Page 34 of Resolution
Enzo nudges his shoulder to gain his attention as they walk side by side. “Dec, we have no problem waiting for you.”
“Really? Mom always feeds Frankie while I’m at practice.” He looks to Enzo for assurance.
“We can grab you both a snack on the way to practice,” I offer, knowing how crushed Declan would be if we celebrated without him.
Relief washes over Enzo’s features as he adds, “It wouldn’t be a celebration without you, Dec.”
When Maddie rushes to the car in the high school parking lot and automatically opens the passenger door to jump in, she’s surprised to find me sitting here. She’d been oblivious with her face glued to her phone as she shot off another text to one of her friends. When she sees our driver, she screams, “Oh. My. God! Enzo, you’re back!”
His deep chuckle fills the car as he points with his thumb behind him to the one and only empty seat left in the car. “I sure am. Hop in.”
Since all three kids rarely sit in the back seat together, I notice what a tight fit it’s becoming. Frankie sits in the middle and she bobs up and down with excitement when she fills Maddie in on our plans for the evening. I can’t help but feel content when I see how effortless it is to have Enzo as a part of our daily routine.
While we wait for Declan to finish practice, Enzo asks if I’d mind driving by a few car lots to pass the time. He insists we won’t buy one, but wants to get an idea of what I am looking for. It gets a little dicey when we let it be known to the sales woman we’re looking for vehicles that seat seven or eight. Frankie shouts out, “Why do we need something so big? Is it because Enzo’s so tall? He needs more leg room?”
Like a fish, Enzo’s mouth opens. He attempts to say something, then closes it again. He’s got to have an answer for everything if he’s going to keep up with her.
I burst out laughing and tears threaten to flow as well as some other bodily functions, forcing me to cross my legs as I bend with laughter.The joys of being pregnant, for the fourth time. I manage to mutter when I catch my breath, “Enzo… This is all on you.” Though I’m referring to his super sperm and cock an eyebrow in his direction, the girls look to him for an answer.
Enzo finds his voice and without skipping a beat, asks, “Don’t you like having friends come with you?”Damn, the man’s smooth.
The girls seem to take it in stride and we move on to look around the lot. Even though we’re both perfectly content to purchase a used vehicle with low mileage, Enzo insists on looking at the new vehicles because they have better safety ratings and warranty options. Though we find a few vehicles that would fit our needs, we tell the saleswoman we need more time when we realize it’s time to pick up Declan and make our way back to the soccer fields.
As soon as Dec enters the car, he nearly shouts with excitement, “You’ll never guess what happened tonight at practice. I made the team!” He bounces in his seat as he fumbles with his seat belt.
I knew he’d make the team. There are three in his age group and plenty of positions to go around. “That’s great, Dec!” I encourage.
“No, Mom. You don’t get it. I made the top team.”
“Wow, Dec. That’s awesome.” Maddie fist bumps him as Frankie lets out a squeal of excitement.
“I knew you could do it,” I state proudly.
Enzo chimes in with, “Now we have something to really celebrate! Why don’t you pick where you want to go for dinner?”
Without a second of hesitation, Declan exclaims, “John’s Incredible Pizza!”
“Pizza it is.” Enzo’s smile is infectious as he puts the car in drive.
14
Samantha
Enzo beinghome is better than I could have imagined. Waking up in his arms and falling asleep in them every night is more than a dream come true. Between being pregnant and making up for lost time with Enzo, I may be tired but I’ve never been happier. With Maddie’s birthday tomorrow evening and our wedding next weekend, Enzo and I have been in pure planning mode.
Thank God for our wedding coordinator. All I need to do this week for the wedding is try on my dress. I hope like hell it still fits. My boobs are getting out of control and the baby bump is evident, especially if I wear anything remotely fitted. Being in my second trimester usually does this to me, but these twins want their presence known. I can’t wait for the wedding to be over with, so everything will be official, and we can tell the kids about the new additions to our family.
As I drive to meet Lexi at the mall to do some last-minute shopping, I can’t help but smile when I think of how sweet Enzo is with our children. He not only continues to go out of his way to get to know Maddie, Dec, and Frankie better, but he has daily conversations with the babies growing inside me. Sure, there’s been some stumbling blocks along the way, like Frankie trying to play both of us to get extra dessert before bed, but there hasn’t been anything we can’t handle.
Lexi meets me outside of our favorite department store and gives me a low whistle.
“What was that for?” I ask, looking around to find what I’m missing out on.
“Your girls.” She looks pointedly at my boobs and smirks. “Have they grown overnight? I swear, you wore that shirt last week and looked nothing like you do today.”
I feel my eyes roll at her dramatic statement. Sure, they’ve grown, but I don’t think it’s too noticeable. Dripping with sarcasm, I reply, “I give new meaning for needing an over-the-shoulder boulder holder, don’t I?”
“You’ve got that right. I’m sure you don’t have any complaints from that sexy man of yours, though. You look hot!” She waggles her eyebrows to emphasize her point and I can’t help but laugh.
