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I sat up and read the bottle. Then I read it again.
And again.
I looked over at the blueberry muffin Eve and Dani had brought in an hour ago. Dani had been so proud of what she’d made with her auntie.
My eyes filled up with tears, knowing that I should have been doing that with her instead of Eve.
I picked the muffin up and started slowly eating it. I had to have something in my stomach for the pain pills I was going to take.
Yeah.
I was going to take them. The doctor was right. I wouldn’t get better by laying in bed all day in pain.
Even if that was what I felt like doing.
So, I ate the muffin.
And took my pain pill.
And then I slid back down into bed and went right to sleep.
8
Carlo
“She’s definitely getting better. I can tell,” Eve announced at the breakfast table. It was a happening place. With Nick and Eve’s three kids. And Dani. And Marcello in my arms.
Eve rarely sat down, but Nick and I did. Until someone spilled something. Or someone threw something onto the floor. Which happened a lot.
“I do see a change. Most definitely. But she did call me a butthead yesterday when I offered to carry her into the bathroom for a shower,” Nick informed us.
Eve and I laughed. Then Dani joined in, saying, “Butthead! Theo, can you say butthead?”
And just like that, Theo repeated after Dani. That little boy loved her so much.
“She is pretty ripe,” Eve stated the truth. “I’ve brought in loads of cute soaps and shampoos. Even some really fancy hair products. But she never shows any interest.”
Bathing wasn’t exactly one of Giselle’s strong suits at this moment in time. And I didn’t give a fuck.
As long as she was alive and breathing in my bed—a shower could wait.
“Anyway, I’m going into the office today. What are the rest of you doing?” Nick asked as he bit into his bagel.
I nodded and picked up my coffee cup with my free hand. “I’m going to pick up a new p-l-a-y-h-o-u-s-e from the lumber store,” I spelled out the word playhouse so Dani wouldn’t get excited. I wasn’t sure if they still had them in stock, and I didn’t want to disappoint her. But Eve said she was at the perfect age for one. And I had all the time in the world right now to build it.
“Oh, that’s awesome.” Eve gave me a big smile. “I’ll be home with these turkeys. Mafalda will be here soon, though, to help. Thank goodness, or we might never get anything done.”
I nodded and finished off my coffee. “I can stay home until Mafalda arrives, if you want?” The housekeeper/child helper was coming in fairly regularly. But I left it up to Eve’s discretion as to when Mafalda was here. Eve was the one who was running things with the kids. And I trusted her expertise with all of this.
Eve shook her head and frowned. “No, no. You better go early before the traffic starts up.”
I stood up and strode over to her. I handed off Marcello, and then I leaned down—and almost kissed her.
I straightened up and touched her arm instead. “Thank you. He just ate an hour ago. But you never know with this guy. He might want another bottle soon.”
She giggled and nodded. “Oh, I know. If he’s going to be as big as his daddy, he’ll need to eat.”
I leaned down and kissed my sleeping son’s cheek. “As long as he’s got his mother’s brains, he’ll be fine.” I straightened up and watched Eve laugh.
