The Moretti household was unusually quiet for a weekday morning. Isla had her hands full at home with Amara, who had the day off from school, so Dante had offered-perhaps unwisely-to take little Leo with him to the office.
“Are you sure you can handle him, Dante?” Isla asked, holding Leo as she packed his diaper bag.
Dante smirked confidently, slipping his suit jacket on. “Amore, I run a multi-million-dollar empire. How hard can it be to handle a baby for a few hours?”
Isla raised a brow, clearly unconvinced. “Leo isn’t a meeting you can negotiate your way through. He’s unpredictable.”
Dante leaned down, kissing her softly. “Relax. We’ll be fine.” He took Leo from her arms, the little boy grabbing onto his tie with an excited giggle.
“Good luck,” Isla said with a knowing smile, waving them off.
Entering the Office
Dante carried Leo into the sleek, modern office building, attracting amused stares from his employees. It wasn’t every day their intimidating boss arrived with a baby in tow.
“Good morning, Mr. Moretti,” his assistant, Clara, greeted him with a surprised smile. Her eyes darted to the baby in his arms. “And… good morning to you, little one.”
“This is Leo,” Dante said, adjusting his son in his arms as Leo babbled happily. “He’s my assistant for the day.”
Clara chuckled. “I’m sure he’ll keep things interesting.”
“Oh, he will,” Dante muttered under his breath, already feeling Leo tugging on his tie again.
Once they reached Dante’s office, he set Leo on the plush carpet and handed him a toy from the diaper bag. “Alright, piccolo, stay here while Papa works.”
For a while, it seemed to work. Leo played contentedly with his toy while Dante answered emails and made a few calls. Every so often, he’d glance down to see Leo smiling up at him, his chubby hands reaching for the desk.
The Trouble Begins
Things took a turn when Leo decided he was bored of his toy. With surprising speed for a baby, he crawled toward Dante’s desk, pulling himself up on unsteady legs.
“Leo, no,” Dante said, gently moving him back to the play mat.
But Leo was determined. He crawled back to the desk, this time grabbing a stack of papers and sending them flying to the floor.
“Leo!” Dante exclaimed, scooping him up. “You’re not supposed to help with Papa’s work like this.”
Leo giggled, clearly finding the chaos amusing.
Clara knocked on the door and entered, holding a coffee for Dante. She froze when she saw the mess on the floor. “Should I… come back later?”
“No, it’s fine,” Dante said, trying to juggle Leo and pick up the papers. “Leo’s just showing me who’s boss today.”
Clara smiled. “Do you need me to take him for a bit?”
Dante shook his head. “I’ve got it. But thank you.”
As Clara left, Leo started babbling loudly, his tiny fists pounding on Dante’s chest as if trying to make a point.
“What are you trying to say, huh?” Dante asked, bouncing him lightly. “That Papa works too much?”
Lunch Break Adventures
By lunchtime, Dante was exhausted. He decided to take Leo to the cafeteria, hoping a change of scenery would calm him down.
As they walked in, employees greeted them with smiles and waves. Leo, always the charmer, responded with giggles and excited babbles.
“Your son’s adorable, Mr. Moretti,” one of the employees said.
“Thank you,” Dante replied, balancing Leo on one arm while grabbing a sandwich with the other.
He found a quiet corner to sit and tried feeding Leo some mashed banana Isla had packed. But Leo had other plans.
“No, Leo, don’t-” Dante started, but it was too late. Leo smacked the spoon, sending banana flying onto Dante’s suit.
The baby’s laughter echoed through the cafeteria, and Dante could only sigh, wiping his jacket with a napkin. “You’re lucky you’re cute,” he muttered.
Naptime Struggles
Back in his office, Dante tried to get Leo to nap. He dimmed the lights, rocked him gently, and even hummed a lullaby. But Leo was wide awake, his tiny hands reaching for Dante’s face.
“Come on, piccolo,” Dante pleaded. “Papa needs you to sleep.”
Leo responded by grabbing Dante’s nose and giggling.
Defeated, Dante placed Leo back on the play mat and sat down at his desk. But every time he tried to focus on work, Leo found a new way to distract him-crawling under the desk, pulling on the curtains, or banging his toy against the floor.
At one point, Dante caught Leo chewing on one of his expensive leather shoes.
“Leo! No!” he said, quickly taking the shoe away.
Leo pouted, his bottom lip trembling as if he were about to cry.
“Alright, alright,” Dante said, picking him up. “No tears, piccolo. You win.”
The Grand Finale
By late afternoon, Dante was a shadow of his usual composed self. His tie was askew, his hair slightly disheveled, and his energy completely drained.
Clara knocked on the door, peeking in. “How’s it going, sir?”
Dante looked at her with tired eyes. “Let’s just say I have a newfound appreciation for Isla.”
Clara laughed softly. “Parenting is a full-time job, isn’t it?”
“It’s more than that,” Dante said, glancing down at Leo, who was now fast asleep in his arms. “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
As he gathered his things to head home, Dante looked at his sleeping son and smiled.
“You gave me a run for my money today, piccolo,” he whispered, kissing Leo’s forehead. “But I’ll always keep up with you.”
When Dante finally walked through the front door of their home, Isla greeted him with a knowing smile.
“How was your day?” she asked, taking Leo from his arms.
Dante collapsed onto the couch with a groan. “Let’s just say Leo should get a promotion. He’s already better at exhausting me than any business deal.”
Isla laughed, sitting beside him with Leo in her arms. “I warned you.”
“You did,” Dante admitted, pulling her close. “But seeing him laugh, watching him explore the world-it made every moment worth it.”
Isla leaned her head against his shoulder, smiling softly. “You’re a great father, Dante.”
“And you’re an incredible mother,” he replied, wrapping an arm around her. “But next time, we’re taking turns with these little troublemakers.”
Isla chuckled. “Deal.”
As they sat together, watching their son sleep peacefully, Dante felt a deep sense of gratitude. His family was his greatest treasure, and even on the most chaotic days, they made his life complete.