300

I had never seen the appeal of golf. If I wanted to hit a target, I shot my gun, if I wanted to exert myself, I chose a sport that really got my heart rate up, and if I wanted to engage in business negotiations, I preferred to sit and talk without distraction.
Yet, I found myself on a golf course in early spring with Maximo Clark, John and the elder Clark Sr. We chatted nonsensically for a while, as was the custom in those circles, even though I wanted to get straight to the point. I had more important things to do.
The Clark family had been a major player in the political game for decades. They were a political royal family. Clark Senior, who had been a senator before his son, had a penchant for our underground casinos and complimentary girls. His son, the current senator, was a tough cookie. Although his first name was Italian, thanks to his mother, he was wary of intensifying contact with the Outfit.
“Do you want to be governor?”
Maximo Clark leaned on his golf club, with a hint of suspicion on his face. He was a born politician, a turncoat and an opportunist. I didn’t trust him and he didn’t trust me. “I do, really.”
“Your chances are good,” Clark Sr. said. “We just need the right campaign to give you a boost.”
“Good campaigns are expensive,” Maximo said.
“They really are,” agreed John.
I hated going around it, all these thinly veiled hints.
Stifling my annoyance, I gave a tugged smile. “Money is not an issue.”
Maximo smiled, all gritted teeth and condescension. “It can become a problem if it comes from the wrong sources.”
“It’s a matter of interpretation what determines a wrong source,” I said. “We have close ties to the gun lobby. They are one of your main sponsors, if I’m not mistaken , and some might argue that their money is blood money, too.” I bared my teeth at him, stopped being polite.
His smile grew strained. “I guess you are hoping for favorable legislation, influence and occasional amnesty?”
“That and involvement. We want to become part of public opinion, part of your social circles. We need the light.”
“Some things are better left in the shadows,” Maximo said.
“Sure.” I squinted my eyes. He might not visit our premises, but his father and brother did. It would have been bad publicity for him if the news got out. No matter how white his vest was, his family’s dirt would have stuck to it.
He was aware of the veiled threats.
“In the long run, we would like to have one of our own in the Senate to really solidify our ties.”
Maximo arched his eyebrows. “Yourself?”
I smiled. My name and face were too well known, too closely associated with less praiseworthy initiatives. “No. Dario Fabbri is a good option. He is one of the most capable lawyers in Chicago, as I’m sure you know.”
Maximo’s eyes remained carefully blank. “I’ll think about it .”
“Do that,” I said, then looked at my watch. “I’ll have to go out now. Have fun.” I nodded to John and Clark Sr. before giving Maximo another hard smile.
The moment I entered the foyer of our house, Val came walking toward me, curiosity reflected on her beautiful face.
She looked stunning in a tight pencil skirt and a silk blouse pulled into the narrow waistband.
I kissed her. “You look stunning.”
Val smiled sadly, turning around so I could see that the top zipper of her skirt was open. “This is the last time I’ll wear it for a while. It’s too tight. Even elasticity can only go so far.”
I gently placed the palm of my hand on her belly, still marveling at this miracle. I had not expected another baby.
We had been trying for so long, but then it happened like a sign from above at the worst time of our lives: a glimmer of hope. Our miracle baby.
“How are you?”
Val covered my hand with his. “We’re both doing well. He’s moving more every day.”
“Only four more months.”
“Enough about me, tell me how it went?”
My mood plummeted.
“That bad?”
“Not bad, but Maximo Clark is a snake. He plays hard to get .”
“He needs our money if he wants to finance his campaigns.”
“Our funds will make things easier. He might be good without it.”
Val curled his lips. “Can’t you put pressure on him?”
I laughed. “Blackmail is always a good option, but it could be a bad start for our cooperation and he has no skeletons in his closet. Blackmailing him with his father’s or brother’s nocturnal activities could damage his reputation or could make him look like the noble king.”
“Everyone has skeletons in the closet,” Val murmured. “And I’ve met his wife a couple of times. She’s out for the glitz, the glamour. She talks about the British royal family nonstop. She dreams of being a royal herself, of being part of a society that others only talk about . She is fascinated by our traditions, our weddings. For her, this is like one of her historical loves come true.”
“I guess your lunch with her went well?”
Val’s expression turned wicked. “Yes. Of course, I told her everything she wanted to hear. She was absolutely in love with our arranged marriages. She thinks it’s just romantic, like something straight out of a Shakespeare play.” Val imitated the woman’s enthusiastic cadence .
“Romantic. That’s a new interpretation,” I said as we headed for my office. We sat on my couch, my arm around Val’s shoulders.
“From what I understand, your marriage to Maximo leaves a lot to be desired.”
I perked up. “Is she having an affair?”
“She didn’t say anything. She’s not that ditzy.
She knows how to maintain a perfect public facade.”
I stroked Val’s knee that the slit in her skirt had revealed. “Too bad.”
Val’s expression became thoughtful. “Her words made me think though.” She hesitated then shook her head.
“Maybe my brain is confused by pregnancy hormones.”
I turned fully toward her. “What is it?”
“Anna and Leonas will both have arranged marriages.”
She peered into my eyes and then it flashed in my mind and my first instinctive reaction was to say no.
“Are you suggesting that Anna be married to Maximo Clark’s son?”
Despite my best intentions, my voice trembled with a sense of protection.
Val bit his lip. “It is an option. I know a traditional arranged marriage is not common in the outside world, but the political elite often marry each other as well.”
I had met Maximo Clark’s children twice. He had three . Oldest son Clifford was Anna’s age, his twins a few years younger. They were polite, raised to behave well in public.
“He would be safer in a marriage to a stranger, and if our children married into prominent political families, that would solidify our connections.”
I tried to look at it from a logical point of view, but when it was Anna who was concerned it was hard to maintain objectivity .
“They know each other. He is in the same tennis club,” Val said. “I could talk to Anna if you want to know what she thinks about things.”
I sighed. “To think of promising Anna to anyone makes my blood boil.”
“She can’t stay our little girl forever. She will be thirteen in September. She’s growing up.”
“I know.” Val didn’t seem too happy about the prospect of a possible bond between Anna and the boy Clark either.
“You don’t sound convinced.”
Val smiled oddly. “I’m just a little emotional. I wanted a loving marriage for our children.”
“Our arranged marriage turned into a love marriage, and so did Ines and Peter’s. It is possible.”
“It is, of course, but still.”
“Let’s keep your plan in mind and not share it with anyone for now. I want to wait first for Maximo’s decision regarding a collaboration. If he refuses to establish stronger business and social ties with us, he certainly won’t accept a bond between our children.”
Val leaned her head on my shoulder. “I talked to Ines today.”
I stiffened. “E?” I hadn’t spoken to my sister since she kicked us out of the house.
Peter and I had come to a tentative agreement, and even Samuel had come forward to my surprise, but Ines still mourned Serafina’s absence. “She asked about the baby and when Anna would come back to see us.”
“What did you say?”
“I told her that Anna would come to see me next week.”
Anna was going to start private school this year for the first time. She had insisted and I could no longer refuse her. She and Luisa no longer wanted to be homeschooled.
“I suggested that we could go on vacation together to the Great Lakes this July.”
My chest tightened. “E?” I tried to maintain a neutral expression, though it was futile. Val knew that Ines’s refusal to talk to me annoyed me deeply.
Val touched my chest. “She agreed. But she suggested the Mione family home in Barron County.”
“Good.”
“Yes.”
As usual, Val’s warm smile put me at ease as few things in the world could.
Pietro, Ines, Samuel and Sofia had arrived two days earlier at the Mione’s vacation home and were already settled in.
Pietro’s Range Rover was parked in front of the two-story wooden house. I had not seen Ines in seven months, and I could not deny that I felt a tinge of apprehension about our first meeting. Leonas and Anna jumped out of the Mercedes the moment we stopped; Anna ran toward the house and Leonas toward the dock leading to the lake. Val laughed, then awkwardly pulled himself out of the seat, cradling his belly and lifting his head to meet the sun. I pressed my palm to his lower back, then gave a sharp nod to our bodyguards.
They could settle down in the nearby guardhouse.
“Leonas! Say hello first,” Val shouted. Leonas dragged himself out of the water with obvious reluctance and ran toward us. He ran past us and through the front door that Anna had left open. “Just seeing her energy gives me the chills,” Val said with a laugh. “I hope Beatrice is a calm child. We’re not getting any younger.”
Hearing Val say the name of our unborn child filled me with calm and joy. It had been from the first moment we had decided it. She who makes happy was the meaning of the name. It could not have been more appropriate. She came into our lives when everything was in ruins and we seemed to have come to a standstill and showed us that the future still held so many wonders and opportunities.
“You are young,” I said, stroking her back.
Val gave me an amused look. Then her expression grew strained as we entered the lodge and followed the voices into the vast living area with floor-to-ceiling windows enclosing a fireplace between them and a majestic view of the lake. It was too hot outside for a fire, though.
Anna and Sofia huddled together on the sofa, talking animatedly, and Leonas showed Samuel his new Swiss Army knife. Pietro had his arm wrapped around Ines. My sister had lost weight. Her eyes met mine.
She looked up at Peter, who stroked her arm to encourage her. Ines came closer to us. She smiled at Val and touched her belly. “My God, you are so big already.”
“I know!” said Val, then pulled Ines into a hug.
I went to Peter and shook his hand, then Samuel’s.
“He has forgiven you,” he said softly.
I cast a glance at Val and Ines. “Because of the wedding?”
The marriage between Remo Falcone and Serafina a couple of months earlier had been the scandal of the year.
“She had forgiven you before, but Cavallaro’s ‘pride prevented her from admitting it,” Pietro said.
Ines looked in my direction and for a moment neither of us moved. In the past it had always been Ines who had made the first move, overcoming her pride more easily than me, but this time I approached her. Val stepped back and greeted Peter and Samuel.
“Ines,” I said softly. “I’m glad you agreed for our families to spend the vacations together.”
Ines rolled her eyes. “Don’t sound so official, as if we were distant acquaintances.”
“For the past few months we were little more than distant acquaintances,” I said.
She nodded, “I’m not angry with you anymore. I’m still angry about the situation, but not with you.”
I said nothing. Ines walked over and hugged me. “I saw the pictures. Fina looked so happy. I don’t understand . I will never understand.”
I turned a touch to her. “Neither do I.”
Samuel had taken a couple of pictures on his way to the wedding. It had been a risky move, one he had insisted on making. He had been certain that Remo’s feelings, whatever they were, would protect him, and they had. Samuel had returned unharmed and with interesting insights into the dynamics of the Falcone clan.
He had remained true to his word and had not betrayed me , although I could imagine how difficult it had been for him to admit that Fina had contacted him. Perhaps he would have kept it a secret if Remo had not also approached him .
It was a mystery to me what was going through his twisted head, and I lost no more time. While the war with the Family and the Camorra was still going on, we all resorted to the obligatory attacks on our delivery trucks or outposts for the time being. It was a truce that would not last forever.
We all had something to lose. Wives, children.
Ines pulled back. “I’m happy for you and Val. I can’t wait to hold my granddaughter in my arms.” She smiled bravely. “And what have I heard that you have political ambitions.”
“Not me. I’m not good at courting others.”
“You prefer to give orders and have them obeyed.”
I tilted my head. “But we are striving to make connections with the political elite.”
“It’s just another shark tank, isn’t it? Intrigue is their form of public torture.”
I smiled because Ines had hit the nail on the head as usual.
“Dad, can Samuel show me how to use a crossbow?”
Val’s eyes went wide. She always worried about Leonas , but I was glad he was daring. “Sure.”
“Be careful!” added Val as Samuel and Leonas walked out . Anna and Sofia followed curiously, heads together as they whispered excitedly.
Val hurried toward me. “A crossbow?”
I giggled and stroked her side. “She’ll be fine.”
“Why don’t we settle down on the porch and watch the show?” suggested Peter.
Val didn’t let him repeat it twice. He wanted to keep an eye on Leonas. We settled on chairs outside, but Val practically perched herself on the edge. “Don’t stand so close, Anna, Sofia!”
The girls moved a few steps away from Samuel and Leonas, but Val moved closer. Pregnancy had made her even more protective.
“She’s overprotective,” Peter said. “I’m surprised she agreed to send Anna to school.”
“It was actually her idea. She wants our daughter to grow up normally, or as normally as possible. And Santino will always be with Anna.”
Peter’s gaze fell on Santino, who sat with the other guards in front of their booth. “I’m surprised you chose someone so young to guard your daughter,” he said.
“He is one of the best. An attacker will have a hard time getting past him.”
“However. He’s a nice guy.”
I arched an eyebrow. “He’s ten years older than Anna and she’s a child. He’s good at his job.” Not to mention that he knew what would happen to him if I ever caught him looking at my daughter with any interest other than just professional.
Peter shrugged his shoulders. “The age difference between you and Val is greater.
Danilo made his point very clear when it came to choosing Sofia’s bodyguards. They have to be my age, and he insists that he will homeschool her, which we wanted to do anyway after the thing with…” He paused, pain flashed in his eyes.
“Understandable,” I said, letting Peter recover . The wound of losing Serafina was still fresh. Perhaps it would never fully heal. “Anna will probably be promised to Clifford Clark.”
Pietro looked surprised. “Really? Did her father agree?”
“He is open to the suggestion. His wife and father are in favor of the bond, and he enjoys spending the money we gave him as an incentive. It won’t be official for a while. We’ll have to see how things go between us, but it’s a possibility.”
“I never thought you would consider having Anna marry an Outsider.” It was a difficult decision, one I was still not entirely comfortable with, but Val had raised a valid point.
Anna would have been safe in a marriage to a politician. She had grown up among successful men, would be able to handle a simple Outsider, and it would open many doors for her. She loved art exhibitions and music. As the girlfriend of a politician’s son who would no doubt follow in his father’s footsteps , she would have the opportunity to study art or music.
Anna laughed when Leonas missed the target by several yards and, as usual, filled me with a sense of peace that had been absent from my life so often in the past.
Beatrice was born on the hottest day of the summer, in the last hours of August. As with Leonas, I was full-term pregnant.
Coming home with our daughter filled me with relief and joy, especially when I saw Anna and Leonas’ excitement about the new addition to our family. Leonas was relieved to no longer be the youngest, and Anna was simply excited to have a little sister that she could potentially dress up. “She looks like Leonas!” said Anna as she looked at Beatrice in her crib. “Can I hold her?””Here,” I picked up Beatrice and showed Anna how to hold her. When Leonas was born, she was too small to hold him. Leonas looked on curiously but did not move to hold her . He looked up at his father almost questioningly. Dante just smiled but his eyes followed everything closely. I handed Beatrice to Anna who was cradling her carefully. “Oh, it’s heavier than it looks.” Leonas rolled his eyes.
“Why don’t you hold her too?” I suggested. He nodded slowly and moved closer. Anna proudly showed how to hold Beatrice before handing her to her brother. “My heart is about to explode,” I whispered as I approached Dante. “This is something I had never considered in my future when Carla died. I was willing to give up without a fight, even though it is not in my nature to admit defeat. I’m glad you came into my life and showed me that love is worth the risk.” I smiled at him. “I know you prefer to make safe bets, but I’m glad you bet on me.”
Dante chuckled. “A safe bet you are not, it’s true. You keep me on my toes, Val. I’ve never met anyone who tests my patience more often than you.” I nodded toward Leonas. “Give him a few more years. I’m sure he will fight with me for the position.” Dante rolled his eyes. “Don’t tempt fate.” “You don’t believe in fate.” “I don’t. But the fact that Leonas has your temperament may just be fate’s way of repaying me.” “We just want you to stay young and agile.” Dante kissed my lips. “Eww, can’t you do that behind closed doors?” cried Leonas, waking Beatrice who began to cry. Her eyes widened in shock. Dante approached him with a stern expression. “Piantaguari.” He did not say it angrily and Leonas only smiled as Dante took Beatrice from him. He cradled Beatrice gently as Anna twirled beside him. Dante kissed the top of her head, then Beatrice’s forehead. “May I call her Bea?” “As long as she’s so small, she can’t really say no,” Dante said with a giggle. Anna smiled, her eyes shining with excitement. “I can’t wait to dress her. I’ve seen so many pretty plaid dresses.” “She’s not a doll,” Leonas said. “You’re a bitch.” Leonas jumped on her and tickled her. She squealed and tried to push him away, but he was almost as tall as she was.
Beatrice mewed. I opened my arms. “It’s my turn to nurse her . You can referee.” Dante slid Bea into my arms. “All right.
It can’t be worse than listening to the endless stories of Clark senior’s youth.” Dante let John and Darius do most of the political talking, but sometimes it was necessary for us to make appearances, especially at social events. Making our way in certain circles proved difficult, mainly because we were still considered more of an oddity or attraction than a part of the scene. Still, people were curious, and that was better than suspicion. Dante preferred our circles, their directness, our rules.
He was doing it for our children, ensuring a more secure future for all of them, especially Leonas, and I was grateful for that. He was a family man through and through, the best husband and father I could imagine. Bea was down for her nap. At six months old, her nap routine was working perfectly. Anna and Leonas were at the library doing homework, which would keep them busy for a while. I knocked on Dante’s office and slipped inside without waiting for his answer. With three children and our social responsibilities, finding time for ourselves had become a challenge , so I made sure to take advantage of every opportunity. Dante looked up with a hint of annoyance, then leaned back. He knew the look on my face. “What do you say we go upstairs a bit?” Dante pushed back the chair and motioned me to come closer. Frowning, I headed toward him. “Are you too busy?” When I was beside him, he grabbed me, turned me around and pulled me down into his lap. He lifted my skirt, then spread my legs with his thighs. Pressing a hot kiss on my neck, he slipped his hand into my panties and slipped two fingers inside me. My head fell back as he touched me. “What if someone comes in?” I gasped, but my walls clenched tightly around Dante’s fingers, needing more. I hadn’t locked the office yet, and although the children would never break into our bedroom, they might have done so in Dante’s office. His fingers slowed but did not stop, and he bit my throat. “They always knock before they come in. Everyone follows my rules except you, Val.” The growling note in his voice made me cringe. I opened my lips to protest, but Dante snapped his thumb over my bundle of nerves. Soon I was panting and rubbing shamelessly against his hand, my erection thrusting into my bottom. “On your knees,” he ordered, pulling his fingers out of me before I came. Stifling my protest, because it would only make Dante tease me more, I turned and gave him a seductive smile before sinking between his legs. I didn’t take my eyes off him as I unzipped his fly and pulled out his cock. Dante’s fingers tangled in my hair as I began to give him a blowjob. Dante’s breathing became deeper. Footsteps echoed down the hallway before an unconvinced knock sounded. I opened my eyes wide and flinched. Dante pushed me under the desk and dragged the chair closer to hide my open pants. “Dad, Anna keeps…” “Didn’t I tell you to wait until I gave you permission to come in?” said Dante sternly. I covered my mouth with my hand, worried that my breathing was too loud. Even worse: hysterical laughter wanted to break out, even though the situation was not the least bit funny. “Yes, but…” I stared at Dante’s erection right in front of my face and again had to hold back the giggles. It was simply too much. “Is it a matter of life and death?” “No,” Anna said. “Leonas is just-” “Then it can wait. I’m working. Have you finished your homework?” “No,” Leonas began, and Dante intervened. “Then you should do it.” “Where is Mom?” asked Anna. “She’s busy.” I bit my lower lip, sure I would lose it at any moment. “In her office?” guessed Leonas. “Don’t bother her. You need to resolve your conflicts yourself.” “Okay,” they said simultaneously. I didn’t understand how Dante could talk to them as if nothing had happened when our children had almost caught us in the act. I sank my teeth harder into my lip. “Now get back to your homework.” “Okay,” Leonas muttered. Then footsteps resounded and the door closed with a snap. I let go a small breath then laughed softly against Dante’s thigh. Dante’s fingers entwined in my hair as he pushed back the chair a little to look down at me.
“Keep sucking.” “Dante-” He gently pushed me closer to his cock. “Suck my cock, Val.” With an indignant snort, I took him in my mouth and worked him really hard. Soon my arousal returned with full force, the near miss forgotten. Dante’s hips jerked, a clear sign that he was getting closer . “Stop.” I pulled back and Dante stood up, offering me his hand . I took it and he pulled me to my feet. “Lean over the desk.” I started to shake my head but he walked over to the door and turned the lock . I laughed, unable to contain myself. “That was close.” He sneaked up to me and kissed me hard. “On the desk, Val.” Pulling up my skirt to expose my ass, I leaned over the desk then smiled shyly at Dante who was slowly rubbing his erection. Exposed like this, I felt naughty and incredibly aroused. He moved closer to me and began rubbing the tip on my sensitive folds, up and down, separating me. A low groan rumbled in his chest as he pushed slowly. I gripped the edge of the desk, eyes rolling back. Soon I had to press my lips together to hold back the moans, and even Dante’s grunts became less controlled. I didn’t care anymore. The library was far enough away from the office. “Harder,” I pleaded, and Dante obeyed, sinking his fingers into my hips. We were both getting closer when Dante moved back. “Turn around,” he said. I slowly turned around until I was lying on my back on his desk. We were making a complete mess of his papers. I had never cared less. Since Bea had been born, we had been making love carefully in our bed at night when the children were asleep. This was the first wild fuck and I craved it like a drug. Dante hooked his arms under my thighs and pulled me against him, impaling me to his full length. He leaned over me as he pounded into me and kissed me passionately, swallowing my moans. His jacket caged me. God, there was nothing sexier than Dante catching me fully clothed in his three-piece suit.
The picture frame fell off the desk and a pen holder clinked in the most annoying way. I pressed my heels into Dante’s back, arching against him as pleasure radiated from my center into every nerve ending in my body. Dante moaned into my mouth and writhed inside me as my walls contracted around him. “Wow,” I whispered. Dante smiled. Footsteps rumbled down the hallway again, a knock resounded then the handle jerked downward, but the lock avoided a fiasco. Dante shook his head with exasperated laughter. The handle jingled. “Dad?” called Leonas. “Is it locked?” asked Anna distantly. Dante whispered in my ear. “Why did you have to pass on your dislike of locked doors to our son?” I giggled into his shoulder, tightening around him again. He inhaled softly. “Dad?” Leonas’ voice became almost indignant. Perhaps he thought Dante was playing a joke on him. The handle shook again. “Dad?” “He also inherited your stubborn nature,” Dante said. I shot him a look. He straightened up and began wiping himself with some tissues. I did the same, trying to look at least a little decent. “Dad!” Now Leonas sounded almost angry. I stifled a laugh. “He’s going to take me to the brink,” Dante muttered as he smoothed his hair and straightened his tie. “How do I look?””Completely satisfied.” I pursed my lips. “Dante.” “Your hairdo is a mess.” I peeked in the window and untied my hair. It was a mess. Dante headed for the door and I perched innocently on the desk.
The moment Dante opened the door, Leonas staggered inside. When he saw me, his frown deepened. “Mom, why are you here?” Anna’s eyes twisted in horror as if she had a suspicion. “Oh boy,” she said. She turned on her heels and stomped away. Leonas watched her disappear in confusion. “What’s so important that it can’t wait until I’m done working?” asked Dante firmly. “Anna finished her homework and wanted to dress Bea. I told her she can’t.” “Was it so important that you tried to rip off my door handle?” Leonas threw me a look. “Anna thinks Bea is her responsibility because she is the oldest, but I am the boy. I will be the man in the house when Dad is gone.” “Are you already planning my untimely death?” asked Dante with a hint of dry humor. Leonas’ eyes widened. “No. I mean, when you’re out on business. Then I’m the man.” Dante touched Leonas’ shoulder. “When I’m not home, you should keep an eye on your sisters and mother, but that requires you to follow orders, especially those of the guards, until you are old enough to protect yourself and our family. A man must know his responsibilities, and right now yours is to do your homework.” “Okay,” Leonas said reluctantly.
He pulled away with difficulty. I gave Dante a prolonged kiss before going to find Anna to see how upset she actually was.
I found her in Bea’s nursery, looking through her clothes. “Are you okay?” I asked . “Please don’t give me any more of that talk,” Anna begged, her cheeks turning red. “I just want to pretend that you and Dad aren’t doing anything.” I bit my lip, choking back my amusement. “All right.” “I’m looking for a cute dress for Bea for the afternoon. Luisa is coming and I want to show her how cute Bea looks in her plaid dresses.” Anna was growing up so fast. Now her interest in fashion was almost as great as her interest in art.
Almost thirteen years old, my goodness. The time flew by. Sometimes she was already driving me crazy with her first shy teenage antics. Bea began to squirm in her crib. “I think you’re lucky.” I lifted Bea off the bed and she smiled at me with her sleepy green eyes.
She had inherited Dante’s blond hair and my eyes, a combination that always elicited admiring glances. “This?” Anna lifted a plaid dress and a white romper with ruffles around the neckline. I let Anna change Bea’s diaper and dress her, then took over so Anna could wear a matching dress. She came out of her room in a plaid skirt and a beige cashmere sweater, beaming. She looked so grown up then, and absolutely stunning. It was strange to hold a little girl in my arms while my first child was ready to hit puberty at full speed. An hour later, I was standing on the porch, wrapped in a thick coat and a blanket around Bea and me as I watched Leonas, Anna and Luisa engage in one of the most exciting snowball fights I had ever seen. They laughed loudly as they hit each other with snowballs. It had been snowing all morning and our backyard had been transformed into a winter wonderland. Anna giggled and then squealed as Leonas’ snowball hit her butt. One moment half an adult, the next a child again. What a strange phase of life, but one I didn’t want to miss. Despite Bea’s need for attention, I was determined to spend as much time as possible with Leonas and Anna. Before I could blink, they would be adults. My hands rested on my shoulders and Dante brushed my cheek with a kiss, then pressed another one to Bea’s head. “Isn’t it too cold for you?” I shook my head. “I’ll be there soon. I don’t want to miss it . I wonder if Anna will still enjoy snowball fights next year?” Dante wrapped his arms around me. “Are you getting melancholy already?” I shrugged my shoulders. “I just want to enjoy every day, every single second. I am so happy right now. I want to cherish this very moment and keep it in my memory forever.” “There are still so many moments of happiness ahead of us, Val.” I turned away to look at Dante. “That’s my line.” I was the one always trying to see the bright side.
Dante chuckled. “You’ve rubbed off on me over the years.” He kissed me and Leonas moaned loudly. Then he cried out in surprise when Luisa hit him in the face. I shook my head, laughing, but then became serious at the expression on Dante’s face. “Fourteen years, and I’m still waiting for the day when you won’t make me love you a little more every second I spend with you.” I blinked. “That’s a lot of love over all these years,” I said.
“But you started at a very low level.” Dante ran his thumb over my cheek. “I am not exempt from failure. I have made so many mistakes over the years. You and our children are not among them, and every moment of suffering, of pain, of uncertainty was worth it, because it eventually led me to this moment.” “I love you,” I said softly, trying very hard not to cry. Anna had already suffered a moment of mortification that day. If I had started crying in front of Luisa for no apparent reason, she would have experienced a second one. Dante’s grip on me tightened. “And I love you, and every day a little more even if it seems impossible.” “It is a good thing that love is infinite,” I said softly. Dante held me even tighter, and Bea smiled radiantly at him. Leonas and Anna laughed thunderously. Surrounded by infinite love. It couldn’t get any better than this.
END