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“What’s this?” Luca says, coming to sit next to me on the loveseat. He holds up an Italian language book with a note peeking out of the top. I’d left it for him on his desk.
“You should read it and find out.”
He leans in and kisses me. Then he plucks the note out of the book and opens it. His gaze immediately swings to me. “Is this… does this…?”
I look at the paper. “Ciao, Papi.”
“Aria.” His breath hitches as he presses his palm to my cheek. “Dimmi.” Tell me.
“It means ‘hello, Daddy.’” My head bobs up and down to confirm it means what he thinks it does. “It means you’re going to be a daddy.”
“Oh, Dio.” He tugs me in, holding me so tightly I don’t think he’ll ever let go. That’s fine with me. In Luca’s arms is the only place I want to be.
His hand slides down over my belly. “It happened fast.”
I laugh. It’s true. We decided only a few weeks ago to start our family. “It’s all that potent sperm you have.”
His cheeks blush. “My fertile wife.” He kisses me softly. “Mio Angelo.” My angel. It’s one of the many pet names he has for me. All of them tell me how much he loves and cherishes me. Sometimes, I’m surprised at how unsure I was when I first came to him. But now I understand that it was about me and needing to find my footing.
Now, I have no doubts. No matter the challenges, we are one heart. One soul. Forever and ever.
EPILOGUE II
Luca – Two Years Later
I sit on the floor of Niko and Elena’s Long Island mansion at the base of a Christmas tree watching my son, Teodoro, or Teddy, as Aria likes to call him. He’s about to turn one in January. I can’t believe how big he’s grown in the last twelve months. To see him emerge so tiny and delicate from Aria’s body, it was like a miracle. Even now, I find it hard to believe that a man like me could be allowed to witness such beauty.
Today, he’s twenty-three pounds of sturdy boy. The kid is walking, falling, bumping, rolling into everything. He’s the delight of my life. Right there with Aria. She’s sitting on the couch watching me and Teddy. I wink at her and wonder if it’s too soon to pitch a second child.
“What is it about kids that they like the packaging more than the toy?” Lucia ponders as she watches her two-year-old son, Giuseppe, kick balled up wrapping paper around the room with the help of his father, Donovan.
“I like toys.” Niccola, Niko and Elena’s three-year-old son, is pushing a car around the room. His sister, Angelica, is sitting in Niko’s lap as they look at a picture book.
Three years ago, if someone had said I’d be in this place, with these people, with a wife and son, I’d have called them pazzo, crazy. Yet here I am, and I’m so fucking glad to be here.
We arrived two days ago and have been staying at a penthouse we bought last year for when we come to visit, or when Aria wants to shop and see her friends on a whim. We’ll stay through New Years and get home by January sixth to celebrate Epifania. In Italy, our Christmas season starts December eighth and runs through January sixth, something Aria was pretty excited to learn about.
A knock sounds on Niko’s door, and Liam and Kate enter.
Their two-year-old girl squirms to get out of Liam’s arms. “Play!”
Liam sets her down with a laugh. It’s still a shock to me when he cracks a smile. I didn’t know him well before, but when I had the opportunity to be around him when Lucia was battling her father, he always seemed so grim and serious. Aria tells me that’s what the love of a good woman can do for a man. It makes me think of my father and his belief that a good woman is a man’s source of power. I suppose Liam proves that. Aria proves it with me.
“Dinner is ready,” Elena calls to all of us.
Aria shows up too from helping Elena and takes Teddy. As I follow them, Niko steps up beside me.
“Just thought you’d want to know, that import is all set.”
I nod. “Good.”
“No business,” Aria and Elena say in sync. But Aria is smiling. She’s happy that Niko and I don’t just have a truce, but we’re now in business together.
Moments later, we’re around a large table. Eight adults and five children. It’s noisy, but in a good way, filled with laughter and joy.
Growing up, my family was close, but my mother died when I was young, and much of the life in the villa died with her. Aria has brought that back to me. Now I have a large family. My business is thriving. My enemies are subdued at the moment. I attribute all of it to Aria, who saved me from a life without love and laughter. She's my angel.
Later that night, Teddy is in bed, and Aria and I are exhausted in the happy way that holidays bring.
