Epilogue
Savannah
Five years later
The precious tinkling sound of giggles hits me as soon as I walk through the door. I follow the sound to the back of the house, where I know I will find my husband and our three-year-old son.
I lean against the archway and watch the two together. My husband is an amazing father to our little boy. When I got pregnant, Nico decided it was time for him to retire. He finished out his contract with the Evaders and helped his team win another World Series before he walked away from the game.
Now he spends his days being a stay-at-home dad and running his charity organization.
Well, Nico’s long-time cherished employee and right hand, Delaney, runs the charity.
She’s the new Executive Director of 82 Sports and runs the day-to-day operations, but Nico still sits on the board and attends every event and function for the kids.
Nico lifts Apollo into the air and spins him around, and I swear my heart pinches with unnecessary worry. With complete love and trust in his father, Apollo laughs his little head off as he throws his arms wide. My son’s silver-gray eyes sparkle as they spot me standing in the corner.
“Mommy!” He reaches out for me, and Nico lowers him to the ground.
Apollo rushes me, and I squat down and spread my arms, ready for him to rush into them.
“Go easy on Mommy, buddy,” Nico warns.
“He’s fine.” I pepper kisses on his chubby cheeks, making my baby giggle. I brush his raven-black hair off his smiling face.
A mini version of Nico stares up at me, and I might burst into tears at my son’s happy cherub face. I missed him so much. No one tells you how hard it is on your heart and emotional wellbeing when you’re a full-time working mom.
I’m beyond grateful to have such a supportive husband, who pushes me to pursue my dreams while he stays home caring for our boy.
“How’s Mommy’s good boy?” I ask.
“Cazzo, moglie. Cosa ti ho detto di usare quelle parole?” Fuck, wife. What have I told you about saying those words?
I smile sweetly at my husband as I say, “Devo dirle solo a letto. Con te.” I must only say them in bed. With you.
It took me two years, but I am finally fluent in Italian. Turns out, being able to hold private conversations in another language has advantages when you have a toddler who repeats everything.
Nico narrows his eyes and crooks his finger at me. The smoldering look on his devastatingly handsome face is lethal to my panties. If I weren’t already five months pregnant, I’d mount that man and ask him to put another baby into me.
I lift Apollo into my arms and make my way to Nico as directed. He takes our son from me and places him on his hip as he wraps his free arm around my body and kisses me on the forehead.
“My mommy,” Apollo says, pushing his dad’s face away. Nico laughs as my sweet boy leans down and kisses me, just as his daddy did.
Wiping away the wetness left behind from Apollo’s soggy kisses, I chuckle. “So jealous, like your daddy.”
“My guy knows who the queen in this house is.” Nico threads his fingers with mine and leads me to the couch.
The three of us take a seat on the plush sectional in our den. Apollo climbs into my lap and rests his head on my chest as Nico lifts my legs and drapes them over his lap.
He places his big, inked hand over my bump. “How are my girls today?”
I’ve spent the last ten hours on my feet at the hospital, but all the stress and exhaustion evaporated when I walked through the door of our home to be with my loving husband and our boy.
“We are perfect,” I assure my protective man.
Nico winks at me. “You will be.”
I rest my head against the fluffy pillows along the back of the sofa and watch him sink his fingers into my aching calves, massaging the pain away. This has become our routine, even when I’m not pregnant.
A tear rolls down my cheek at the tender, loving care my husband lavishes on me.
People still assume the worst of my husband, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Nico really is a softy. By far the most loving and lovable man alive. He’s incredibly sweet and attentive to me and our son. He has the biggest heart, and when he loves, he loves with his whole being.
I still can’t believe he chose me. Even when I tried to push him away, he was steadfast in his determination to prove that we were meant to be together.
“Hey, what are the tears for, gattina?” Nico wipes the wetness off my cheek. “Is everything okay? Should I call the doctor?”
“I’m fine. Just incredibly happy.”
Nico chuckles. “Those pregnancy hormones are really kicking in, aren’t they?”
“They are.” I sniff. It’s easy to get emotional from overwhelming happiness when I’m married to the perfect man.
Apollo lifts his head off my chest. “Don’t cry, Mommy.”
“It’s okay to cry, my love. These are happy tears, because I love you and Daddy so much.
” I pull Apollo into my chest and hug him tight, breathing in his sweet vanilla baby scent.
“I’m so happy to be home. I missed you. Did you have fun with Daddy today?
” A grin splits my son’s face as his little head bobs up and down, his hair flopping around his face. “What did you do?”
“We went to see Delly. Then…” He tilts his head to the side, collecting his thoughts. “Then we played at the park.”
“Was it equipment day?” I ask.
“Mm-hmm.” Apollo nods.
Nico never misses equipment day. He loves helping the kids get fitted with new cleats and gloves, or whatever else they need. Next to the first day of baseball season, it’s his favorite day of the year.
“That’s awesome, baby.” Apollo climbs off my lap and dashes off to play with his toys in the corner of the room.
I glance at Nico to find him rubbing his chin. He has something on his mind. I grab his hand and squeeze. “What’s wrong?”
“Will you still love me if I told you that the entire family was coming over for dinner so that we could announce that you’re having a girl?”
I bark a laugh. He’s so excited to have a daughter. Like I said, big softy. We found out the baby’s sex yesterday, and I’m surprised it took so long for him to invite our family over to celebrate.
The entire Romero brood, and of course Nico’s crew of guys and their significant others, make up our family.
Although I’m still far from close to my mother, I maintain close relationships with my dad, sister, and brother.
They visit as much as possible, and Apollo loves when his grandpa, uncle Denver, aunt Charlotte, and cousins stay with us.
My family is the man staring at me with so much love in his eyes that I could cry again or jump him. Those damn pregnancy hormones have my mood changing in a heartbeat.
I cup Nico’s cheek and stare into his gray eyes. “I will always love you, caro marito.” My darling husband.
Nico grins and smacks a kiss on my cheek. “Good. Everyone will be here in an hour. Ma and Zia are bringing all the food, so all you have to do is take a shower.”
I run my hand over the soft white T-shirt stretching tight across his hard, muscular chest and wrap it around the back of his neck, tugging his face to mine. My lips tease his earlobe as I whisper, “I was kind of hoping you would help me get cleaned up after a long day.”
Nico brushes his lips over mine, and his hands slide up my legs, setting off a fire in my lower belly.
“I’d prefer dirtying you up after dinner, gattina,” he purrs.
“Hmm.” Shivers race down my spine and settle between my thighs at his innuendo. Time hasn’t changed our need for one another; it’s only grown and bloomed into something better. “I expect you to do your worst, baseball boy.”
My husband grins. “You know I only give you my best, wife.”
Yes, he does.
Every single day.
For the rest of our lives.
THE END