The Nanny

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Luciano's POV

The last few days had been hell. I would be lying if I said my ego hadn't been heavily bruised by her words.

WhenI told my mother about it she agreed saying she had a point and going on about how she would love to meet the woman who put me in my place.

I got to work the next day only for my mother to stand at my desk saying I wasn't allowed to work for the next two weeks without getting to know my children first.

I protested as much as I could only to be escorted out of my own building being dragged by my ear.

The worst part was the children. They had been miserable the past week constantly asking after Emi and Loai. Which annoyed me to the core. From what he had gathered so far she was anything but pleasant.

My thoughts were interrupted by Luna tugging at my trouser legs to get my attention. "Daddy" she whined as I squatted down to her level.

"Yes lulu" she held out her little hands to me and in them were the ribbons that would be tied nicely into her hair when I would come home at night.

Shit. I placed her on my lap taking the ribbons from her looking at the mop of curls on my daughters hair. The one thing I could never grasp the concept of as she cried every time I did it.

I started by finger combing the curls on her head only to be met with little whines and ouches. "Sorry lulu I'm trying".

Then the best thing ever could have happened. I reached a massive knot and as I tried to undo it she let out the loudest scream and started wailing. For fucks sake. "I'm sorry baby I was trying" I consoled as I picked her up into my arms but she was having none of it.

Xavier came waddling in and sat next to her on the floor his eyes filling with tears at the sight of his upset sister. I watched as he took his dummy out.

Don't you dare.

Then the crying doubled. Geoffrey came running in as I tried to calm down the two toddlers who were crying their heads off. They were inconsolable.

"Babies what's wrong. Stop crying." I tried soothing them offering them their dummies which they refused. I quickly got up going to get lollipops. I was never good in these situations.

"Want mummy" I heard Xavier cry as my blood ran cold. Their mother. Luna soon cried the same phrase as I slowly turned to Geoffrey my anger bubbling at the mention of the cruel women who left us.

"Mummy I want Emi and Loai" lulu whispered as her cries reduced to sniffles as she pulled out something from behind Xaviers back.

My anger quickly subsided when I realised they wanted Emiola. I watched as Luna pulled something from behind him onto her lap.

It was a wubbanub the type of dummy they used which all had soft toys attatched to them. Emiola bought them for them on one of their days out

Lulu had the pink bear and Xavier the blue. I was assuming the giraffe one they were holding was Loai's which had been left behind.

"sir would you like me to organise for her to be found and brought back" Geoffrey said reading my mind. "Yes please" I replied gathering my sniffling babies into my arms.

I laughed as both Children snuggled into each shoulder closing their eyes. Time for a nap then.

I entered their nursery laying them down in each crib before taking a seat in my chair watching them.

Was I really what could be considered an absent father. I admit I indulged in work to get away forget about my problems but in my mind it was okay because I still was providing for my children.

What Emi has said had struck a chord within me. For my children to question my love for them was what hurt most.

I may have issues with showing my feelings but I would hope my children knew their father well enough to know that. It hurt to acknowledge but deep down I knew they didn't and that was my fault.

I couldn't expect them to understand or know when they knew nothing else in life but the treatment I had given them.

What I didn't understand was how in a month a woman had swooped in and became more of a father to my children than I had ever been. In the process she had even earned the title of being called mummy.

I would be foolish to say that I couldn't see why.

Emiola was a beautiful and strong willed woman who stood for what she believed and deep down I liked that. T

On many occasions I had stopped by the house during my lunch break. Hearing giggles come from outside the big glass doors.

I would watch from inside as the boys would run around the garden playing and getting muddy, whilst Emiola would sit on the edge of the patio with Luna on her lap as she braided her hair into different styles, adding Lulus signature yellow ribbons into them.

Letting them get muddy was something I never let them do because of the cleaning it involved but she didn't mind.

It made sense they were kids and they needed to be kids.

^^^ the garden

I admired it. She would make a wonderful mother to my children. Wait. I can't think like that.

she took care of mine as if they were her own. She was clearly influencing them in a good way and it was nice to watch them pick up on elements of her culture and language the same why my Italian background influenced them.

It often showed through food which she left a plate of for me every night.

It ranged from shepherds pie, to pastas, to her traditional foods which were beautiful or even my favourite, Osso buco alla Milanese, my favourite childhood dish which my mother had left her the recipe for after she asked Geoffrey what we liked to eat in the house.

Emiola was way better than the piece of shit woman who carried my children. If you knew half of what she did to me, draining half of my bank account before making off you would harbour the same distrust to any woman you met.

I was broken from my thoughts by the door opening and Geoffrey ushering me out to him. "I have some bad news..."