Chapter 36
LUCA
I board the plane slowly because of my injury, but even slower because I don’t want to go. I just want to stay here. I had it all worked out with Diego. He was going to keep me in state so that Sophia could visit, so that I could write Rosa.
Why did I even agree to this? I suppose I wanted more time with them, just a few more minutes so that I could hold on to it.
Arturo stands in the interior of the jet, grinning at me.
“You ready, Caputo?”
He looks shocked when I look up at him. I’m sure I look like shit.
“No,” I say hoarsely. “But we gotta go, don’t we?”
“It’s time.”
He heads off to the cockpit to tell the pilot we’re ready, and I slowly make my way over to a seat, slumping down in it with a groan.
I’m really not well enough for all this travel, but I can’t seem to care. What does it matter, anyway?
This was never going to work. I’ve been in love with Sophia Bianchi since before I knew her last name, but we were always doomed to end like this. I can’t be a father. What was I thinking? That I’d send her letters and pictures from prison? Attend her wedding via a Zoom conference?
Sophia’s right. This is the only way.
“Want a drink?” Arturo asks, and I hum out an agreement.
He pours me a single Scotch and I shoot it back, the alcohol burning my throat.
If I’m going to travel and leave my family, I might as well do it half-drunk.
“Wait!” A scream pierces the silence and I nearly drop my Scotch glass.
I struggle to stand up and Arturo helps me. I make my way to the door to see Sophia flying up the steps with Rosa on her hip.
“Oh my god,” she says when she steps into the plane. “Oh my god, I’m really doing this.”
“You are? Sophia. Pixie.” I cup her face, kissing her, doing the same to Rosa and Rosa giggles.
“We fly!” Rosa says brightly, and I nod at her, not realizing tears are streaming down my face until she frowns. “No cryin’, Daddy.”
“No crying,” I agree, wiping at my face, unable to stop smiling.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Sophia mutters and I laugh and kiss her again.
“Where we goin’?” Rosa asks, wiggling down from Sophia’s grasp and walking around the plane.
“Aruba,” I answer.
“Where’s Ruba?”
“A long way from here,” Sophia answers, scooping her up and placing her in a seat, putting on her seatbelt. “Now get ready, it’s almost time.”
“Time to fly!”
“Time to fly,” Sophia agrees, looking shell-shocked.
Sophia helps me back to my seat and I sit, looking up at her with a dopey grin.
“You should not be drinking on the meds they had you on,” she points out, staring at my empty Scotch glass.
“I’ll never drink again if you don’t want me to.”
She raises an eyebrow. “You’re awfully agreeable right now.”
“I’ll agree to anything you want.”
She smirks. “You really don’t want to give me that kind of power.”
“I do. You and Rosa get whatever you want, always.”
“We’re really going to Aruba?”
“Yes. It’s beautiful this time of year.” I pause. “All times of year, honestly.”
“Is there a beach?” Rosa pipes in.
I grin at her. “Yes, princess. There’s lots of beaches and I’ll take you to all of them.”
“Not right away,” Sophia warns. “Daddy needs to rest for a couple of weeks.”
“Couple of days,” I whisper to Rosa, winking at her. She blinks in response and it makes me laugh. I take her hand, pulling Sophia down in the seat next to her.
“God, what am I doing?” Sophia groans, covering her face with one hand.
“You’re starting your life. With me,” I say proudly, putting an arm around Rosa. “Isn’t that right, princess.”
“Right.” Rosa yawns, the emotional upset taking a lot out of her. She puts her head on my shoulder and settling with her thumb in her mouth.
Sophia looks over at me, blue eyes wide.
“What are we going to do first?”
I laugh out loud.
“I think we have to go shopping. You didn’t exactly pack well.”
“God,” Sophia mutters. “I’m a terrible mother.”
I frown. “You’re the best mother I know.”
“I’m probably the only mother you know.”
“Well. Still.”
Sophia smiles at me. “You’re excited about this, aren’t you?”
“That you two are finally mine? You can say that. Say it, Sophia.”
“Say what?”
“That you’re mine. Both of you.”
Sophia rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling. “We’re yours. Both of us. Always.”
“Forever,” I breathe, and she leans across Rosa to kiss me.
Hours later, we land in Aruba and Arturo steals us a car, popping the hood and hotwiring it.
“Lovely,” Sophia mumbles.
“I promise the crime will die down.”
She snickers. “I guess it doesn’t matter. We’re already on the lam.”
“It’s not my first time.”
She blinks. “No?”
“Didn’t you see my arrest from ten years ago?” I hum. “Oh, never mind, you wouldn’t. It was expunged. I got picked up for assault, posted bail, and fucked off to Europe for a while.”
“You backpacked in Europe?”
“I sure did. What, I don’t seem like the type?” I smile at her and take in as deep a breath as I can get with my chest aching as much as it does.
Sophia puts a hand on my shoulder. “Is it your heart?”
“Just my chest. They cracked it open. It’s bound to hurt for a while.”
“You should take your meds.”
“After, when we’re at the hotel,” I promise, and take Rosa’s hand. “Time to get you a swimsuit, princess.”
“One that’s a dress!” she demands and I smile, leading her over to the little girl’s clothes when we arrive at the boutique.
She picks out a handful of swimsuits and Sophia grabs her a few outfits, too.
“You go and pick out your stuff,” I urge her. “I’ve got Rosa.”
“Don’t pick her up,” she warns. “You did enough tugging on her back at the airfield.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say, saluting her, and she laughs, shaking her head as she walks over to the women’s section.
Three thousand dollars later, I’ve got Rosa all set up with clothes and toys.
She’s carrying around a decidedly creepy clown doll and Sophia looks down at it, horrified.
“Where did you get Annabelle here?”
“Her name’s not Annabelle. It’s Silly Sally.”
“Silly Sally? Because she’s a clown.”
“No, Mama,” Rosa says, her little voice exasperated. “Because she’s silly.”
“Oh, well, of course,” I say, unable to keep the grin off my face.
We make our way back to the hotel and despite the searing pain in my chest, I’m grinning when Sophia helps me into bed.
“You need to take your meds and rest.”
“Whatever you say, pixie,” I muse, looking up at her with a bright smile.
“That’s all it took for you to do what I say? Running away with you?”
“That’s exactly it,” I tell her, and I kiss her soundly. I managed to swing by a jewelry store when we were at the strip, and I reach into my sweats pocket and pull out a ring box. “I’d get down on one knee but…I think you’d yell at me.”
“Luca, you can’t be serious!” She claps her hand over her mouth after squealing when I open the ring box.
The ring is four carats. I still don’t think it’s big enough.
I slide it on her finger. “I would ask you to marry me, but I have to tell you that you don’t really have a choice. I always get what I want.”
“And you want me?” she asks, smiling.
“I want you and Rosa. Forever.”
“Then you’ll have us,” she answers, finally giving me my “yes” and I smile against her lips when she kisses me.
I never knew having a family would feel this good.