Epilogue
FiveYears Later
Luca knew he should be working, but having his children come and see him at lunchtime was one of the best parts of his day. He had no choice but to go to work most days of the week. If he was at home, family distracted him. Work didn’t seem quite as important as enjoying Daniel and Elizabeth’s early years.
Daniel was his oldest son, at five years old, and a little terror when he got started.It had been an amazing pregnancy and smooth birth. Even though, after being in the labor room with Tillie, Luca had been tempted to get his balls chopped off, because seeing her in any kind of pain was so fucking difficult. He couldn’t stand it.
A year later, Elizabeth was born, and her pregnancy had come with a few complications, mainly with the morning sickness. The doctors had been concerned, as had he, but Tillie had known everything would be all right. The birth had been smooth, and Elizabeth had been an easy baby, whereas Daniel was a night owl. Even though his parents were tired, he liked to stay up at night, and it had taken them what felt like a millennia to finally train him to sleep at night and stay awake through the day.
Luca wouldn’t trade his life for anything.
He had both children on the ground and was tickling them, even as they screamed and he waited until they begged. Then, he let them up, only for them to attack him again.
In meetings, businessmen had gotten used to him appearing a little less than presentable.
He’d gone from being known as the beast of the boardroom, to the reasonable family man. Luca had even heard rumors that if someone attempted to insult him, that person had been told to shut up, that no one wanted the beast back.
Children had changed him, but not when it came to business. If he didn’t believe a company could be saved, then he was blunt with them and even offered their best options. He wasn’t made a fool of.
Tillie putting a hand on her rounded stomach drew his attention, and his son and daughter got a reprieve as he went to her instantly. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m fine.” She took his hand and placed it against her stomach. “Just a little bouncy today.”
Their third child was due in three months. They were going to have another son. He felt his child kick, and then he cupped his wife’s face and kissed her hard. “Have I told you how much I love you lately?”
“You did so when you woke up this morning, then at breakfast, when you left, and twice through texts.”
Luca had come to realize, in knowing his own family, that life was short. He didn’t want to waste a moment without telling the woman he loved, that he loved her. He wanted her to know how he felt.
“And guess what?” Tillie asked.
“What?”
“I love you too.” This time, she pulled him down for a kiss.
He ran his hands up her back, and then he groaned at the sound of childish giggling. He could quite easily be distracted and make love to his wife, but with their children present, that wasn’t going to happen.
“I know what’s on your mind, and that is something I was going to tell you about,” Tillie said, playing with the lapel of his jacket. “Mom and Dad have agreed to take Daniel and Elizabeth for the weekend.”
“The whole weekend?” Luca asked. He loved his kids, and it was rare for him to want any time away from them. A few years ago, Bella and Andrew had wanted to take the kids, and at first he had refused. They had advised that he take the time to love his wife. To not see them as interfering or trying to take his kids from him, but that they were all family, and they needed space to be a couple.
That weekend had been amazing. Yes, he had missed his kids, but he hadn’t wasted the opportunity to make love to his wife.
With baby number three on the way, and how attention-seeking his kids were, he wanted a full weekend with his wife.
“The whole weekend. No kids, no early mornings, no middle-of-the-night drink breaks, or monster checking,” Tillie said.
“Is it wrong that part of me is turned on at the thought of a full night’s sleep?” Luca asked.
Tillie burst out laughing. “I figured tonight we go to bed early, wake up latetomorrow, and the rest is just you and me.”
He pulled her in close, knowing he had gotten so lucky, and he was never going to take her for granted.
“Consider it a date.”
The End