Page 113 of Shiver

“Yeah, baby girl, it’s her sixtieth birthday. She’s gotta make the most of it,” Samara tells her before sitting Gia on her lap.

Ajani and Chiara are bouncing with excitement as the lights start to dim, and the band begins a literal drum roll.

All three kids start tapping their fingers on the edge of the table along with the sound. The absolutely massive cake in question gets wheeled out into the center of the room by my dad, who’s dressed like an overly extravagant magician and is wearing an extremely weary look on his face. Every adult in the room has the same reaction.

Gianni’s sitting at a piano pushed off to the side, his guitar lying over the top. Lark is sitting beside him, holding a tambourine, which is still the only instrument she’s really learned to play despite Gi’s lessons.

When Dad looks back at him, Gi scrubs a hand down his face, and his pinched lips have my gut twisting.

A chorus of “Oh no” and “She didn’t” erupts in the room seconds before my mom does.Literally.

She pops out of the cake wearing a red vintage tassel dress and a glittery headpiece to match. Gianni swaps from the piano to the guitar, the pained expression still prevalent on his face as Lark taps her tambourine on the palm of her hand, her smile wide as she works to contain her laughter.

Kat is clutching at her roots, looking as stressed as ever. I swear, even in the dark room, I can see her cheeks flaming bright pink. Ale wraps his arms around her, a wide smile plastered on his face as he laughs into her hair.

Their oldest, Nataly, turned twenty this year, and she’s turned into the coolest adult. I see her seated at their table, keeping Oliver occupied as they color together. Nat glances up, smirking and shaking her head at my mom, who’s apparently trying to get herself killed.

Mom grabs for Dad’s hand, and he shakes his head in embarrassment but grips her hand tightly, supporting her as she climbs out of the fucking cake, looking like a newborn baby giraffe.

And for all intents and purposes,she may as well be.

“I didn’t know she was cleared to walk yet,” Samara whispers to me, her mouth agape.

“She wasn’t,” I grit out.

When I retired, I was bored half to death. I needed something to do, and when Mom was approved for a new clinical trial that gave us hope that she might be able to walk again, I knew exactly what I wanted to spend my time doing.

I went back to school and got a degree in physiotherapy, and when the medication started working, I got to be there, every step of the way, for my mom, just like she’s been for me all these years.

Helping her gain her strength back and relearn how to walk has been every bit as incredible as raising my kids and being there for their first steps.

But this woman has officially lost it.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell Samara, standing to rush over to my parents.

“What’s Nonna doing?” Ajani asks his momma in a hushed whisper as I rush toward the stage.

“Mom,” I groan out. “We talked about this. No walking without your rollator until the doctor can evaluate you and clear you!” I whisper-yell at her.

“Don’t take that tone with me, Luca. It’s my sixtieth birthday, and I intend to do it up big. So you’ll either help me get my ass back over to my damn chair because my legs fucking hurt, or you’ll just have to watch as your father and I do it alone.”

“Please, help. My back hurts.” Dad groans from the other side of Mom.

I roll my eyes at her. “You’re becoming even more stubborn in your old age.”

Her head veers back as if I’d just slapped her. “Did you—” Her mouth hangs unhinged. “Did you just cuss at your mother?”

“Oh, now you’ve really done it,” Dad says, shaking his head but letting me take on Mom’s weight as I lead her back to her chair.

“You stop it.” I laugh. Once she’s seated, I squat down beside her and look into her big blue eyes. “I love you, Mom, and I’m unbelievably proud of you. Now, for the love of god, please use your walker.”

She gently taps my cheek with her hand and smiles down at me. “Fine, but only because you asked nicely.”

I press a kiss to her cheek and stand, heading back toward our table. I faintly hear Mom start blabbering into the microphone about something, but I can’t seem to pay attention because at that table are all of my wildest dreams come true. Between Samara and our three kids, my heart feels like it could explode with love, and yet, growing up the way I did helped me learn that there’s always room for more love in your life.

Bonus Epilogue: Samara

Luca and I stumble into the house, his hands gripping my ass as we make our way over the threshold with our mouths still connected.

---