{ Andrea's POV }
After spending some time in my old room I went looking for Isla. I found her sitting at the smaller table in the kitchen by herself while watching the cook make dinner and the maids clean.
"Hey stranger." I say smiling warmly at her as I sit down right across from her at the table.
"Andrea, what are you doing in here?"
Isla asks worried
"I was looking for you." I tell her
"Isn't you being in here going to upset Samuele?" Isla asks knowingly
I don't want her to worry herself about me, but sometimes it's nice to know that someone
still cares that much about you.
"I'm not worried about that, and you shouldn't be either. I came to check on you, and see how it is in Mexico." I say with a smile
"I miss you, and I'm always worried about you.. but everything is amazing, Andrea. You'd love it there." Isla says smiling widely
I haven't seen her smile like that in a long time, that makes me extremely happy on the inside.
"And Nicolás and Luis?" I question
"I believe they are good and honorable men, despite being in this life." She says obviously she's fond of them which makes me like them a little more.
"I'm glad." I tell her with a smile
"It's a little strange. They hired me as a maid, but I don't get to do much. That makes me feel bad but outside of cooking most things they do themselves." Isla says
I give her a small laugh because I know she respects people who do things themselves, but then Isla gets a little annoyed when they do too much.
"Andrea, you know I hate being useless." She says
"Isla, you wouldn't be useless even if they chopped your hands off. It's good they like to do things themselves, and they aren't helpless. I can respect them for it." I remind her
"That's kind of you, although I hope they don't actually chop my hands off as you say.. but you are right." Isla replies
"I know." I say with a slight smirk and Isla slightly shakes her head with a smile.
"This house seems to bring out the old you."
Isla tells me
"I know. I never lost her, I just shoved parts of me down to fit where I was suppose to. Being back here reminds me of Jason and Artemis, and even of Athena and Hector. I refuse to let everything they taught me go to waste." I reply
Isla gives me a sad smile.
"I wish you didn't have to shove the real you down." She says quieter
"I don't anymore." I tell her and she smiles
The cook hands the food to the new maids, and I see his face.
"Bart?" I ask making sure it's him, he fully turns towards us.. it is him.
"Andrea? Isla?" The older man questions
Both Isla and I nod. Bart was the cook even before the day I came to live with Artemis, he's an older man that I thought Isla would always end up with.. but he left a little before Artemis died. Because his older brother had gotten cancer was on his death bed. I guess Ander gave him his job back.
He comes over to us and hugs Isla, then looks at me like he's unsure if I'll hug him or not.
I send a smile and hug him.
"I didn't know if you would still hug the
help." He comments wearing a smile
"I'll hug family, after all that is what you are."
I tell him
He smiles and says "That means a lot coming from you, Andrea."
"I didn't know you worked here again, or I would've tried to visit sooner." I say
"Mr. Ander called and said it was requested by Artemis that I still have my job even after he had passed." Bart tells me
"Well I'm glad he did. It wouldn't be the same without you.. and frankly I've missed your cooking." I tell him
"It won't be the same without Artemis coming in here asking me where to find you." He says sadly
I force sadness away.
"I know, he never could find me." I reply
Bart and Isla laugh, and I even lightly laugh with them remembering all the times I would be doing something and/or on my own adventure on the property. He would search for hours, and never come close to finding me. The worse part was that it was never intentional. Just if I got lost in my own little world, I would lose track of time. Standing here laughing and remembering old memories with Bart and Isla makes me feel like I'm home again.
I've missed the small things such as laughing, and really talking with someone.
I've missed being me.
And that's my fault.
YOU ARE READING
The Mafia's Affair ( #4 in the Mafia Series )
ActionA baby born of an affair. A toddler who watched their mother die. A little girl who was raised by her grandmother. A teenager who was taken away from everything, and everyone she ever knew. A woman who was thrown into a marriage with a wealthy mafia...
