Page 135 of The Proposal

“Since I’m about to become a father.”

“Oh, so it’s alright to drop the f-bomb in front of my kid, but not your own?”

When he casually shrugged, I had to turn away and roll my lips to hide my amusement. These two are a constant source of entertainment.

I’ve had the best day. We ate delicious food, laughed, and played silly games, including a nappy relay and baby bingo. It was so much fun. I was showered with the most beautifulgifts, but honestly, it was everyone’s company that I enjoyed the most. It’s a memory I’ll cherish forever.

Our guests have all left, except for our family. They’re staying over tonight, which I’m excited about. Not only do I love our time together, but it also means I’ll get more time to hug little Luca.

Right now, I’m cradling him gently in my arms as the others sit around the dining table, chatting and winding down from the day.

Luca’s little hand is still curled around one of my fingers, and his grip is strong for someone so tiny. His baby smell and his soft, even breathing makes my heart ache in the most tender way. It’s impossible not to imagine my own child at this moment. I find myself wondering what they’ll look like. Will they have Luca’s dark, wispy hair? His little button nose?

I glance around the table, watching my family interact. Dante and Alexander are deep in conversation, probably debating something ridiculous, while Lina and Theo are laughing at a story Lucia is telling them. The love in this room is palpable, and it fills me with a warmth I never want to lose. It’s moments like these that make everything worth it. The chaos, the changes, the unknowns ahead. As long as we have each other, I know we’ll be okay.

“Luca is such a contented baby,” I say to Chloe.

“During the day, yes. But when I’m trying to sleep, not so much. He’s definitely a night owl. It was the same when I was pregnant. He barely moved when I was awake, but at night, it felt like he was tap dancing in my belly.”

“What was Giovanni like as a baby?”

She lifts a shoulder and scrunches up her face. “I don’t really know … I wasn’t around then.”

I gasp. “Wait, he’s not your biological son?” I would’ve never guessed. The bond between them is so strong.

“No, he’s from Alexander’s first marriage. But I love him like he’s my own. I adopted him after Alex and I got married.”

“Oh.” My eyes move from her to her husband as I try to make sense of what she just told me. “Did Alexander’s first wife pass away?” I ask.

“Hardly,” she scoffs. “She’s still very much alive.”

“I …”

“It’s a long story,” she says. “Basically, Dante convinced her to sign over her parental rights to Alexander, and he’s been with us ever since.”

Dante convinced her?

That revelation shatters the blissful bubble I’ve been living in. The thought that my husband was involved in taking a child away from his birth mother hits me like a gut punch.

This is exactly the kind of thing I feared when I entered this marriage. I know how the Mafia operates, and I can’t help but assume this wasn’t done voluntarily. What mother would willingly give up her child?

And now, I can’t help but wonder if I’ll suffer the same fate if my marriage ever falls apart. Have I been so blinded by Dante’s sweet side that I’ve lulled myself into a false sense of security?

Chapter 32

Dante

“Ilike what you’ve done in here,” Alexander says as he runs his hand over Papa’s record player. “And I’m glad you kept this.”

“Yeah, I kept his chair too.”

“I noticed.”

“I gave Arabella free rein to redecorate the entire house, but there were a few things I wasn’t prepared to let go of.”

His eyes move around the room. “She did a good job. It looks?—”

“Not so ethnic-y?”

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