Page 6 of Forever: The Companion

THREE

“Thanks,” Lucia told the cab driver.

He handed her card back over with a nod. “Have a good evening, ma’am.”

“You, too.”

Stepping out of the vehicle into the quiet Brooklyn street, Lucia didn’t take much time to admire the sight of her home or the relief at the fact she was finally here after a very long day. Instead, she headed past the gate that led up to the brownstone’s steps, already pulling out her keys and readying to unlock the door.

She didn’t need the keys, though.

The door was unlocked.

That might have made her pause, but when she pushed open the door, the thing she hadn’t been expecting to greet her was the noise. Well, it didn’t so much greet her as it just filled the space entirely.

Music blasting from the surround sound system. Something that sounded like a game being played accompanied the tunes. Laughter—masculine—followed the noise from two distinct people, both of which she recognized. They made her smile grow larger as she kicked off her shoes and discarded her coat to a waiting hook before heading farther into the place.

She swore every light between the entrance and down to the living room had been turned on, when she was positive she had turned them off before leaving that morning. It had become a habit. She had to do her own part to save the environment and whatnot.

On another day, this much noise in her house wouldn’t be unusual. When Renzo was home, he always had to be doing something. Rarely did he sit back and relax. Typically, he liked to have everything on while he did it, too—music, the TV or whatever. Sometimes, he had a person or two over just because he enjoyed the company. More often than not, it was his little brother.

The only time she could quiet that man and his mind was at night. When it was just the two of them together in bed, or the bath … alone. That’s when he settled, and she loved being one of the few things that could bring him back down to earth. She gave him peace, and he reminded her of exactly why she loved her life.

Because he was in it.

She passed by a familiar bookbag in the hallway, the contents, which included a textbook and a tablet, slightly spilling to the floor where its owner left it to stay. She didn’t even care that it made a mess because that bookbag meant one thing and one thing only.

Diego was here.

Which meant so was Renzo.

She was right, too.

Lucia leaned in the entryway to the living room, smiling at the sight that waited for her there. Renzo threw his hands wide, his back turned to her as his character on the screen from the game he currently played with his fourteen-year-old brother, Diego, was blown sky-high from whatever weapon the teenager used on him.

Diego took his moment to shine, doing a little victory dance on the spot while at the same time, mocking his brother. Renzo, on the other hand, wasn’t a sore loser, and she swore he only kept the damn game system around just because Diego loved it so much. Because while he was good at it, he also didn’t get nearly enough time to play and enjoy it the way he wanted.

“Ha! Told you, Ren. You suck.”

“I do not. It’s just … been a fucking while, yeah? Don’t get cocky. We’re going another round.”

The two brothers continued their teasing, and Lucia stayed back to watch them, happy in her spot. They wouldn’t mind a bit if she joined them, but she figured they needed at least a couple of more minutes without her in the middle, not that either of them ever complained about her presence.

Yeah, she would definitely have liked to have the night alone with Renzo, seeing as how she figured that he wouldn’t be getting back until at least tomorrow, but at the same time … well, she never minded having to share his time and attention.

At least, not with Diego.

Ren had priorities.

They became hers, too.

That was love.

And life.

Their life, anyway.

Besides, she loved Diego more than she could explain. It had been a privilege for her to watch the boy grow into a young man these past few years. Not to mention, being able to see Renzo help Diego become who he was just starting to be.