With a groan, he turned back to us. “Will you watch Greta while I try to scrub this PIA clean?”
“No!” Nevio exclaimed, struggling.
Savio grinned down at him. “Yeah, you heard me right. Bath time. I know how much you love a good scrub.”
Nevio began screaming.
Savio looked at me. “How about you say it was your fault?”
I raised my eyebrows. “I won’t have you blame me for this.”
“Come on, Kiara, nobody will be mad at the pregnant lady.”
“If I were you, I’d start scrubbing soon. Remo and Serafina will be back from their date in approximately two hours. I have a feeling this will take time,” Nino drawled, inspecting Greta’s painted arm.
Savio disappeared with Nevio under his arm.
Nino lifted Alessio up and set him down between Greta and himself. She held out her stuffed toy to Alessio who grabbed it and clutched it to his chest then lifted it to his mouth and gnawed on the bunny’s ear. Nino caressed Greta’s head.
“I can’t believe there’ll be four children in this house soon, that we’ll have two boys. A year ago I didn’t think we’d have a baby any time soon.”
Nino’s eyes met mine. “You deserve happiness, and that’s what you’ll get.”
“So, do you.”
Three days later, I gave birth to Massimo in a guest room of our mansion with Serafina’s and Nino’s help, the homebirth I’d always dreamed of.
All pain was forgotten as I marveled at the little boy on my chest, at his crumpled face. He was a big baby with brown eyes and dark brown hair.
Serafina kissed my cheek. “He’s beautiful, Kiara.” She was covered in sweat and blood, but was smiling. Nino stood beside the bed, watching the doula who’d supported us, only ever so often glancing my and Massimo’s way.
“Why don’t you try if he latches on?” Serafina asked.
Massimo was already squirming toward my breast and making small sucking motions. Serafina helped me and after a few tries, he finally latched on.
The doula left fifteen minutes later and shortly after Serafina did too. Nino bent over me, kissing my forehead. “You are so strong, Kiara.”
I raised my gaze from Massimo and smiled at Nino. He gently covered Massimo’s back with his palm.
“I’d always condemned people who accepted their fear, who didn’t fight it. I’d never understood the concept of fear, not its full potential. It had been an abstract concept for me for most of my life, and in the beginning when I started to feel things because of you, I hoped fear wouldn’t be among them. But then last year and today again, I felt it, fear of losing you.”
“You didn’t and you won’t,” I said. “Alessio, Massimo and I, we’ll never leave you.”
Nino stroked my hair away from my sweaty forehead. “I know. I’ve come to appreciate the fear because it showed me what’s at stake, what I won’t lose, won’t allow anyone to destroy.” His eyes were full of cold determination and the promise of violence. “Remo and I have more to lose now than in the past, and nothing worth having comes without a price, without a fight. And we’re willing to fight, to give our blood and spill that of our enemies. For a while we became content in what we’ve accomplished, and came to think we’re invincible, but we’re not. Not yet, but we will be. You and our sons will always be safe no matter the price.”
“Kiss me,” I whispered, and he did, softly but full of intention.
“I’ll get Alessio so he can meet his brother,” Nino murmured after a moment.
He straightened and with a last lingering look at Massimo and me, he left. I caressed my son’s back as he tried to drink. Nino returned with Alessio propped up in the crook of one arm and perched on the edge of the bed.
“This is your brother, Alessio,” Nino said, pointing at Massimo as he lowered Alessio to the bed.
Alessio watched with big curious eyes.
I lifted my arm and ran a finger over his cheek. “You’re a big brother now.”
My eyes caught the rose tattoo on my wrist. “You’ll have to add their names.” I touched Nino’s forearm where our sons’ names were already inked into his skin. “Your faith gave me strength.”
When I’d tried to talk him out of getting a tattoo of Massimo’s name before I gave birth, he’d insisted that nothing would happen to either of us, that he wouldn’t allow it, and I believed him.
Nino shook his head as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “Not faith, brutal determination. I won’t ever put your or their lives’ in fate’s hands. I will bent fate to my will, like Remo and I have always done.”
“I love you.”
“And I love you.”
Alessio reached for Massimo and Nino showed him how to carefully pat his brother’s back. I shook my head, still unable to believe this was reality.