands together before whispering in her ear. "Don't worry, I'm not leaving you."
He led her towards the congregation of people as they all welcomed her with warm smiles and open arms. She was introduced to Beppe and Laura before being introduced to everyone else, all of them gushing over how beautiful she looked in her floral dress and how they all were very happy to meet her. The house was packed with people as she forgot who was who to whom on more than one occasion. The compliments wouldn't stop her looks and how good she and Arcangelo looked together before they started to exclaim what beautiful children the two would have, causing both of them to blush.
Breakfast was delicious, filled with Rosalie getting to know everyone and chatting with them. Her nervousness slowly leaving her as she laughed at something Lorenzo's brother, Valentino had said.
Soon the kids ran outside to play as the adults all settled on various seats in the open concept lounge, all of them telling Rosalie about the havoc the boys used to cause when they were younger and the number of times they had gotten into trouble. She found herself laughing so much that she was breathless, everyone just as jovial as she felt.
But the part she loved most about the day was the fact that Arcangelo was happy.
He was smiling and laughing, retorting with sassy comebacks and bickering with each other's siblings. She especially loved the soft look in his eyes as he talked to either Laura or Beppe. He looked so at home and at ease that Rosalie couldn't help but stare at this side of him, knowing that this is what he was like. Happy, calm, serene, laughing.
"What?" He chuckled at her questioningly, catching her staring at him. Without any consideration for their surroundings or who was around, Rosalie kissed him. Instant hoots and wolf whistles erupted in the room as she pulled away in surprise, realizing where she was and flushing in embarrassment at the fact that she had just kissed him in front of everyone.
"Your girlfriend has more guts than you, Ango." Marcello's younger brother, Gabrielle exclaimed with a laugh.
"Oh, shut up, Gabrielle." He retorted. "You don't even have the guts to say no to your wife."
"Do too!" The younger man exclaimed undignified.
"Excuse me?" His wife, Ysabel, asked questioningly, noticing him tense up.
"I'm joking, amore," He chuckled uneasily. "Of course I could never deny you," An instant uproar of laughter burst through the room as Gabrielle flushed a deep red, nervously scratching his chin as the men taunted him.
Soon it was getting time for everyone to leave as one by one the people started to head home. All of them coming to Rosalie to let her know how glad they were to see Arcangelo happy and asking her to come again to pay them a visit.
"We should be heading out now too," Arcangelo stated, stretching his arms before standing up.
"Why don't you get Arsenio?" Laura suggested as he looked down towards Rosalie, silently inquiring if she would be alright alone for a moment. She gave him a reassuring smile in response before nodding to him. Placing a kiss on her forehead, he got up from the couch and made his way towards the backyard.
"Rosalie," Laura called out to her, redirecting her attention. "You are a beautiful addition to Arcangelo's life." Instantly her cheeks flushed as she wanted to rebuke the statement but Laura continued talking.
"I haven't seen him this happy and so in love in years!" She laughed joyously. "He's like a son to me, and a lot of things have gone horribly wrong in his life, but you are that one thing which went right in his life."
"I can see the change in him, Rosalie," Beppe added. "Believe me when I tell you that he is lucky to have you because I'm a very obtuse
man and even I can see how happy he is to be with you."
"We are so glad that you came into our boy's life." Laura smiled at her, holding her hand between both of hers. "And know this, Rosalie..." She sniffled, wiping away the stray tear that leaked from her eye.
"We give you our and Helen's blessings to marry him."
Chapter XXXII: Break up
"I don't see the point in attacking the main defence before the first line." Vincent shrugged as he peered over the plan placed on Arcangelo's office table. "That's all."
"Look." Arcangelo sighed as he pulled the plan towards himself. "The main defense is in less number because they are more specialized. So we can send more men after them to finish them, while the first and second line of defense--yes, they are greater in number--however, that does not mean that they are good at fighting. So we can pick them off later. It's a lot easier to get rid of the main problem first."
"Yeah, but...I don't see the point-"
"Let's use Bruce Lee's quote about the man who has practiced one kick one thousand times and a thousand kicks one time," Arcangelo spoke patiently gesturing to the plan laid out before them. "Say that the first and second-line of defense are the one thousand kicks practiced once. They are not good; they don't even have the stance right much less the force. So they will be easier to take out and not a lot of manpower will be needed. Whereas the main defense, the third line, are all that one kick practiced a thousand times. They are dangerous, ruthless, and skilled. It takes a lot more specialized manpower to take them down. So let's use most of our energy on the third line of defense before targeting the first and second."
Vincent's face lit up with realization, a small smirk making its way across his face at his own stupidity. He had just opened his mouth to say something when he caught sight of Rosalie having her hand raised on the sofa she was seated on. Instantly his smile fell as his attention was redirected to her. Arcangelo caught sight of where he was glancing before he turned in the same direction, a small chuckle escaping him at his girlfriend's antics.
"Yes, princess?" Arcangelo asked with a fond smile as he beckoned her forward. Instantly Rosalie bounded towards him, placing her palm into his as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against his chest as she looked at the plan laid out.