Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Dante
One Week Later
The mayhem of an average day in my house has come to an end. The noise has died down, and the main shared spaces have cleared out. My grandchildren are asleep for the night, and most of my children have gone to their rooms. It’s this time of night that our large home feels almost empty.
Almost.
Walking into my dimly lit kitchen, I find an unfamiliar sight.
Bare feet, hair piled atop her head in a bun, and satin pajamas wrapped around her small frame, Rayna quietly sips from a small cup.
Her back is to me, but she looks like she’s trying to be as quiet as possible.
As if half of the family isn’t still awake, roaming around in various parts of the house.
Perhaps she doesn’t know that she isn’t alone in her late night stroll, though. She hasn’t done much exploring from what I’ve seen. Our paths haven’t crossed many times since she moved in, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think she was avoiding me.
My son’s future wife is quieter than I would have expected after our first meeting. She doesn’t feel at home yet, I assume. I can’t imagine it’s easy to move into a house full of such big personalities like this one. We’re a large group and a boisterous one at that.
Attempting not to startle her, I purposely make my next steps louder and softly clear my throat.
“Oh!” She jumps, her tea cup nearly tipping as she spins around. “I didn’t hear you come in. I’m sorry if I’m in your way, I couldn’t sleep. The tea is supposed to help. I’m just going to go…”
“You’re not in my way,” I reply softly, surprised by her skittish reaction. I’ve never known Rayna Todorov to be anything other than fierce. “Sit with me, won’t you? I’m going to have my own nightcap.”
Mine won’t be as homeopathic as hers, but it’ll relax me all the same.
“Are you sure?” She tucks her bottom lip in. “I don’t mind leaving.”
“Why would I want that?” I tilt my head at her. “You’re family. I always make time for my family.”
I reach up into the closest cabinet, grabbing a bottle of dark rum and a small glass. After watching me with quiet contemplation, Rayna decides to stay while I pour myself a bit of liquor. She sits down at the far end of the breakfast table, and once my drink is settled, I join her.
“Are you afraid of me, Miss Todorov?”
Her eyes widen and she clutches her tea closer to her chest.
“W-why would you ask that?”
“Your body language is tense, and your breathing is uneven,” I start, watching the way she reacts. “Your blinking has slowed, likely because you don’t want to take your eyes off of me. It’s how people sometimes react to a threat, like if they stumbled across a bear while on a hike.”
“You’re intimidating,” she replies slowly. “But I don’t necessarily think I’m scared of you. Honestly, I feel like I’m looking at Apollo in twenty years and it makes me feel uneasy. Plus…I didn’t make a good first impression when we met and I find myself still being embarrassed of that.”
Definitely not scared of me, then. At least not deeply.
She would never be so candid if she was terrified. She would make up excuses, or deny acting strangely outright. Perhaps even make up some reason to leave quickly.
“I think you made a perfectly acceptable first impression,” I tell her, taking a sip of my drink.
“Defending a friend is noble, but defending a friend to a group of people who could kill you for speaking out of turn is downright brave. Your outburst only made me more amenable to your connection with my son, not less.”
Rayna blinks, shaking her head. “O-okay.”
“As for looking like my son,” I continue, smiling softly. “I hear that very often. Jade, as well. I often wonder if Apollo’s son will share our resemblance. Perhaps he will look more like you, though.”
“I doubt it,” she says, almost chuckling. “The Moretti genes seem to be unnaturally strong. Those eyes are everywhere in this house.”
“That they are,” I agree, lips twitching.
Rayna looks down at her tea and makes a soft noise of acknowledgment. “What’s it like? Having so many kids?”
I lift a brow at the question. “Thinking about having as many yourself?”
“God no,” she denies, shaking her head. Her almost scared-like response has me fighting a grin. “Honestly, I’m mostly hoping that the first time we get pregnant, it isn’t twins. I don’t think I could handle two at once, and they seem to run in your family to an unusual level.”
“Twins are a blessing, but a handful,” I reply diplomatically. “You get used to them the second time around.”
Rayna huffs, but remains amused. “I feel like that’s a lie.”
Only a bit of a fib.
“To answer your question, having my children is the greatest thing I have ever done. They’re everything that I love about life personified. I wouldn’t have it any other way. My children are my legacy.”
She smiles, considering my words. “They’re your legacy. Not The Outfit?”
“The Outfit existed before me, and it’ll exist for decades—maybe centuries—after me. My bloodline is what’s truly mine. I created them, and raised them. They’re where my pride lies.”
“That’s sweet,” she murmurs. “And you’ve got grandchildren now. That must be nice. I haven’t met them all, and I’ve spent the most time with Leo, I think. But he’s a sweetie. I adore him.”
“It is nice,” I confirm. “Life has a way of getting away from you as the years go by, but when your family grows, it always seems to settle. I’ll take as many grandchildren as my kids can make.
Between you and me, I think Jade is determined to have another soon.
Motherhood is where she thrives. She loves every bit of it. ”
“I can see that.” Rayna nods thoughtfully. “She’s great with the twins. Dmitri is too, from what I’ve seen. He’s kind of quiet, isn’t he?”
“He is.” My glass twirls in my hand absently. “He tends to do most of his talking with Jade and his children. Occasionally he and Apollo will engage in lengthy conversations, but mostly, he tends to keep to himself. Like you, as of late.”
She tenses, looking down. “You’ve noticed that, have you?”
“Oh, I think you’ll find that I notice everything, Miss Todorov.”
“I hope I haven’t offended you.” She trails off, looking for words of explanation that she can’t seem to find.
“You haven’t,” I assure her. “I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.” While I prefer our family remains close, I don’t need my son’s future wife to love me. As long as she cares for him, that is all I need.
“What?” She shakes her head. “It’s not about you. From everything I’ve heard, you’re great. A million times better than my own father ever was. I just, I don’t know, I’m not good at this. And I hate doing things I’m not good at.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, confused.
“I’m not great with change,” she explains further, looking almost ashamed.
“I’ll get used to it, eventually. Seeing Yordan thrive around you all helps a lot.
He fits right in, and everyone really seems to like him, which is nice.
It makes me feel like I didn’t do such a terrible job with him, you know? ”
“You did an excellent job with him,” I counter, arching a brow. “Raising a younger sibling is not an easy task. My parents were pretty absent from me and my brother when we were young. Cesar was like my first son, as much as he was like my baby brother.”
“Cesar? Like Jade’s…”
“He’s named after him, yes. He died, just a short while before Jade gave birth. It was an unexpected loss.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s all right,” I say, voice soft as the reminder of my loss hits me. “Let’s discuss a less difficult topic, hmm? I hear wedding planning is going quickly. Apollo tells me we’re doing a small ceremony here.”
She immediately grimaces, face scrunching in discomfort. “He was supposed to ask you if that was okay, not tell you that’s what we would be doing. I’m going to give him a piece of my mind tomorrow.”
A chuckle rises in my chest. “He has no need to ask me for my blessing. I have no requirements for his wedding, only that he have one. I have been waiting over a decade for him to take his duty seriously.”
“Are you sure?” Rayna looks hopeful. “I know heirs typically have show-stopping ceremonies and receptions. If you needed that, we could—”
“The Outfit is in a good state, and Apollo has earned all the respect he could need years ago. I assure you, your small wedding is no issue for me.”
Her shoulders drop, having been held tight with tension. “O-okay. That’s good then. I suppose I don’t need to reprimand Apollo, then.”
“Don’t sound too disappointed,” I joke, the barest hint of a smirk on my lips. “From what I’ve seen, you’ll find something to heatedly discuss soon.”
Her face goes flush. “What a delicate way to refer to bickering.”
“Is it really bickering if you both enjoy it?”
“We don’t always enjoy it,” she mumbles. “Sometimes he drives me up a wall for the most ridiculous reasons. I’m sure you’ve noticed your home has a new ban on a certain fuzzy green fruit.”
“You find his precaution regarding your allergy ridiculous?” I take a measured sip of my drink, watching her closely.
“It’s not even severe, and he’s made a huge deal out of it,” she grumbles, folding her arms with a huff. “There are like ten EpiPens stationed around this house now.”
“You say it’s not severe, but what happens when you eat it?”
“First of all, Kiwi is like one of the easiest allergens to avoid,” she tells me, sounding like she’s gone on this rant before.
“And second, all that happens is my mouth gets all tingly and swollen and sometimes I get hives. It was bad when I was a kid, but I came into contact with it a few years ago and I was fine after taking a Benadryl.”
I find that I’m not able to disguise my surprise, nor my incredulous amusement. “You sound like one of my guys who insists he’s fine while he’s got an open wound.”
Her jaw drops open. “What?”
“Rayna, I’m certainly not an allergy expert or medical professional, but I’m quite certain that your allergy is classified as severe. If your mouth swells, your throat can as well. If you have hives in the emergency room, whether you can breathe or not, they’re going to give you epinephrine.”
It appears I’ve struck her speechless.
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to side with my dramatic son, on this one,” I add, offering a smile. “He has quite the habit of being right, I’m afraid. My boys are all uniquely logical, most of the time. Apollo, Leon, and Cassio most of all.”
“How inconvenient,” she huffs with a hint of a smile. “Speaking of your sons…” Her eyebrows draw in, contemplation swarming her expression.
“Yes?”
She exhales, deciding how to proceed. “Apollo hasn’t mentioned Emilio at all since, well, you know when. He should be invited to the wedding, shouldn’t he? I doubt Melani will want to come, but they’re brothers…”
I’m once again reassured that Apollo has picked a good woman to make his wife. To be able to put aside one’s anger for the benefit of their partner, it is a rare and commendable quality.
“Emilio will come,” I assure her. “I believe you are correct, that Melani will not make an appearance. But she won’t keep my son from attending, she wouldn’t dream of it.
Family disputes aren’t unheard of in our history.
This will pass, and more will come, I’m sure.
But Morettis remain together through it all. Emilio and Apollo know that.”
“I hope so,” she admits quietly. “I wouldn’t want to be responsible for pulling them apart.”
“They’re responsible for their own actions,” I say sternly. “You may have prompted the rift, but their own stubbornness is the only thing keeping them from having a discussion and mending it. They are grown men, and eventually, they will act like it.”
“You sound so sure.”
“I am sure. I raised them right.”
Rayna’s lips spread, a genuine smile growing. “How have you—” She cuts herself off, shaking her head as her cheeks go pink. “Never mind.”
“No, no,” I tsk, sitting up straight. “Now I have to know. What were you going to ask?”
I watch her throat bob in a gulp. “It was an entirely inappropriate question.”
“My favorite,” I say, encouraging her with a nod. “Ask me.”
“Just, the way you carry yourself and the way you talk about your kids. I was going to ask how you haven’t been remarried. Women love that sort of thing. The confident, protective dad thing. Not to mention the money, and you know, your whole family got their looks from somewhere.”
My eyebrows shoot up, surprised she was brave enough to get all of that out. It’s not everyday that someone is able to flatter me to my face.
“See!” she exclaims, burying her face in her hands. “Now it seems like I was hitting on you. I just meant—”
“I know what you meant.” I chuckle, cutting into her protesting.
“I haven’t remarried as my first marriage was…
well, a disaster. I would have done it again ten times over to get my children, but my wife had no love for me.
A lot of the time, I think she hated me.
She wanted the kids as much as I did, even if she couldn’t always show it once they were born.
When she passed, I had to put them first, and I haven’t stopped since. ”
“They’re all grown up now,” Rayna says softly. “You could find someone now, you know? If you’re ready, I mean.”
“Perhaps,” I muse. “Perhaps I’m waiting for someone who isn’t ready.”
Her head tilts, interest sparking in her eyes. But there’s nothing left to tell, not yet at least. I polish off my drink and stand from the table, feeling pleased. I’m glad to have had this bit of time to get to know Rayna better. I feel certain that she’ll make a good addition to my family.
“Sleep well, nuora.”
As I turn to leave, she objects. “Wait, what does that mean?”
I don’t turn around to answer.
“Daughter-in-law.”