Chapter 3 #2
“Hey, favorite uncle in the house!” Enzo calls, rolling up his sleeves as Jade walks up, embracing each of us.
Dante scoffs, getting off his seat and walking over to Enzo. “Sorry, bro. I’ve got news for you. Matteo here has been given that title.”
Matteo shrugs, flipping his hands in the air, a huge smirk on his face as he hands all the kids presents that he and Aida brought from Portugal.
Lauralyn peers up at her father, batting her long lashes, a smile perched on her little mouth.
He jokingly huffs and rolls his eyes. “Go. Get your gift.”
“Yay!” Lauralyn claps, running to Matteo and giving him a huge hug.
“This is war,” Enzo calls to his brother. “And I play dirty.” He rubs his palms, his gaze narrowing playfully.
“Bring it,” Matteo throws back, his brows swinging up and down. “’Cause I do too.”
Dom’s shaking his head as he looks on to see what the kids are getting. There are dolls and cars and gadgets of all kinds.
“Did you guys buy the whole store?” I ask with laughter flitting my tone, loving that they enjoy spoiling our children.
“More or less.” Matteo grins as the kids excitedly open everything.
“Okay, the very pregnant lady’s gotta sit.” Raquel shuffles on her feet.
Dante’s suddenly beside her. “Shit. Come on, baby.”
He curls an arm around her hip, leading her to one of the chairs as the ladies and I follow, and he helps her settle down.
“Thanks, babe,” she tells him, gazing up at him with so much devotion in her eyes.
He lowers his mouth to her forehead and kisses her, his eyes falling shut as he inhales deeply. In this moment, I’m smiling, seeing how loved my cousin is.
It’s funny sometimes, where one can start and where we can end up. Each of us has a story of how we met, lies and pain filling up the pages, but here we all are—happy, content . . . a good life.
He takes his spot next to her, picking up her hand and holding it on his lap. Her head immediately falls on his shoulder.
Jade and I decide to have a seat too, me next to my cousin, and her beside me. Once the kids are busy playing with their stuff, Matteo sits right by Aida, opposite us.
Her attention immediately goes to him, and he holds her gaze, his mouth tilting at the corner. In their silence, one can literally feel their love, and it’s so beautiful. Out of all of us, they deserve it most of all.
I take a long breath, observing the people I love, laughing, their conversations buzzing while filling their plates.
“So . . .” Jade turns to me. “Any gut feelings?”
“Honestly? I think it’s a girl, or maybe I kind of want it to be.” I peer at each of them. “I mean, I want a healthy baby most of all, but a girl would be nice, ya know?”
“Of course. You’re allowed to have a preference,” Jade says, squeezing her hand on top of mine in reassurance.
“Most do.” Raquel picks up her glass of water. “I definitely wanted a boy because I’m so done after this kid.”
“That’s what they all say.” I give her a knowing look.
“No way.” Her eyes grow large. “I’m not having any more after this one.”
Dante’s gaze wanders to her. “Never say never, sweetheart.”
“Uh-uh.” Lighthearted annoyance greets her features. “I’m gonna make you push it out next time.”
“And that’s when I exit this conversation.” His face sets with a grimace as he slowly turns away.
“He’d have twenty kids,” Raquel says. “The man is nuts.”
“I heard that.” He speaks low, not looking at us this time, but cracking a smirk.
She bumps her shoulder into him on a laugh. “Good. I wasn’t hiding it.”
His chuckle is deep, and he snaps his attention back to us, a hand around her neck as he pulls her in to kiss her temple. “I love you. That’s the only reason I’d be happy with as many as you’d be willing to have.”
We all “aww” at them, while Raquel rolls her eyes with a groan, smiling ridiculously.
“Of course he has to say something as romantic as that.”
He winks at us. “How else do you think I got to marry someone like you?”
“By tricking me?”
“Wow, Mrs. Cavaleri. You wound me.” Both palms cling to his chest as he lets her go.
She throws her arms around his neck, kissing him slow.
“I’ll make it up to you when we’re home.” Her voice grows low, while his eyes don’t hide how he’s feeling right about now.
“Get a damn room!” Enzo sticks a finger into his mouth, pretending to throw up, just as he and Dom tread over to us.
“Oh, you leave them alone,” Sonia chides with a dismissive wave of her hand. Janet is beside her.
On days like this, all of us together, happy, it reminds me that my father didn’t win. That we did. After everything they put us through, we made it to the top.
I hope that wherever they are, they can see us. And I hope it hurts like hell.
“You guys wanna play some ball?” Enzo asks his brothers, rubbing his palms together. “Two on two?”
“I’ve got Dom.” Dante smirks, slapping his brother on the chest.
“That’s all right.” Matteo looks at Enzo. “We’re younger and faster. We’ll smoke you two.”
“Fuck yeah, we will!” Enzo jumps to his feet.
“Language!” Jade widens her eyes, pivoting around in the patio seat, giving him a stern look from behind her shoulder.
“Sorry, baby,” he whispers, pretending to zipper his mouth.
Swooping down, he cups her nape and kisses her softly against her lips.
“Who needs to get a room now?” Dante teases with a chuckle, getting Enzo to pull away before he punches Dante in the gut.
He keels over with a groan, pretending to be hurt. “I see what you’re trying to do.” He nods as he rights himself. “You’re trying to get rid of your competition. Not gonna work.”
“We’ll see about that.” Enzo scoffs.
Those guys are a competitive bunch.
“Good luck, boys,” I say.
They all wave with smiles, heading for the basketball court on the other end of the yard.
We watch them disappear out of sight, and silence grows between us as we take in our children. Their laughter and yelps drift around us. Some jump on the large trampoline Dante had purchased for the twins on their third birthday, while others are playing on the swing and sandbox.
Janet and Sonia insisted on keeping an eye on them while we get some time to relax. Relaxing isn’t something I’m comfortable with, though. I always feel the need to be on the go, to keep my mind occupied, or else I remember my life before.
“You guys ever think about . . . the past?” I’m the first to break with conversation.
“All the time.” Aida sighs, her gaze frozen to mine, a furrow forming between her brows.
“Yeah.” I nod. “Me too.”
Jade picks up a glass of mimosa, sipping slowly before placing it back down on the side table beside her. “When did you all finally realize that it’s okay to breathe again? That it’s finally safe enough?”
I tilt my head at the question, narrowing my eyes as I think about the answer. Raquel and Aida do the same.
“I’ll start,” Jade continues, clearing her throat, her eyes distant. “For me, it was when Enzo adopted Robby. I felt this instant relief, like my life finally made sense. Like those men can’t get us anymore because we’re a real family now.”
Her shoulders climb up from the long inhale she takes.
Aida runs a hand through her long, blonde hair, looking up to the clear blue sky for a moment before her eyes fall to each of us.
“It was when we first got to Corvo Island many months later.” She exhales a heavy sigh.
“I felt trapped for so long, in that house, with that man, always wondering, ‘What’s next. When will it all be over? When will I die? When will Matteo?’” She purses her lips in a faint smile.
“But that island . . . it saved me. It gave me peace. It made me feel protected. I knew no one would get me there. I think that’s why I didn’t want to leave for a while.
Until I knew that when I did, no one would hurt me on the other side. ”
There’s a collective nod, and Raquel goes next, while I really consider my entire life and when that pivotal point took root.