After dinner, Elisio said "clean the table and pack the leftovers in Tupperware and keep in the fridge. My fiore doesn't like unclean kitchen and food going to waste. And I want something sweet to eat. Make a chocolate cake for me"
"That's too much work. I am pregnant" said Rose.
"You are pregnant, not sick. Move around a little. Make yourself useful. That way you won't sit around and exhaust my Fiore from working too much for you" said Elisio.
Rose wasn't liking Elisio but he was persistent to make her work.
Rose cleaned and made the cake. Which seemed like forever.
Elisio was in the entertainment room watching the news when Rose came in with the cake.
She served them cake and sat on the same couch as Elisio. She then saw that Elisio didn't eat it.
"Why are you not eating?" Asked Rose.
"I am not in the mood. And I know your cake must be crap." Said Elisio not moving his eyes from the TV.
Rose looked away from him and had tears in her eyes and said "you are mean. You are nothing like mummy or Ermanno. Both of them are sweet caring people. Thank God Ermanno is nothing like you and more like mummy"
"Thank God? Why do you care if he is good? And didn't you say he was bad?" Asked Elisio.
Rose didn't answer for a while and said "he was a little mean at times. But because he was angry at me. But I always knew he loves me. I wanted his family and especially mummy to know that he molested me and everyone to hate him. But all you are so fucked up that you accepted him and even mummy doesn't hate him.
My family sent me away for something I didn't do. And here everyone easily accepted him for what he did."
"We will accept you too for what you did or plan to do. That's what a real family is. And you know your parents are looking for your forgiveness." Said Elisio and then paused and continued "you know my mother hated me since the day I was born"
"Why?" Asked Rose.
"Because I was a rape child. She loved all my three brothers but hated me. I wanted her love so bad that I remember standing outside her house for hours when my brothers would visit her. I would stand in front of her house waiting for her to call me in. Of course, no one knew I was standing outside. But I waited anyway. And she never called. I was desperate for her love but what I didn't understand then was I was only desperate for love and didn't matter from where I got it. That's when I found love in my Fiore. Yes, I know I am obsessed with my Fiore. Because I had been deprived of love for so long that I don't want to let go of it when I found it." said Elisio.
Rose was in tears and said, "can I tell you something?"
Elisio nodded.
"I want that love. I want to hold on to love like that but I am afraid it will not love me back. I liked Ermanno when I was young. But he.. he..." Started Rose but Elisio cut her off and said "why do you only remember what he did in the past? Why don't you think of things what he did now? Everyone deserves a second chance. My fiore and mom gave me a second chance after I beat Fiore to almost her death and shot mom."
Rose looked at Elisio and asked, "how did it feel to shoot your mom?"
Elisio with crease eyebrows asked "that's what you want to know? Wow. You are more fucked up than I thought. FYI at that moment. Amazing"
Rose laughed and said, "how did you get better?"
"Rehab in Switzerland. Nice place. You should visit there. It will help you" said Elisio.
"Someday. But I have one more thing I want to do. And after that I'll be done and then maybe be think of it" said Rose and skid close to Elisio and placed her head on Elisio's shoulder.
"What are you doing?" Asked Elisio.
"I miss my hubby. You're the closest I have of him so I am relaxing on you" said Rose and closed her eyes.
Elisio looked upfront looking at the news and said "Rose. I will stop you every time you do something wrong."
"I only have one last thing to do. After that I will be free" said Rose.
"Mind to tell me what it is?" Said Elisio.
"It's a secret. Let's say a big climax to my story" said Rose and hugged Elisio's arm and put her legs up the couch and moaned in satisfaction and said "you are so warm. Is this how a father feels?"
"I guess," said Elisio and smiled and asked, "and is this how daughters behave?"
"I guess," said Rose.
Elisio and Rose smiled to themselves but didn't know the other smiled.
Sabrina and Ermanno's meeting was with tears and apology from both mother and son.
They ate dinner together and talked.
"I can't believe you left dad with Rose. I smell homicide" laughed Ermanno.
"Your dad is not that bad," said Sabrina.
"Oh, I meant Rose. I think that's the only thing that she has not done." Said Ermanno.
"Ermanno. What's wrong with her? I mean I am a little scared of her" said Sabrina.
"Why mom? Did she do something?" Asked Ermanno.
"Ermanno I love kids and basically all kids in the mansion were close to me and even now are. And I have spent a lot of time with children outside too. But no one has creeped me out as Rose does. She is always wanting my attention and hates when I am not with her. Her behaviour is not normal." Said Sabrina.
"She stopped coming to the psychiatrist too. He said she needs proper treatment as she is mentally ill. I want to send her to a rehab centre after her delivery mom" said Ermanno.
"You are still going to the psychiatrist?" Asked Sabrina.
"Yes, mummy. I am. I want to be better for my Rose and my child" said Ermanno.
"You love her?" Asked Sabrina.
"I have always loved her. Though she makes me really angry sometimes. And the psychiatrist made me realise that my hate to her is me fighting against myself to stop loving her. I just need to accept my feelings for her and fix what I screwed up. I killed the innocence of the little girl I fell in love with. Mummy, I am going to spend the rest of my life to fix her. To apologise to her. To take every punishment she gives me. But will never give up on her. I have only loved her and will die only loving her" said Ermanno and both mother and son had tears of joy in their eyes.