*Any corrections of the Italian language used are welcome.*

Chapter Twenty Three - La Famiglia

After a week of booking holidays off from my job and packing we finally arrive in Rome. Santino had booked us a car from the airport that took us to the house. As we park outside and grab our luggage I smile in content at being back home.

Although this isn't the house I grew up in it's certainly where I spent most of my teenage years. After Santino and Alessandro were settled with their jobs and earning well they bought our parents a new home as our last one was cramped and had started falling apart. Santino and his wife, Marissa, live just two neighborhoods away with their little family.

I take Roman's hand and grin excitedly as we walk up to the double doors. The house is quite traditional on the outside but mom designed its interior to be kept very modern. The garden is blooming with spring flowers and looks immaculate as always. My parents have quite the green thumb so their home always looks perfect.

I ring the doorbell and my dad's eyes widen in shock when he opens the door. "Elena?!"

"Ciao papa! Sorpresa!" I laugh as I hug him tightly and hear everyone except Santino make a noise of exclamation. [Hello dad! Surprise!]

Dad has light brown hair with blue eyes that are behind black framed glasses. He's fit for his age as he goes on walks with my mom and works out from time to time. A wide smile is stuck on my face as I greet my mom and my brothers next. Mom has the same blonde hair and brown eyes as me with curves in all the right places. She has lovely freckles scattered across her cheeks and nose though with a slender build.

Santino is twenty-nine and shares the same features as I do with mom. His blonde hair is a little lighter and he's been blessed with mom's freckles unlike me. He used to be a gym junkie but after three kids he works out a little less. He met Marissa in high school and they got married during their final year of college. She's a gorgeous, petite, raven haired and hazel eyed beauty. She's funny and so caring, it's obvious why Santino fell in love with her.

Next is Alessandro who is twenty-seven like Roman and flew in from Tokyo with his wife. He's the spitting image of our dad with bright blue eyes and light brown hair. He's tall and towers over all of us with well-defined muscles, all the things that give him an unfair advantage whenever I've fought him. He met Madelyn when he was on holiday in Greece and fell in love with her. They got married two years ago and have done a lot of travelling. She's a redhead with brown eyes and a fit figure. She's quite introverted too but the moments where she comes out of her shell she's a feisty woman with sass to match.

Romeo is twenty-six with a mix of our parent's features. He's got mom's brown eyes and dad's brown hair but it's a lot darker. He works out a lot and attracts trouble like a magnet, wreaking havoc wherever he goes. Girls love him but he's yet to settle down, although I've heard from my brothers that he has his eyes set on one which I'm going to weasel out of him during this trip.

I turn to see Roman staring at me with content and I take his hand. I pull him next to me as we face my family and their eyes flash in recognition when they land on Roman. Mom's eyes literally sparkle with delight and I groan mentally while hoping she doesn't expect more grandchildren.

"Look! It's the only guy who can put up with our sister!" Romeo yells and I glare at him fiercely.

Everyone welcomes Roman with a hug and tease him about me, making him sound like a saint for dating me. I roll my eyes before my nephews and nieces come running in from outside. They scream my name joyfully and I throw a smug smirk in Romeo's direction, knowing that I'm their favorite.

Marzia is the oldest daughter of Santino and Marissa at four years old with black hair and brown eyes. Next is Renato but everyone calls him Ren or Reno for short. He's a charmer at three years old with blonde hair and hazel eyes with dimples on both cheeks. Lastly there's Serafina who's a year old with blonde hair and brown eyes. She crawls in unlike Marzia and Ren.

"Hi sweethearts! How are my favorite nephews and nieces?!" I pepper their faces with kisses as I hug them.

"We are your only nephews and nieces aunt Elena!" Marzia giggles loudly when I tickle her.

"Lala!" Serafina babbles excitedly as she tugs at my hair.

"Did you get us presents?" Ren asks and I nod at him which makes him smile even wider.

"Reno –" Marissa and Santino start but I hush them with a wave of my hand.

"Of course, I did! I'm the best aunt in the world!" I smirk when they squeal in delight.

"Kiss ass." Romeo mutters from behind me.

"Pesky little shit!" I grumble but cry out when he slaps the back of my head.

The kids laugh in joy as they watch their aunt and uncle fight which is soon stopped by Santino and Marissa scolding us for using bad language in front of their children. I roll my eyes before introducing Roman to the kids who stare at him with curiosity. Serafina warms up to him immediately and Ren's face literally lights up when he hears that Roman works for the police.

"So you catch uh...bad guys?! Do you have a gun? Show!" He crawls onto him in excitement and I bite my lip to stifle my laughter when Santino groans from behind me.

"I'm sorry but I left my gun at home." Roman replies which causes the little boy to pout. "But I do drive fast cars and I've caught many bad people."

"Not fast enough and I had to catch a serial killer for you." I mumble under my breath before smiling brightly when he rolls his eyes at me.

"Why don't we all have lunch? I'm sure you two are hungry." Mom says and I nod eagerly as we follow her to the dining room.

We talk throughout lunch and my family get to know Roman a lot more. I watch happily as he interacts with them and how good he looks when holding my nephew or nieces. If possible I think he just became ten times hotter. He catches my wandering eyes and squeezes my thigh in warning. I grin cheekily before focusing back on my food.

After lunch I give him a tour of the house. The sitting room is quite spacious with two floor to ceiling length windows on either side that provide a view into the back and front garden. There's a bookcase filled to each end and vinyls behind the large couch with artwork on the walls.

Mom and Dad's bedroom and en-suite bathroom looks the most luxurious with a king-sized bed and balcony. They have a small seating area by the double doors overlooking the garden below and a large stone bath in the middle of their bathroom as well as a shower.

Thankfully there's enough bedrooms and bathrooms to accommodate all of us. I feel a strong wave of nostalgia hit me as I walk into my bedroom and see that everything has been left the way it was last time I visited. My double bed is in a corner by the window and the couch is on the other side of the room beside the door. I have a desk with my computer sitting on top and notebooks scattered across it along with pens. Books about journalism, romance and adventure line the shelves above. My wardrobe stands beside the door to my bathroom.

I watch as Roman looks around and smiles fondly at the posters and pictures I've stuck onto the walls over the years from my school and college days. Next I show him the garden and outside there's a wooden deck running from the length of the kitchen to the sitting room. There's a large swimming pool too with lounge beds and chairs for everyone to relax on.

Since the sun is out the children resume playing outside and everyone decides to lounge on the deck with glasses of wines. Me and Romeo spend some time playing with the kids before I go back to Roman and relax with him on the couch. My lips are constantly lifted by a happy smile as it feels so good to be back again with my family and have Roman here too.

But as the sun starts to set and the weather gets a bit colder everyone moves back inside. I help Romeo tidy up the children's toys and the rest of the mess that they've made before deciding to ask him about the girl he likes.

"So...meet anyone in Germany?"

"Roman get her to shut up! Please, I'm begging you!" Romeo pleads dramatically as he all but shoves me into my room twenty minutes later after an unsuccessful interrogation.

Roman looks up at us with a confused frown from the bed. "What happened?"

"She's interfering in my love life!" He snaps and I swat his arm.

"You don't have a love life! I'm just giving your stupid ass some tips on how to get your girl!" I retort before dragging him to the bed. "In fact, Roman will help!"

"Uh...sure?"

"I don't need anyone's help! I'm doing just fine!" He smirks smugly before it drops when I snort unladylike.

"Yes. If doing fine equates to never making the girl you like fall in love with you then sure, you're doing so well!"

"Oh, what would you know about making someone fall in love with you?!" He sneers with a roll of his eyes.

I make a noise of disbelief with wide eyes. "What are you talking about?! I made Roman fall head over heels for me!"

"Excuse me?" Roman buts in with an arch of his brow.

"Tell him!" I hiss with a swat to his arm.

"I bet you interfered in his life like the annoying little brat you are." Romeo snickers which makes me cross my arms.

"That's not true! Tell him Rome!" I pout with pleading eyes as I turn to him. "Tell him how amazing I am that you couldn't help but fall in love with me!"

"Yes, that is true." Roman states in a monotone voice. "Elena's a bad ass woman who looks like perfection every second of every day, doesn't need a filter and makes a mean salad."

My jaw drops in disbelief whereas Romeo bursts out laughing at the amount of sarcasm that was in Roman's tone. "I like you man!"

I can't help the amused smile that blooms across my face when Roman pulls me against him and kisses my cheek. Romeo still can't stop laughing and I roll my eyes with a shake of my head. But we do manage to get him to talk about the woman he likes and give him some tips on how to win her over.

"She sounds like she has Elena's personality." Roman comments afterwards.

"Ugh I know, is it worth it?" Romeo asks him jokingly.

"Very." Roman murmurs lovingly as his eyes meet mine.

I smile back at him and peck his lips which causes my brother to groan in disgust. He murmurs something along the lines of "and that's my queue to leave!" before rushing out of the room. We chuckle at his behavior before I cuddle up to him.

"Everyone seems to love you." I murmur as I trace random patters across his hand.

"I like them. They're really nice and remind me of my own family." He grins boyishly as he strokes my hair.

"I can't wait to show you around Rome tomorrow. It's going to be so much fun!" I sigh happily as I look up at him.

"I'm sure this trip is going to be unforgettable." He smiles handsomely before kissing me sweetly.

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