Chosen Karalina >Book 3

Chapter 19

We pulled up in-front of a beautiful white house on a hill. Green grass and fresh flowers on the front lawn with a long stoning paved pathway to the porch. It's beautiful.

"Does it seem familiar to you?" Penny asks from my side in the back seat as she watches me admiring the tree house peaking through a gate on the side of the house.

I look in her hopeful brown eyes with an apologetic shrug. "No, not quite. But it's beautiful." I smile at her looking to Leonardo with humor in his eyes. He can be so insensitive at times.

Sonny grabbed my bags from the rented black suv BMW and carried them into the house behind Dean, who directed him in the right direction.

I took my first step into the house with Leonardo and Penny leading the way.

Liam and the rest decided to come by later. Said they had matters to attend to. Well after putting their lives on hold these past few days, I'm sure they do.

As soon as my foot touched the welcome mat at the door and I took in the surroundings, there was this smell I liked about the place. It did in fact smell familiar, which was weird. It had a smell of pine and sweets.

I inhaled sharply through my nose and exhaled letting my nerves calm down a bit taking in the brown leather couches in a large lounging area near a fire place which had wood packed in a crate on the side of it. Subconsciously walking towards the family portrait in the centre of the room, the same portrait I kept seeing in my head from time to time. I was maybe a teenager here along with my brothers and parents. It reminds me of the portrait of myself and Leonardo hanging on the walls in Italy.

"We should do one like this." Leonardo says from behind me, causing me to look at him over my shoulder.

Oferring him a smile. "All of us, maybe when the girls are a bit older." I say and he nods. Knowing his family has one hanging on the walls in that castle of theirs with all their sons. It's weird how my family has the same kind of traits. But yet they so different. The difference being, in this portrait everyone seems to be happy with smiling faces, whereas the Demarcos family's portrait gives off a sign of power, dominance and no sign of a smile. Even Joey at the age of 4 showed no trace of a fun care free childhood.

"Welcome home." A soft welcoming voice says and I turn to see an older woman with an apron on. I've seen her familiar face in the picture album. "I made your favorite. Apple pie."

Apple pie?

"Don't just stand there and gawk at me." This woman says with green playful eyes and grey hair.

"Nana. We spoke about this. Baby steps." Dean says coming into the room.

"Oh please. Nonsense. She remembers me. Se vir hom."

"Yes?" I say not wanting to argue with this woman. Leonardo gives me a look when I actually responded to her request even though it was in a foreign language.

"You must be the one behind all of this drama, hey?" She says to Leonardo in a loud voice. Now I know where I get it from.

"I'm sorry. Who are you?" He asks her amused.

"I'm her grandmother. Who do you think I am? The maid. Sorry. We don't do maids here." She says with hands on her hips.

"I didn't imply-"

"Shush. Come eat." She says shutting Leonardo up taking us all by surprise.

I don't know what came over me, but I start laughing at this and walk over to her with open arms to give her a hug. And she giggles and hugs me back. Something tells me I was very close with her.