Is this destiny?

~ Sicily ~

Tuesday

Emma was a ball of nerves and she hoped that it didn't show.

During her baby shower, Emma hinted to Angelo that she plans to visit him soon, and he lingered in Los Angeles until she figured out the date.

Because of her pregnancy, Angelo knew that it will be soon, and when he heard that Charlie is busy at work and that he can't accompany Emma on weekdays, Angelo promised that he will not leave Emma out of his sight.

Emma's original plan was to come with Charlie, but after her chat with Sarah and Aiden, Emma realized that she should not act like she came to do a hostile takeover (with Charlie and bodyguards). As long as she treats this as a casual visit to her father that will include a tour of his home and business, it will all be fine.

Since Angelo lingered in Los Angeles, Ryan and Sean stayed as well, so all four of them traveled to Sicily together with Charlie's jet.

Melissa didn't join them on this trip. She had her own business in Chicago to take care of. Since she divorced Norman, and Ellie and Jasper took over the Kiani family's businesses, Melissa opened a store for souvenirs close to downtown Chicago and she has ten employees. The store has a small workshop in the back where messages can be embroidered into fabric or engraved into various wooden and metallic objects within minutes. Other than selling souvenirs to tourists, they also receive large orders from companies for customized hats, t-shirts, or anything else Melissa's shop is offering. It's nothing much, but it's making a decent profit and it keeps Melissa busy.

During their flight from Los Angeles to Italy, Emma's guilt swelled when she noticed Ryan and Sean hovering around her, making sure that she is comfortable and not lacking anything. She wanted to take away the positions they are holding, yet they are acting as caring brothers. It would be hard, she knew that much, and she chanted silently that she has to do it. Emma wanted to talk to her brothers and disclose her agenda, but she feared that they will object so she was postponing it as much as possible.

Emma's plan was to stay three days which will be perfect to see the villa, property, and possibly to meet a few key people from Nero Armi. After that, Emma will go with Ryan and Sean to White Rock Lake where she will meet with Charlie for a weekend with Sarah, Aiden, and their kids.

They arrived on Tuesday afternoon, and after a short rest and a video chat with Charlie, Angelo showed Emma around the villa.

Ryan and Sean went to their rooms. They treated this place like home, so they were casual about it.

The staff of the villa was buzzing with excitement.

While walking through the hallways and inspecting rooms with Angelo, Emma caught two middle-aged women stealing glances at her from around the corner and whispering among themselves in urgency.

"I apologize. They are eager to meet you.", Angelo said awkwardly. "I told them that signorina is coming, so they are enthusiastic."

Emma smiled. "It's OK. Maybe you should introduce me officially."

"You won't mind?"

"Why would I?"

"Alright.", Angelo bobbed his head happily. "Let's go to the kitchen. Most of them will be there as they are preparing dinner."

Emma and Angelo found two people in the kitchen, and Emma wondered how many staff members in total are in the villa because Angelo said, 'most of them', yet there are only two.

One was an older lady, and the other one was a middle-aged man. Both of them stopped their actions and bowed respectfully to Emma while greeting her with big smiles on their faces.

Emma put her hand over her mouth and shook from laughter when she saw six people scurry in the kitchen after them, all swiftly taking spots at various stations and resuming to chop, wash, stir, and sprinkle seasoning, like nothing out of place happened. It was obvious that they were following them through the villa and now they got caught.

Angelo scolded them, but his smile betrayed that he was not really angry. He was mostly amused by their cheeky behavior and slightly embarrassed that as the master of this place his employees are so easygoing.

"I see that your boldness increased!", Angelo exclaimed when no one responded to his 'what were you doing?', question and Emma heard two women stifle their giggles. They were not afraid of Angelo at all.

"That looks like a lot of food…", Emma commented while gesturing toward a small mountain of chopped carrots and celery that was going into a steaming pot. She wanted to divert Angelo's attention because his glaring at the people in the kitchen didn't produce any results.

"We will have a few guests...", Angelo said vaguely and before Emma could ask more questions, he introduced her to the staff members officially.

Emma met the cook and seven staff members that were in charge of cleaning and maintenance of the villa, currently helping out with preparing dinner.

They all looked at Emma with sparkles in their eyes and their smiles that reached their eyes made Emma feel welcome.

The gardener and one maintenance guy were not present, and Angelo said that he will introduce them when he gets a chance.

Looking at the friendly staff, Emma regretted not learning Italian earlier, so that they can chat without Angelo translating. Now that she saw how everyone welcomed her, she understood why Ryan and Sean are spending so much time here. In Los Angeles, the staff is stiff, and they maintain their distance from the masters of the house, while here everyone is like family. And the fact that they are acting so freely is a giveaway that Angelo is treating them well. It was heartwarming.

On their way to the garden, Emma voiced her thoughts: "I want to learn Italian."

Angelo smiled. "The best way to learn is to immerse yourself in the culture. Come here more often. This is your second home, and the doors are always open."

Emma was touched. "I will." 

"This is the best spot so far…", Emma said while taking her seat on the lounging chair that is at the back of the villa, overlooking the sunset above the Mediterranean Sea.

Angelo smiled. "That is my favorite spot as well." He took a seat on the lounging chair next to Emma with a small circular table between them.

Ten seconds later, two glasses of water with a wedge of lemon in each were on the table, and a maid scurried away silently.

"Grazie!", Emma shouted after the woman who waved in response without halting her steps.

"I come here every morning…", Angelo said. "Over the years, I spent a lot of time in this spot, reading reports about you and wondering if I made the right decision when I left."

"And? Was it right?", Emma asked.

Angelo exhaled. "Then, I didn't know. Now I tell myself that it was for the best because if it were not, you four would not grow up to be such wonderful people. I am sorry that I was not there for you."

"Me too…", Emma said. "We can't fix the past, but we can make the most of the future. I want to know what I missed. Tell me about you. Tell me about Nero Armi."

Angelo was surprised by these requests, especially the last one. "You want to know about Nero Armi?"

Emma thought about how this is a good chance to break the ice. "There was a time you told me that I am the next Capo. Is there a problem if I know about Nero Armi?"

Angelo shook his head. "Of course, not. I was just surprised, that's all. What do you want to know?"

"Everything… Begin from the high-level stuff that a Capo should know, and I will ask for specifics…"

Angelo started telling her about the work he does daily, about the anziani (aka seniors) in the organization who are reporting directly to Capo and helping to manage Nero Armi, various operations and challenges… and Emma listened to all of it with great interest.

She found out that Ryan and Sean didn't take over the Capo role from Angelo. They are acting as his assistants, and they participate in some low-risk operations, but everything is happening under Angelo's guidance.

At some point, Angelo noticed that Emma was rubbing her belly and grimacing.

"Are you OK?", Angelo asked with concern obvious in his voice.

Emma smiled. "Yeah. Your granddaughter is awake and kicking. Do you want to feel it?"

Angelo's eyes widened. "Granddaughter?"

Emma realized that Angelo didn't know that she is expecting a baby girl. At the Smith family, she had to keep the gender of the baby a secret (based on Charlie's advice), yet here she didn't feel the need to conceal it.

"If you don't hurry, you will miss the kicks…", Emma reminded Angelo while waving her hand for him to come closer.

Angelo scooted to the edge of his chair swiftly and his hand hovered above Emma's belly.

He looked at Emma expectantly, waiting for her to put his hand in the right place.

Emma put her palm over Angelo's and guided him to the location of the last kick, just above her navel, slightly to the left.

Angelo held his breath and two seconds later, his eyebrows shoot up and he smiled. "My nipotina has a strong kick."

"Nipotina?", Emma asked.

Angelo nodded. "Granddaughter. Did you pick a name?"

"Not yet. But I have several options that I am considering… Do you want to hear them?"

"I would love that…"

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