Chapter 43 #5
Then Dantae spotted me and shouted, “DAD!” and every head in the room turned toward me. I straightened immediately, caught red-handed, and smiled at my boy. "Why are you all still awake?" I asked as I stepped into the room.
Michel immediately pointed dramatically at AJ. "Because he said bedtime is a social construct." AJ didn't even flinch. "Still true."
Gianna looked up at me with that soft smile that always managed to undo me. "Come sit with us," she said, patting the space beside her. I crossed the room and sat down, pulling her closer automatically. She settled against me like it was the most natural thing in the world. Because it was.
Kalani squinted at me from her upside-down position. “Are you smiling?” “No.” “You are,” Kaia said. “It’s weird. Stop.” Damien smirked from the floor. “He only smiles when Mom’s near.” I gave him a look. “I can revoke your gaming privileges.” He shrugged, completely unfazed. “Worth it.”
Alessandra leaned her head against her mom's shoulder. "We were picking a movie. But Michel keeps choosing stuff that looks like it was filmed in 2004."
"It's called CLASSIC!" Michel yelled, and AJ immediately corrected him, saying, "It's called old.
" I looked over at Michel, pretending to consider the argument before telling him, "Your taste in movies concerns me.
" He gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his heart as he protested, "Dad!
You let me watch that one movie with all the explosions!
" I simply replied, "Yes, because explosions are timeless," in a matter-of-fact tone.
Dantae suddenly climbed over the back of the couch and dropped onto the cushion beside me. "Daddy?"
I looked down at him. He stared at me with the serious expression of a child about to ask the most important question in the world. "Who would win in a fight? You or ten ninjas?".
"Ten ninjas," I answered immediately, and everyone froze. AJ blinked. "You just... admitted that?" I said flatly, "I am not fighting ten ninjas. That's poor strategy." Gianna laughed softly into my shoulder.
Kalani pointed at me and said, “He’s getting soft,” to which I immediately corrected, “I am getting smart,” but Kaia just grinned and replied, “Same thing.” Rafaele walked in then, hobbling slightly as he leaned against the nearest couch and asked, “What’d I miss?
” Damien answered without hesitation, “Dad lost to ninjas,” and Rafaele simply nodded and said, “Smart man.” Traitors. All of them.
Callie stumbled into the room, rubbing her sleepy eyes. "Daddy..." I leaned forward and picked her up, settling her against my chest. She curled into me instantly. "You were supposed to be asleep," I murmured.
“I had a dream,” she mumbled, and I looked down at her, brushing a hand lightly over her back.
“What about?” I asked. She yawned against my chest, her voice muffled as she answered, “You were big… like a giant.” Michel nodded seriously like it was the most factual thing in the world.
“Accurate.” AJ smirked beside us. “Yeah. Terrifying.”
I looked around at them, my loud, ridiculous, fearless children and for a moment I didn’t say anything, just looked at them, every single one of them.
After everything we’d been through, every threat, every close call, every sleepless night, they were here, safe, together, and somehow that meant more to me than any victory ever could.
"You know," I said, my voice quieter now, "there's nowhere I'd rather be than right here." They all went suspiciously quiet. Michel squinted at me. "Are you dying?" "Michel!" Gianna elbowed him. "What?!" he protested. "That sounded like a dying speech!"
I huffed out a laugh, shaking my head. "I'm not dying. I'm appreciating my family."
"Gross," Kalani muttered. But Alessandra reached over and squeezed my hand, AJ gave me a small nod, Damien leaned back against my leg like it was nothing, and Gianna tilted her face up toward mine, that soft smile appearing on her lips. “Movie night?” she asked.
I looked around at the mess of blankets, kids, snacks, controllers, and enough noise to give a normal man a headache, then sighed dramatically and said, “Fine. But I pick.” Immediate chaos erupted around me “NO! Absolutely not!", "Last time you picked a documentary!"
"It was about war tactics!" I countered back with a scoff at my ridiculous children, trying and failing to hide my smile. "BORING!" Damien shoots back.
I leaned back, Callie asleep on my chest, Gianna warm against my side, my children arguing over me like I wasn't the most feared man in three countries. And for once... I let them win.
I snuggled Callie closer to my chest, kissing her forehead.
I drape my other free arm around Dantae next to me pulling him close as he curls up like a cat with his head on my chest. ""Ti voglio bene, piccolo mio.
" (I love you, my baby boy) I whisper down to him.
"Ti voglio bene, papà." (Love you dad) He whispers back before turning his attention back to the movie starting to play.
Tomorrow will have it's own problems and anxieties, right now this is all that mattered.