Chapter Twenty-one Jennifer
Chapter Twenty-one
Jennifer
Not long after we all walk into the huge toy store filled with endless rows of every little child’s dream, we decide to split up.
It sounds cliché, but Enzo absolutely loves cars. However, Mary… Well, she’s more into dolls and stuffed animals. I can’t blame her.
It doesn’t stop them from having lots of fun playing together, but they have different tastes when it comes to playing with toys.
They both love watching Bluey, however. I’ve been watching it with them a few times, it’s absolutely adorable how much they bond over something as silly as a family of dogs.
Daniel sticks with me. I don’t know why.
Maybe he wants to keep an eye on me, making sure I don’t run off with Mary.
Or he’s actually here for security reasons.
If all he wants to do is simply protect us? I can’t tell.
What I can notice, though, is how relaxed Daniel looks in this setting. Usually, his shoulders are always flexed. His arms usually have a certain position, always ready to protect and fight if anything happens.
But here? Here, he’s just Enzo’s uncle, and Mary’s… Well, I don’t really know about that.
As we walk down the aisle filled with all different kinds of stuffed animals, Mary begins to slow down as her eyes lock on a certain one. I notice her little hand tightening around mine before she completely lets go of me. I let her.
We’re in a safe environment, and although I pretend to look at some other toys, I do watch her out of the corner of my eye.
She takes a hesitant step forward, staring up at the shelves with wide eyes. She’s my daughter, and I absolutely love that. Just seeing her standing there, looking fully amazed by a stuffed animal?
I was never able to fulfill all her dreams. I didn’t make that much money, so all we could always agree on was a stuffed animal or a doll.
She’s always loved stuffed animals of all kinds. No wonder she’s amazed.
She’s small, so small that she has to tiptoe just to get a better look at it. But it’s not just any stuffed animal she’s staring at—it’s a white bunny, one that’s holding a soft pink rose between its tiny paws.
For some reason, I don’t call out to her. I don’t want to rush her. I usually never do. It’s important to me to let her decide things by herself. Of course, they’re not important things to an adult. But to her, it means the whole world.
And as long as she’s happy, I am.
I shudder as I hear his voice, pulling me out from my thoughts.
“You like that one a lot, don’t you?” he asks her. His voice is different from usual. It’s softer and comforting. And God…
I can’t help it. He looks so good when he’s treating my daughter well.
“The one with the rose?”, he clarifies.
Mary looks up at him with a shocked face at first, before she nods eagerly, her eyes glinting up with something I’ve never seen before on her.
His hand lifts the huge bunny from the shelf before he puts it down next to her. It’s almost as big as her which makes me giggle quietly.
I wonder how much it costs. It shouldn’t be an issue anymore, since Daniel pays well, but still. I’m sure I’ll always worry about not having enough money.
Mary instantly hugs the bunny, blessing both Daniel and me with her sweet giggles. God, she’s enjoying this so much.
We all are, I think.
I mean, I’m pretty sure…
Daniel huffs a quiet breath, then reaches out to ruffle her hair. Mary giggles even louder now, leaning into the touch like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
And for a split second, I forget who he is. How I’m supposed to observe him.
For a split second, all I can think is, He’d be such a great father figure for her.
But then reality hits me like a freight train.
Mafia boss. Cold. Dangerous. All perfect words to describe him. There’s nothing fatherly about him.
My smile suddenly wipes from my face, and when I look back at Daniel, he looks right back at me, his own smile slowly fading.
It’s like we both realize how good this feels, how natural it feels, but we both know getting Mary used to him is the worst idea.
Daniel’s eyes darken, and although I know he’s trying not to get too attached, the second Mary hugs Daniel and lets go of the bunny, he smiles again softly.
He hugs her back, whispering something into her ear. I don’t know what he says. But I know it’s something good.
It doesn’t matter how much of an asshole he is towards his rivals.
He’d never hurt my girl.
When Mary lets go of him, she tries to carry the bunny with her, but she fails. I smile at her.
“Sweety, isn’t the bunny too heavy for you to carry, hm?” I ask her teasingly. She shakes her head with a huge grin. “I’m a big girl! I can carry Rosie!”
I nod understandingly. “Rosie, hm? I’m sure you could. But I’m also sure that Rosie doesn’t want to bother her new friend. Why don’t you let me carry Rosie?”
Mary looks at me for a faint moment, looking undecided, but once more, Daniel interrupts.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Rosie gets home safely.” He tells Mary before picking up the bunny. However, before he does, he quietly asks her once again if it’s fine. She immediately agrees.
Oh my god. I was sort of joking about the father role thing at first. But now? Now, I’m wondering if I’m falling way too deep into this rabbit hole, mixed with doubts and desires for a man I shouldn’t want.
We look at a few other toys and Mary chooses to take a doll with her, and I just agree without having to worry about the prices for the first time in our lives.
I love seeing her happy. I wish I could give her the world.
She has an absent father; a mother who couldn’t give her the attention she needed for years… And although I know buying her a bunny and a doll won’t fix anything; I still want her to get these things.
I want to see my baby happy.
“I’ll wait for you two at the checkout, alright? Rosie is getting a big heavy here,” he winks at Mary. She nods, giggling as he walks away.
I didn’t really believe him. His arms could probably carry me. A bunny and a doll won’t be too heavy for him. But maybe he has to make a call, and I don’t want to interrupt him working.
It bothers me, knowing he’s taking my daughter’s toys with him while probably making a call about drugs, or getting someone murdered. But I stay quiet. It’s none of my business, after all.
Mary and I walk off towards the other aisles, quickly finding Victoria and Enzo. Mary runs towards them and instantly tells Enzo that she got a huge bunny and a doll.
Enzo smiles at her. “Woah! That’s so nice! Look, my mommy is getting me a car! Just like Zio Daniel has one!”
Victoria and I just eye each other, smirking while we listen to our children talk. They walk a few meters in front of us, leading us towards the checkout.
Both her and I know they have no idea where the checkout is, but we don’t mind. All we want is for them to have a nice time.
“So, Jenny…” Vicky starts. It’s funny. I’ve started calling her Vicky instantly, and although Jenny isn’t my favorite nickname, I like it when she uses it.
In fact, I love it even more when Daniel uses it.
“What’s going on between you two?”, she asks, breaking me out of the thoughts about her brother.
“What do you mean?”, I laugh, trying not to act too suspiciously. “He’s nice, I guess.”
“Come on now!” She laughs. “Any sane person can see something going on between you two.”
“Is it that obvious?”, I wonder. She nods.
For a moment, we’re both surprised as we walk towards the cashier. Wow. Our babies are smart. It’s a huge store, I didn’t expect them to find the cashier this quickly.
“I really don’t know.” It’s a simple sentence. Victoria knows very well what I mean, but her brother has no idea what we were talking about.
And I want it to stay that way. For now. For today.
Victoria scans Enzo’s chosen car, her purse already in hand. Meanwhile, I grab my wallet, ready to pay for Mary’s things.
Before I can, Daniel speaks. “I already paid. No worries.”
I freeze, blinking at him. “What?”
He exhales like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I paid for it.”
“No, Daniel, you didn’t have to— I swear, I can pay for it myself.” I fumble with my wallet, but he just shakes his head.
“Don’t you worry,” he says, his voice quieter now, more deliberate.
He takes me aside, stepping away a few meters from them. His voice stays low.
“It’s a gift for Mary. She deserves it. Her life changed so much because of my existence. This little girl should enjoy being away from all kinds of danger, you know? The least I could do is get her a bunny and a doll.”
Something in my chest clenches.
I look at him, at the way his expression is unreadable yet somehow full of something I can’t name.
And for the first time, I feel myself soften toward him—truly soften.
I don’t know what to say. Thank you doesn’t feel like enough. So instead, I smile. A small, genuine, grateful smile.
And when his eyes flicker to my lips, I realize just how close we are.
The air shifts. The world outside of us fades. For a second, I think—this is it. This is the moment.
Would it be wrong if I let it happen? Just this once? Will he let it happen?
But then suddenly, Victoria and the kids start walking toward us. Daniel clears his throat. I step back.
We act like nothing happened. Again.
And it frustrates me so much that I already know— In the next moment alone with him, I will get an answer.
I need to know what he thinks about us. Fuck, I don’t care if he’s worried about our worlds colliding.
I’m in too deep. And he knows so well. He just… He just has to give in to me.