Chapter 29: Massimo
Chapter 29 – Massimo
+25 BONUS
What Massimo found when he left the room and went just a few meters down the corridor was not Thea hunting a mouse or doing her careful weekly cleaning.
No, the one who was there, opening one curtain after another and letting the sun’s rays fill the house, making his eyes hurt, was Alice.
“What the hell is going on here?” he grunted, making her and Thea stop what they were doing, his housekeeper with a worried look, while his wife didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by his presence there “Do you have any idea how much noise you’re making? And what do you think you’re doing with my house?” He looked around, increasingly irritated to see that the furniture and decorations had moved around, as if Alice wanted to make sure everything looked as different and bright as possible “Put everything back in its place and close the curtains right now!
“I thought you wouldn’t mind since you seemed to have decided you were going to live in your room.” Alice crossed her arms, just as angry as he was “Do you have any idea it’s been four days since anyone in this house last saw your face?”
“And how is that your business? Do you think the way I live my life gives you the right to do this to my house?!”
“If your way of living life is to spend 24 hours just in your room, then what difference does it make if the house becomes cozy and inviting, like a real home?” she challenged him, opening another pair of curtains, letting the sun in “I don’t know if this has ever crossed your mind, Massimo, but being a victim doesn’t give you the right to make other people your own victims.” Her gaze burned him, making him lose his words for a moment.
“You… You… Close that curtain right now!” he grunted, not so much because of the changes in that corridor of rooms, but rather because that woman, even though she was different from the girl he had met years ago, was capable of awakening intense feelings within him that Massimo simply didn’t want to feel “I already make very clear that you can’t just do whatever you want, while you’re here! Now, leave everything as it was or I…!”
“I’m not doing this for me.” Alice sighed, turning to him with her hands on her hips “It’s for Millie. She is afraid to walk in the mansion because of the darkness. And today is officially the beginning of May. In two weeks it will be her birthday, so I’m sorry if you like living in a haunted house so much, but I think my daughter has the right to have a well–lit home, at least during her birthday month.” She narrowed her eyes like a real hand, crossing her arms over her chest “Do you have any further objections, Mr. Bianchi?”
“Is it… Her birthday?” On instinct, Massimo looked towards his room, where the stuffed rabbit was still sitting, sitting as if there was a rock in his stomach “When… When is it, exactly?”
“18th.” Alice replied, her expression softening a little “I’m going to make her a cake and sweets. You can participate if you want, but only if you promise me that you will apologize
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Chapter 20–Massimo
properly to her.”
“Millicent will certainly be very happy that you made this conception in her birthday month.” Thea encouraged him, happy and at the same time nervous, as if she were facing a life or death decision “What do you think, Massimo? Just for this month…”
“Do whatever you want,” was all he was able to mutter, walking away from her without even having the courage to look directly into her eyes I… I’ll think about it, so leave me alone.”
Fortunately, Alice made no attempt to stop him as Massimo began to advance down the corridor, disappearing from their sight and their happy murmurs, but stopping when he reached his room. But not for long. Once Hoppy was in his hands, he went through more and more doors, until he finally got where he wanted. He didn’t even have to think much to know that this was the door to Millie’s room, as Alice had pasted several colorful stickers and hung a sign with several cartoon bunnies, which said “MILLIE“.
For a few seconds, he stood there in silence, with his ear almost against the door to make sure there was no one inside. Only then did he turn the doorknob and find that room, which, in fact, was not at all childish with its dark carpet and grayish wallpaper. However, even so, Alice had done a good job with pasting Millicent’s drawings on the walls, making a hut out of sheets in the corner of the room, and decorating using papier–mâché and origami.
It was clearly not the first time she had to transform a cold room into a warm environment for her daughter.
Well, maybe he could call one of his architects before going back to his room, but first, he had something to do.
Sliding over to the bed too big for a child, while dodging the toys and papers that were spread out on the soft carpet, Massimo stopped next to Millie’s pillow. Wasting just a few more moments, he tried to straighten Hoppy’s tie and make his grubby stuffed animal a little more presentable, only then laying him down on the teddy bear print blanket where he belonged, which was with his owner.
“Mr. Bianchi.” A soft, shy voice called from behind him, causing Massimo to turn around to find Alice’s daughter standing there.
“Uh… Hello, Millicent.” He replied, trying not to look embarrassed “I just… I wanted to apologize for scaring you the other day. You met my stepmother. She’s not exactly a good person and seeing her always makes me angry.” Massimo tried to explain himself, even though he knew there wasn’t much of an explanation for having exploded like that in front of such a sweet little girl “I promise I won’t do anything like that again or threaten to expel your mother again. You don’t need to be afraid of me.
((
“I’m not scared anymore.” Millie nodded, moving away from the door to approach him Mommy told me that angry woman is like my grandmother. I was also sad when my grandmother or my aunt said something bad.” She admitted, stopping when she saw what was on her pillow “You brought Hoppy! Is that why you came here? Because he made you happy and wanted to come back?” she jumped in place, with such an adorable sparkle in her eyes that
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Chapter 29 Massimo
he had no choice but to confirm.
+25 BONUS
“Yes. He told me that you had sent him to cheer me up and, you know what? It worked. Thank you.” Massimo found himself smiling genuinely for the first time in a long time, even if it was just a small crooked smile “He wanted to come back to you, so I brought him.”
“I knew Hoppy would make it!” She smiled even wider, clapping her hands as if her enthusiasm didn’t fit in herself “That means we can be friends now, doesn’t it?”
“I… I don’t think I’ll be a good friend to you, Millicent.” Massimo leaned back, unsure of how he should act “I’m not calm and kind like you and your mother. It could be that my temper ends up hurting you again and I don’t want that.
“It’s okay. If you don’t know how to be a friend, I can teach you. Elmo taught this on yesterday episode.” Millie continued happily, as if it didn’t really matter “The first thing you have to do is find a friend and I’m here! So, do you want to play with me in the garden again today? I’m not done showing you all my dolls.”
“I…” he hesitated, remembering his plans to spend another day in bed in the middle of the darkness, but he doubted that there was any being with a heart that could refuse an invitation made by that precious face, so All Massimo could do was sigh “Okay. But, what do you think about having breakfast first? Or is it too late for that?”
“I already ate this morning, but we can ask Mom or Thea to make more pancakes for you.”
“Thank you, Millicent.” He smiled again, his cheeks even a little hard after not doing that for so long.
“I’m your friend now. You have to call me Millie.” She said, picking up her rabbit on the bed so she could hug him, only then extending her hand to Massimo “Come on! The faster you eat, the more we can play until lunch time! Oh, and, Mr. Bianchi…”
“If I can call you Millie, you can call me Massimo.” He shrugged, making her laugh.
“Thank you for wanting to be my friend, Massimo.”
