Epilogue
Gio
Three Years Later
Family.
It had been instilled in me at an early age that family was everything, but it wasn’t until I had one of my own that I truly understood what that meant.
Growing up, being groomed to one day become Don, fatherhood was an expectation, not a choice. It fell to me to secure the bloodline for the next generation, and I viewed it as a chore—a mundane task you grudgingly completed.
Maybe my lack of interest stemmed from my father being very hands-off. My formative years were spent being raised by nannies rather than by the man who played a hand in my creation. It’s entirely possible his disinterest in his offspring rubbed off on me.
Despite all that, my world was forever changed the minute Luca took his first breath. It was as if my brain had been rewired, its only focus to protect and nurture the vulnerable little life that depended solely on me for its survival.
But I didn’t know the first thing about being a father. Thankfully, Matteo was there. My little brother became the perfect role model, offering guidance and support while I navigated those uncharted waters.
Three years later, I was proud to say I’d gone from novice to expert. I could change diapers blindfolded. I could fold a double stroller one-handed. And the mack daddy of them all, I could install car seats with ease.
And now, it was time for me to pass down what I’d learned to the newest Bellini dad.
Enzo and Allie’s road to parenthood had been full of heartbreak, but now, their dreams had finally come true thanks to Gemma’s extreme selflessness. And everyone was beyond eager to meet the newest addition to our clan.
Rory bounced our youngest son, eleven-month-old Raphael—or Rafe, for short—on her hip as she spoke to Summer. “Did they say what their ETA was?”
My sister-in-law checked her phone. “They reached the city limits forty-five minutes ago, so they should be here any second.”
“Ugh. The wait is killing me! Remind me again why we didn’t all pile into the jet and go to Indy the minute they texted Gemma was in labor?”
Summer groaned. “Because Bianca had finals, and getting a new cousin doesn’t fall under the category of an excused absence.”
Matteo’s girls were growing up too fast. It blew my mind that my eldest niece had just finished her first year of middle school.
The alert that the gate was opening echoed throughout the house.
“They’re here!” Rory’s face was flushed in her excitement.
I looped an arm around her waist. Lips against her ear, I teased, “Don’t tell me you have baby fever again.”
When she twisted around, there was a guilty expression on her face. “Maybe.”
My palm slid to her stomach. “You know I’m obsessed with seeing you big and round.”
She pressed a kiss to Rafe’s head. “Our boys are my whole world, but there’s a part of me that longs for a little girl.”
A chuckle rolled through my chest. “Can’t make any promises there.”
Lifting a shoulder, she released a breath. “No, but I want to give it one more try. And if we have another boy, I’ll love him with everything that I have because he will be a piece of you and me, made with love.” A smile tugged onto her lips. “With four nieces, I’ll get plenty of girl time.”
“But it’s not the same as having your own.”
“It’ll have to be enough. Neither of us is getting any younger.”
She was right about that. I’d crossed over to forty a month ago, and Rory was on the verge of thirty-five.
We’d been warned that any future pregnancies would be deemed high-risk due to her advanced maternal age.
While Rafe’s birth had been uneventful, taking place within the confines of a hospital, the reminder that her own mother had died during delivery was enough that Rory didn’t want to tempt fate any more than necessary.
“Hello? Anyone home?” Enzo’s cheery voice preceded him into the living room with Allie by his side, and a baby carrier held in his hand.
There was an all-out stampede as everyone rushed to get a look at the newest Bellini.
Though I might be biased, given our shared genetics, my cousin and his wife had managed to make one beautiful baby. Full cheeks, a button nose, pursed rosebud lips, and dark hair that matched that of the rest of the crew.
Rory hugged Allie with her free arm. “She’s precious.”
Allie had tears streaking down her face. “I can’t believe she’s ours.”
Summer joined their embrace. “I bawled like a baby when you texted her name. It’s beyond perfect.”
Our niece’s full name was Giada Angelina Bellini. Giada meant jade in Italian, paying homage to the woman who’d carried her for nine months and given birth to her. Angelina was a nod to her older sibling whom she would never meet, the one Allie and Enzo still mourned to this day.
Serafina stared up at Enzo with big puppy dog eyes. “Can I hold her?”
Enzo assessed her for a long moment before declaring, “Yes, but you have to wash your hands first.”
My chest puffed up with pride. I’d taught him that.
The one my brother affectionately called his little mouse bolted from the room, seeking the nearest sink.
The carrier was placed on the ground, and Allie undid the buckles, pulling the baby into her arms. The two other women crowded her from both sides, cooing nonsensical words at the infant.
I clapped Enzo on the back. “Congrats, man.”
“Thanks,” he breathed.
Matteo chimed in, asking, “How was the drive?”
Enzo groaned. “Most terrifying four hours of my entire life.”
A chuckle rolled up from my chest. “Welcome to parenthood, where you’re forced to live in a constant state of terror, worried about your kids.”
His eyes were locked on his wife and daughter. “I’d do anything for them. Even suffer through the debilitating anxiety of knowing I can’t be there to protect them every minute of every day.”
Serafina ran back into the room and came to a skidding halt before Allie. “My hands are clean.” She held them up for inspection. “Can I have the baby now?”
Motherhood lit Allie up from within, and she beamed down at our shared niece. “All right. Come sit down.”
Luca wasn’t as interested as the other children, who were already begging for their turn. With a younger brother at home, it would seem he was immune to the appeal of a brand-new baby.
He wandered over to where I stood with the other dads, lifting his arms. “Daddy, pick me up.”
I bent down, grabbing him around the middle with a growl, playing our favorite game where I pretended to be a bear.
“Daddy!” his peals of laughter echoed throughout the room, drawing the attention of Rory, whose smile couldn’t be contained.
Eventually, I granted my son mercy, putting an end to the bear attack, and Luca’s breathless, panting form slumped against my chest. I hugged his tiny body close, inhaling deeply against the top of his head. He smelled like everything good in my life.
Rory joined us, leaning her head on my arm and sighing as she surveyed the scene set before us.
“I love our family.”
“Me too, tigrotta. Me too.”
It had taken me far too long to realize it, but they were my most prized possessions.
And as long as I had them, I didn’t need anything else.