Chapter 18
Chapter eighteen
“Do you need to get up right now?” I grumble as Cara’s alarm on her phone goes off for the second time.
“No, I took Betty up on her offer to run a skeleton crew with a smaller menu today. I really don’t want to be anywhere else other than with you and the kids today.
” She snuggles deeper into me, and I run my hand up and down her back.
It’s a little after five a.m. so we maybe got four hours of sleep, if that.
“How late do you think Mila and Dante will sleep?”
“The doctor said they may sleep longer today as their bodies process everything. I was planning on just letting them sleep as long as they needed before we go in for that follow-up exam.” Her voice is hoarse with exhaustion.
“There are going to be a lot of conversations that need to happen, even ones that will have to happen today, but can we just clear things up between you and me so we can tackle all of that together?” I can’t hide the vulnerability in my voice, but I think both of us will be able to handle everything else so long as we know we have each other.
She turns onto her side so she can look up at me with one hand on my chest and nods.
Cara sniffs as her eyes glisten, already filling with tears. “I’m sorry, Max.”
“What are you apologizing for?” And I hope that’s not a preamble to calling this whole thing off—I’m not letting her go without a fight.
“After everything happened with your mom, I didn’t want to be yet another woman you cared about that lied to you every single day.” My eyebrows shoot up at that. Of all the scenarios I considered in the last ten and a half months, Cara protecting me was not one of them.
“So … you pushed me away to protect me?”
She nods. “I couldn’t repeat what she did to you.”
I hum in response. “So, did you orchestrate a murder with a mafia underboss?”
She taps my chest. “No, you know I didn’t. But I couldn’t even tell you my real name, so how was that fair to you?”
“So, tell me now.”
“What?”
“Tell me now. I already know all the little details about you that matter. I know you’re not a natural morning person and require caffeine to function as soon as you wake up.
I know you snort a little when you laugh too hard.
” She hides her face with her hand and I pull it down, holding her hand in place against my chest. “I know you prefer 80s pop over anything from the last two decades, unless it’s a handful of country artists, which makes zero sense to me.
I know what you taste like from your head to your toes, and I know you’re ticklish on your toes too.
” She moves her feet away from me as though I’m going to tickle her right now.
“I know you love Mila and Dante with everything you are.” Her face softens at that.
“I know you, Cara, regardless of what your name was at birth, I know who you are. But if that’s a big deal, then tell me your name and let’s see if that changes anything at all or how I feel about you. ”
She takes a deep breath before meeting my gaze. “My birth name is Alessia Carabella Morelli.”
“Beautiful name, baby. That sounds very Italian, and see, Cara is sort of your middle name, so that’s still your name.”
“We are very Italian … and we also aren’t from New York. We’re from Philadelphia.” She looks down at our combined hands on my chest.
“Yeah, I figured that one out when you explained the Serrano family situation. Wait a minute … that’s why they call you Zia, it has nothing to do with Diaz, does it?”
She shakes her head. “It’s hard enough to explain to little kids that we’re using different last names, I couldn’t change what they call me.
They’ve already lost so much. My brother still speaks a little bit of Italian to them when we call, but I haven’t spoken it much over the last year or so in the house, but the term of endearment stuck. ”
“They’re lucky to have you, Cara.” She smiles as I call her that, even though I know her given name now.
“I’m the lucky one.”
“What do you think will happen now with your brother?” We still don’t know all the details of the rescue, but Liam did tell Cara the U.S. marshals have Salvatore Serrano and his associates that were in the warehouse in custody.
Cara shrugs. “I don’t know. I hope this means the trial can happen, my brother can testify, and then hopefully come home to us.”
“Do you think he would come here?” Please let her say yes, because I know how much she loves those kids and wherever they are, she will be as well.
“Yeah, I hope so anyway. We have a good thing here, and Luca could get a job anywhere. He’s crazy talented with cars and I don’t think he has any interest in ever going back to Philly. It’s probably not safe anyway.”
“I’m a big fan of that plan—huge fan, in fact.” I lean down and kiss her softly. “I still can’t believe you told me his name was Joe. That’s not even close to Luca.”
Her shoulders lift in a small shrug. “So … does that mean you forgive me for lying to you?” Her eyes are filled with so much hope and glistening slightly with tears.
“I guess we have to agree to disagree, baby. I don’t see what you had to do for the safety of your niece and nephew as lying to me.
I was the one that initially pushed you and everyone else in my life away after everything happened, and I get where you were coming from, but there isn’t anything to forgive.
” That causes the tears in her eyes to tip over the edge and trail down her face.
I catch one with my thumb and wipe it away.
“You came true.”
“What’s that, baby?”
“Every time I’ve looked at the night sky and made a wish on a star since we ended things, I wished that we would somehow find a way to be together, and that I would get to love you.
” Her eyes widen at her own confession, but before she can take it back, I put a finger to her lips to silence her protest.
“Glad to see we’re on the same page. I love you too, Cara Diaz, or whatever your last name is. I love you regardless of whether your name is Alessia, Cara, or anything else. ‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.’ And you smell delightful, baby.”
“Did you just confess your love to me and quote Shakespeare?”
“Would you prefer I quote Sir Mix-a-Lot? Because his hit also applies in this situation.” I reach down and grab her ass to pull her on top of me as she giggles. But just as she straddles me, we hear a little voice from down the hall. “Zia? Max?”
At the sound of Mila calling out for us, we both quickly get out of bed and scramble to check on the kids. Dante wakes soon after, and I get the honor of making three of my favorite people breakfast in my kitchen.
I know there are a lot of details to figure out with their situation, but I also know that nothing will come between me and them ever again—and there’s no need to make a wish about it, I’m keeping all three of them.