Russi

Ch. 3 • Visitors

May
"Ace" I mumble "what are you doing here?"

"I am here to bring you back home gattino" He says with a smirk and begins walking towards me "and who might you be little man?" He adds looking down at Theo

"My name is Theigo, who are you?" Theo says softly while maneuvering behind my leg

"My name is Ace Russi, how about your bother here, what's his name"

"Roman" Theo says 

After Theo says those words I realize what is happening, and I know I am not about to let it happen.

So I quickly get a hold on Theo and firmly secure Roman on my hip before I begin to move through the men that are at my door.

 "Go back home, Ace" I say without looking back "Please"

"I don't think you understand gattino, I'm bringing you and these kids back home "

"No, they are my kids Ace! They are mine! You do not get to decide where they go, I do!" By this Time I have opened my front door and ushered my boys inside, signaling Theo to go in and take Roman with him.

Thank God Roman can sort of walk, or else I would have had to leave Ace and his little friends unwatched.

" I know principesse, but once we get back to Italy you you and these boys will have a perfect life. The one we always wanted. I will adopt them and become their father, and during that process we can make another bundle of joy or two to add to our family."

"Lower your voice God dammit!" I say while turning my head to check on my kids, thankfully I see them in the living room sitting patiently, having a conversation, "No Ace no, we had our chance, but you decided to end it and break up with me."

At this Point even looking at him brought me too many memories

"Listen May" Ace said with a pleading tone while slowly taking steps towards me " I-"

" No Ace! You listen, it wasn't me who ended our relationship" I said in a low hiss, taking a step closer as well while still protecting the door, "It was not me who decided it would be a better choice to sleep with a new person every night rather than come home to a loving girlfriend! It was not me who messed up Ace, It was you."

"Mama" Theo said a couple steps away from me, I guess my voice wasn't as low as I thought.

"What's going on?" He added 

"Go back inside Theo, wash up for a lunch please" and he does, thankfully, so I turn back to the issue at hand, "go home Ace. goodbye Vincent, bye Mateo, bye Silas" And with that, I step into my house and close the door. 

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While I prepare lunch for Theo and Roman I don't hear any more commotion coming from outside. I even check twice just to make sure that Ace is gone, thankfully, as far as my eyes can see, he is.

I tell Theo to get ready for a bath once he finishes

While Theo gets ready I put Roman into the tub and begin to wash him, then Theo carefully enters and cleans himself as well.

I have found that it is easier to bathe them both together instead of one at a time, and then shower myself separately. But every once in a while I will have to shower with them both, and that my dear friends, is a challenge on its own.

While I dry Roman and Theo does himself, I can't stop thinking about what Ace said, 'go back home' 'adopt them' 'another bundle of joy'. 

The worst part of it all was that I wanted it. 

Some part of me still wants to go back to him even after what he has done to me. Even after all that I have accomplished on my own.

I quickly shake my head and focus on the task at hand, hopefully these feelings will go away, just like they did before. Or at least as 'away' as they can get. 

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"Mama" Theo asks as I tuck him into bed " who was that man?"

"An old friend" I say, not really knowing what to say

"Oh, okay, Goodnight mama"

"Night bub" I say, I kiss his head lightly and then get up to  turn off the light in his room, as I walk out I leave to door open incase I need to help him at all

The I go to Romans room, I don't need to put him to bead since I put him down before Theo, but I still like to check on him before I go to bed myself. 

Once in bed I think, normally I think about work, or random parts of my day, but tonight, only one thing came to mind.

Ace came back. The man that left came back. 

Ace was always my soft spot. I have always been a very driven girl, my parents have never really been in the photo or the reason I did so well in school.

They have always been gone, leaving my brother and I alone most of our childhood.

All my life they were never home, maybe 1 month in total out of the year they were home, but during their stay there barely hung out with my brother and I. 

Nigel, being 10 years older than me, was always busy with trying to find a way to get us out of our home, he believed that we didn't deserve neglection, and looking back, I realize he was right. 

Sure, he always tried to make time for me between school, work, and his girlfriend, but I was still alone for a good chuck of my young life. So that's when I began to lean on my academics and success. 

The feeling of accomplishment made me feel so full -a feeling I wished would have stayed with me forever- but it didn't, so I accomplished tasks again, and again, and again, until finally, I was walking across the stage of Harvard and getting flown to Italy for medical residency. 

I never really saw love in my house growing up, but Ace, Ace showed me it when we were dating, and I loved him with every fiber in every bone of my body.

But do I want to go back? I've made a life for myself here. I own house, I have kids, I have a stable job. Do I want to risk it all for him?

Before I could think anymore I heard a knock at my front door. I get out of my bed and room quickly, checking Theo and Romans rooms and I pass by them.

Quietly, I get closer to the window next to the door I see four dark figures - Mateo, Silas, Vincent, and Ace. 

Once I open the door Ace is the first to speak," Can we come in now? We have been hanging around here for 3 hours and it cold gattino, I think my balls are going to fall off."