by L. D. Davis
While Massimo’s good looks remained, other things had changed in the past few years. For one, not only did he become a grandfather for the second time after Roberto added to his family, he became a father for the seventh time. He and Tessa had another baby only a few months after we had Rocco and Luna. This time they had a little girl called Ava. Also, Massimo who was not used to being idle decided to open an American branch of Mangini Alessandri, the real estate investment firm he was part owner of in Italy. With that decision made, it appeared his family’s stay in the states was going to be permanent, regardless of his health. Already, several of the firm’s employees relocated to the Philadelphia area to get the business off the ground and to train more people.
Someone else added to their family as well. Lily and Kyle had another baby last year, and they named him Kayden. Again, my sister had some issues during the pregnancy and the birth, but she and the baby came out of it all fine in the end. They also moved out of their sprawling penthouse in the city and into the suburbs in New Jersey, not far from my brother-in-law. They were also now much closer to Lily’s diner. Their new home was in Hope Meadows. In fact, Lily and Kyle had been one of the first buyers.
Sofia did what I’d hoped and was living her life. Last year she moved to the apartment in Manhattan when she started at Barnard for her bachelor’s degree. Marco and Massimo had a hard time letting her go off to the big city on her own. They liked to drop in on her without notice to see if there were any guys there, and daily check-ins were a must. Eventually, hopefully, they would let the poor girl breathe. I already felt bad for our daughters, and Cora hadn’t even reached middle school yet.
As for the good doctor and Celeste, they did everything fast. They got engaged at my wedding reception, something Marco and I had helped Adam orchestrate. They married only two months after that. Six months later they started to take in teenage foster children, which was extremely commendable. Kids in that age group were often overlooked and left behind. Two of the boys they’d first taken in were about to officially be theirs. The adoption date was a month away. I’d known before they had the capacity to be kind and generous, but it takes a special brand of person to invite children who are often troubled into their home. Adam and Celeste not only cared for the boys’ health and material needs, but they loved them unconditionally. As proud as I was of Marco for his accomplishments, I was just as proud of my friends for having such enormous, compassionate hearts.
With a content sigh, I picked up the tablet, pressed a button, and spoke into the mic. “Rocco and Luna Ro! Get your butts in bed. Now.”
Luna scrambled to her bed and slammed her eyes shut like I wouldn’t notice that she hadn’t been asleep all along. Rocco defiantly gazed up at the camera, still swinging the stuffed Minion doll by the arm.
“Rocco,” I said in warning.
He dropped the doll, but took his time getting into bed.
“That boy is a handful,” Marco commented.
He put our plates on the table and cracked open two more beers for us. I smiled down at the steak, made just the way I liked it, and the grilled vegetables. I loved when he cooked for me.
We ate with quiet chatter and laughter, and only had to tell the twins to go to bed once more before they fell asleep. We always tried to make time for each other, but sometimes it didn’t happen. Often, he got home from work just in time to help put the kids to bed, and then we spent more time cleaning up and discussing the necessary things. By the time we got into our bed we were usually exhausted and one or both of us fell right to sleep. It was nothing to complain about, though. We loved our family, loved everything we did for them, and loved each other. Usually that was just enough to make everything okay.
Admittedly, sometimes it wasn’t okay. Sometimes, he came home cranky. Sometimes long days at home with the kids made me cranky, and honestly, sometimes my own insecurities got in the way like they had before. Stupid arguments sprouted up on those occasions, and sometimes we went to bed angry, but it didn’t mean we didn’t want to be together. Those stressful moments didn’t make us want this life we built together any less. Every day, no matter how bad the day itself was, we were stronger than the day before.
After I checked on the kids through the nanny cams, we sat on a couch in front of the firepit. Hesitantly, I reached into my back pocket and pulled out a worn, folded piece of paper.
“What is that?” Marco eyes narrowed as if he might recognize it, but didn’t know from where.
I scooted close to him, into the shelter of his body. “A few days ago, I found this in a box of things from Ohio.”
He gave me a dubious look. “You still have unpacked boxes from four years ago?”
I poked his chest. “That isn’t the point. Shut up and listen.”
He held up a hand. “Okay, okay. I am listening.”
“Remember the list? The list I made soon after we met?”
With a dry smirk, he asked, “Am I allowed to speak now?”
“Don’t be a dick, Mangasshole.”
“Mangini.”
“Whatever,” I snapped. “Do you remember the list or not?”
“You know that is your last name, too. If I am Mangasshole, so are you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Forget it.”
I tried to get up, but with one arm around my waist, he easily kept me right by his side. He leaned in, nuzzled my neck through a curtain of my hair. “I like when your claws are out, and yes. I remember the list. Your list of reasons for not wanting to date me.”
I sighed and accepted his light kiss before continuing. “This list seemed so important at the time. It seemed important later, too, after everything that happened in Italy with Celia. After I moved here, I didn’t take it out again, and maybe I didn’t think about it directly, but it was still in here.” I tapped the side of my head. “I still had a running list of reasons why I shouldn’t be with you.”
“Do you want to open it and read it?” he asked tentatively.
I stared at the paper for what seemed like years. It had been an unfair list, one that really had nothing to do with Marco and everything to do with Gavin and our marriage. Most of the problems that had occurred in my relationship with Marco early on were because of my fears and undeserved comparisons. I’d had negative feelings toward my deceased husband, but I had also punished myself for a myriad of reasons. I’d been in a very dark place then, very dark. Only now, in the light with that time far behind me, was I able to see just how shadowed that period was for me, how close I’d been to the abyss.
“I don’t know if I would’ve made it through if you hadn’t come into my life then,” I whispered, meeting his eyes. “I don’t know if I would’ve made it.”
He lightly touched my cheek with his fingertips. “You were stronger than you think. You were always stronger than you think.”
“I’m strong now, because of you.”
“No, Tesoro. You are strong now, because of you. I’ve just been along for the ride.”
I laughed suddenly, tears in my eyes. “I hated you so much when I first saw you step on that plane.”
His smile was warm. “You only hated me because you wanted me.”
I swiped at a few tears and laughed again. “Man. Sometimes it feels like yesterday that we met, and sometimes it feels like it was another lifetime ago.”
Clutching the paper in my hand, I stood up and did something I should’ve done years ago. I dropped the list into the fire. I didn’t even bother to watch it burn before reaching for Marco, my fingers extended.
“Let’s go to bed.”
He got up, stood close to me. It was amazing that after all this time he could still take my breath away just by being near.
His hand came up, pushed my hair off my cheek, tucked it behind my ear, and his fingers trailed down my neck. “I love you, Lydia Mangini.”
“I love you back, Marco Mangini.”
He kissed me, softly, lovingly.
I. Was. Enchanted.
Ha
nd in hand, we walked up our storybook brick lane, into our beautiful fortress of wood and glass, and we lived…happily ever after.
The End
