The rest of the day goes by like a blur. There’s pizza and popcorn and movies. It’s almost a little bit frightening how much candy the kids are able to consume. They play video games and eat cake, but the most important event of all is when Felicia sits down with all her friends to rip into all of her presents.
New Barbie dolls, a friendship bracelet making kit, art supplies complete with glitter crayons. Our home suddenly feels like a messy aisle at Toys “R” US. One of the boys Felicia has a crush on—which she made me swear never to tell another living being—gifts her with a cute necklace decked out in fake diamond crystals. It’s safe to say she feels every bit a principessa when she puts it on.
All in all, it’s a wonderful day full of laughter and smiles and only one spilled soda on the couch. Before I know it, the party’s over with parents showing up to retrieve their kids. Felicia is so tuckered out from all the fun she’s had that she willingly brushes her teeth and goes to bed.
“Did you have a good day, sweetie?” I ask her as Dominic tucks her in.
She nods, yawning widely. “Yes. Lots of fun.”
My husband kisses her forehead. “Good night, birthday girl. I love you.”
“Love you, too,” she mumbles, already drifting off.
Dominic and I say our goodbyes to Lana and Isabella at the door, promising to get together in the next few weeks for a big family dinner. We take care of Tomasso next, Dominic changing his diaper while I pick out his jammies for the night. He sleeps soundly in his crib, space-themed mobile turning slowly overhead.
It’s then, and only then, that my husband and I have a moment to ourselves. He kisses me in the hall the way he always does, breathing me in slowly and passionately as his fingers comb through my hair.
“You know,” he mumbles against my lips. “My birthday is in a couple of months.”
“Is this a hint that I should start thinking about what present to give you?”
“I think you already know what I want.”
I hum contently, pressing my hands against his chest. “I have a vague idea, but you should probably tell me. Just in case.”
He nibbles on my earlobe, his breath hot against the crook of my neck. “You. In my bed. Dressed in something silky.”
“Preferably easy to remove, right?”
“Always.”
“You know,” I say, tracing my fingers down the back of his neck. “You’ve been an amazing husband lately.”
He frowns. “Only lately?”
“I think you deserve your birthday present early.”
“Now that’s more like it—”
We’re interrupted by the sound of Tomasso’s soft cries over the baby monitor in my hand. Dominic and I are quick to re-enter the nursery to check on him. Dominic picks him up, rocking him gently to soothe his wailing.
“What’s wrong, little man? Bad dream?”
“Da…” Tomasso babbles. “Dada.”
I bring a hand up to my face and cover my smile, practically melting at the sight of Dominic and our son together. My husband holds our boy close, the look on his face absolutely precious. My heart has never been so full.
“That’s my boy.”
Epilogue
Dominic
“Now, for tonight’s story. The NYPD has stated that this is the biggest arrest in all the city’s history,” the news anchor informs flatly, staring into the camera like she’s trying to burrow into my very soul. “Arrests of several high-ranking members of the Russian, Irish, and Italian Mafias took place last night in what can only be described as a well-executed sting operation that took years of careful planning.”
It’s late, nothing but the moonlight and the flicker of the TV screen illuminating the room. I’m seated on the couch, a whiskey in hand, as I watch with mild interest. It’s been many years since I left the mob behind, but news like this can’t go ignored.
Shaky video shows uniformed officers escorting entire groups of handcuffed men. I recognize a few of them, but the majority of the big players are unknown to me. Sometimes I’m curious where everyone wound up. Old associates and colleagues… I wonder if any of them made it out like I did.