Page 65 of Marcus

Yeah.

He knew what he said, now.

“I certainly hope so, Cella.”

There.

It was out there.

No taking it back.

Cella wet her lips and glanced up at the lights above the elevator illuminating floor levels that said they were almost to the penthouse. “Me too, Marcus.”

Shifting the girl on his shoulder so that her little head tucked into his neck better for cushion, Marcus added, “And tomorrow, Ma is having all the grandkids over. She’s planned this for two months, making sure everybody and their brood could come and have a summer party. It’s not often she gets all of them together like that. I thought Tiffany would have a lot of fun, and you, too, with the rest of us.”

“Was that the second surprise?”

“I mean, I couldn’t tell my mother no because you were coming, and I wasn’t willing to tell you not to come this weekend because she had something planned. Tiffany will have fun with all the kids, and I know my mother will be very happy to see you there with me. My brothers will certainly drive me up the wall because at least one of them has a big mouth, and he knows something is happening here with you and me—Chris, that is. My father will be there to keep everyone in line, as he usually does. A pretty typical Guzzi gathering. I figured it just worked.”

Cella laughed. “It definitely works, Marcus.”

The elevator jerked before finally coming to a stop at the top floor. Doors slid open to welcome them into the penthouse, which already looked far different from how it used to. Even the entry hallway with its high, vaulted ceiling was bare of furniture, photographs, and the other artwork that had given it life, even if it was an old life.

A lot of the items that had filled the penthouse before were already removed. He’d been here when the team of movers Cella had hired were first granted access to the place to begin the process of taking out the old to get it ready for the new. A lot of it went into storage for his parents to decide what to do with after the surprise was finally revealed. Some of it, like cabinetry and appliances, had already been given the okay from his father to be sold or donated as they wouldn’t need it for anything.

“You go do what you’re going to do,” he told her as they stepped into the penthouse, “envision, or whatever else, and I’ll find a place for this one to lay down.”

Cella nodded, standing up on her tiptoes in her ballet flats to press a kiss to the back of her daughter’s head. Just as fast, she gave Marcus a quick kiss, too.

“Some of the furniture for the living room was already delivered, right?”

“All under plastic until your team comes in to do their thing.”

“Perfect,” she said, “then just put her there.”

“That was the plan. Now, go work.”

She did.

Marcus watched her go.

Marcus carefully pulled the plastic wrap away from the cream-colored leather piece of the sectional that would undoubtedly take up a good portion of the living room area in the penthouse once it was all put together properly. The damn thing was huge. It came in six pieces. How Cella managed to find something that big, he didn’t know.

It was a good choice, though.

It would comfortably sit fifteen or more people, and considering how big his family was when they all got together and they all used this penthouse frequently when one of his brothers from out of the country came to visit, it would work well for their needs. The leather, which as far as he knew was going to be treated once the couch was ready to be set up, would take a beating from the kids and many people that would use it. Stains wouldn’t be a worry when any liquids would roll right off it, and the light color scheme matched the white walls Cella decided to keep in the space to go along with the large floor-to-ceiling windows that allowed in all the light.

And right now, the piece of the couch served his purpose of finding somewhere comfortable and safe for Tiffany to sleep. Once the plastic was discarded to the floor, he slowly laid the still-snoring girl to the couch, cautious about not making too much movement or noise lest he wake her up. It had been a long day for her going from one thing to another in the city, never complaining but always wide-eyed and ready to have more fun with whatever Marcus had planned for her.

Shrugging off the blazer he’d brought along for the day just in case, he used it to cover Tiffany while she shifted on the couch to find a better sleeping position she liked. Which apparently just happened to be on her stomach, face turned into the back of the couch, with her hands under her head to act as a pillow. He wasn’t sure if that was entirely comfortable, but another thing he’d learned from all the kids in his family was that children could sleep literally anywhere if they were tired enough, and not be any worse for wear because of it.

Once he was sure Tiffany would stay sleeping, he set his phone down on the floor, turning the playlist on with the volume down to low to play through the songs she had seemed to like in the car earlier. At least then, with the place so empty, the echoes of her mother working or their conversations wouldn’t wake her up, either.

Marcus went in search of Cella.

He found her in what used to be the master bedroom.

Leaning in the doorway, he admired the new hardwood floors that were far deeper brown with a tone of golden honey throughout the grain. He hadn’t seen it since the workers came in to install it, but he liked it.