A short Chapter since I felt I shouldn't delay posting about Kim meeting up with her father.

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Summer With Em Chapter 44

By Julie D Cole

‘Kimmie are you OK. What did she say?’
‘She says I look like a girl. ’
What she said was Papa I thought Kim was a boy. She is a girl.

I looked at dad and then at Grandma then at Carlos and Frankie held my hand and gave it a tight squeeze before speaking out.
‘Little Gabriella I don’t understand Italian but we are delighted to meet you and your family. I’m sure seeing Kim for the first time is a shock to you as you are to us. Maybe just give each other a hug.’

Grandma understood what Frankie had said even though her English was no better than my Italian and she gently pushed Gabriella forward.
‘Gabriella abbraccia tua sorella.’ Give your sister a hug.
Nobody was moving and I looked across to dad. He just smiled weakly and spoke.
‘Kim I don’t understand why you changed your name from Christian that I selected after my grandfather. I wanted you to carry on the Rossi name and one day to come to Italy. It was difficult so your mother had her way. You have really blossomed since I left London. I hoped you’d play football for Italy one day but I can see that your mother was right.’

‘But dad I never liked sport and I did try just for you.’
‘I know you did. I hoped that one day things would change but then events took over. When I decided to come back home I had my reasons and I never spoke about you much except with my mother. She has pressurized me constantly to bring you to see her ever since I returned home.’

Gabriella put her arms around my waist. She was much younger than me and if she was my half sister then she must have been born not long after dad came back to Terni accompanied by Elena. I guessed that dads reasons were that he was having an affair and Elena must have been pregnant that caused the split with mum. Elena was Italian like dad and maybe they are hot blooded. Gabrialla was most likely pure Italian but I was happy being half English.

I managed to respond to dad with a frown and a shrug of my shoulders as I put my arms around Gabriella. That was so hard for me to do when her mum was staring at me and Carlos clearly hated the sight of me. Maybe because of my feminine features highlighted by Gabriella’s comment.

‘Dad this is not the place or the time but I have had my moments growing up. Mostly it’s been really tough for both mum and I. She worked so hard to give me a normal life and luckily Aunty Em was always there for her. She was left with the business in a mess. I’d have loved the chance to spend time with you at home in England or even here where your family is with you.’

Frankie gave me a nod of approval for speaking out. I’d never have had the confidence to do that before we met.

I looked at Gabriella. She was very pretty. We were similar height and build and she had dads features as I did. She had his dark curly hair but it was tied back since she was working in the restaurant kitchen with her mum and granddad.
I so wished I’d known about her before we left the UK. Maybe mum didn’t know. When I saw the eye contact she had with dad she had obviously replaced me as the apple of his eye. I was regretting coming to Terni.

Probably she’d been kissed good night many times, nursed and hugged and had fun with him. I’d lost him and I was just left with my memories of a few early years and my last quality time we spent together in Leicester Square. I sometimes wished I’d had a brother or a sister whilst growing up on those long lonely evenings when mum was busy. Now one pops up out of the blue and a step brother to boot.

Gabriella wasn’t about to let go of the hug so dad came over to put his arms around both of us. Frankie stepped back out of the way just watching on but Carlos and Elena never moved. Grandma Rosso was seated and she held out her arms and stood up as frail as she was. I reached across to hold her hand.

‘Gabriella ha ragione. Vieni a dare a tua nonna un abbraccio di benvenuto a casa.’

She seemed to agree with Gabriella about my femininity and this time I had difficulty translating exactly what she’d said.
By this time tears were welling and my eyes filled and soon they were rolling down my cheeks. I saw Elena and Carlos leave us and then dad stepped forward whispering how sorry he was.

‘Please dad you need to attend to your customers. I will be fine I will wait with Frankie and we’ll sit here with Nonna.’
‘OK I will arrange some Aperetivo and a dish of olives. Then I’ll ask Carlos to take you to the hotel next door. Lets say in about thirty minutes to give mum chance to get to know you both.’

Then he shocked me. Not only did he say ‘A Presto’ but he leaned over and kissed me on the lips. Lucky I’d removed my lipstick in the car.
Grandma Mia beckoned me to sit beside her and she took my hand. Frankie sat across the table. She was being very patient.
‘Il mio bambino piccolo you are beautiful. Bella Molto Bella.’

I blushed and Frankie helped me out suggesting I tried to speak in Italian. Somehow we communicated and Grandma Mia helped me select some nibbles and poured wine for the three of us. I was able to understand that she’d lived a healthy life thanks to the local wine and lots of olives from local groves they owned. They even made their own wine and the friend who owned the hotel next door was actually dads cousin. It seemed like the Rossi family had lots of business around Terni.

I wish I’d been recording everything or writing it down but in truth it was taking me quite a while to interpret and then speak in Italian. The Rossi family had originated in Sicily and moved to Terni to get away from local family fueds.

We hardly seemed to have chance to talk or eat before Carlos approached us to help us with our bags and check in next door. He still seemed surly and his manner was very abrupt. At least he spoke English and like me he’d been born in the UK but to an English father and Elena his Italian mother.

He carried my bag and Frankie handled her own and we met dads cousins wife who was waiting at the small reception area. It was a smallish hotel full of character with no lift so Carlos carried all our bags upstairs. He was quite muscular and he didn’t mind them being on display.

It wasn’t anymore than a 3 star hotel that is 2 star really by English definition. The room was comfortable with a large double bed and a wardrobe and a dressing table. One end of the room was screened by a simple shower curtain and behind it was a shower a basin and a toilet. No screen and shower water would spray everywhere so best to take turns and not shower whilst we were doing morning ablutions. Frankie decided this was in fact 1 star accommodation but the bed was comfy.

We just freshened up and unpacked. Nobody seemed to dress for dinner and it was only next door.

Frankie pulled me onto the bed and cuddled me. ‘Well you did a good job so far. Maybe your dad knows after all. In all honesty I don’t think you need worry about anything other than maybe Carlos who might feel you are staking a claim on the business. He does look like he comes from Sicily never mind your grandma and granddad. We’ve yet to meet him. What if he’s like Al Capone?

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