“No,” he says, taking my hand as the contraction starts. “Too late, Fay – the paramedics are coming, and my friend, an OBGYN – she is coming now – “ “Gio,” Kent barks from his place by the kitchen counter. I get a glimpse of him before the pain of the contraction makes me press my eyes shut as I c
I pant a little, feeling the next contraction coming on – shit, are they supposed to move this fast? – and I grope for Gio’s hands even as I keep my eyes trained on Janeen. “Fay, you have to pay attention –“ Gio commands, his face stern. I send him a quick glancing glare. “Shut up, Gio,” I growl
I nod, scootching myself sideways off the couch and leaning against Kent, letting him take my weight as Gio takes my legs and together they lower me to the living room floor. Janeen’s already there, I realize, spreading out towels. The puppy jumps up against my knee, also worried, and I reach out a
A cry breaks from my throat too as my eyes fly open and I see Gio reaching lifting up the little baby, and Gio – he’s smiling – his face rich with joy as he holds the little baby up and turns him a little – all red and mad – so that I can see. “Well done, Fay,” he murmurs as I stumble out a shaky
I mean, it’s not red either – but it’s light. Will it darken? What color will it be? “I think he looks like me,” I say quietly after a moment of studying my kid, smug. “No way,” Kent murmurs, his voice deep and content, rumbling in his chest. “He’s got my looks. Lucky kid.” “He’d better not,”
Gio gives us a good chunk of time alone with the baby, but when his friend the OBGYN arrives, things start to become a little more hectic. She’s a really nice, very pretty young woman – Janeen scowls freely at her, I smile to see – and after a full check of the baby and I she gives us a clean bill o
My tears start to flow harder now – I’m exhausted and happy and overwhelmed all at once. Dad murmurs nice and comforting things to me as I pull myself back together. Then he kisses me again and stands up. “I’ll come and see the little man later,” he says quietly, “after you’ve both had a little re
Janeen just laughs, and when she stands up from the bed Kent gives her a playful little shove on the back that makes her grin over her shoulder at him. “And take this puppy with you –“ Kent says, reaching for my little friend who is pressed so close to my side. “Noooo,” I cry, wrapping a hand ar
My dad greets him with such genuine joy and excitement that it makes my heart swell with joy. They talk for a few minutes about Dominic’s day before dad gives him a little nudge back towards the gate where Kent and I are waiting. Dominic gives dad a kiss before running ahead again. My dad waves to
“Papa!” Dominic shouts, startling me out of my reverie as he drops my hand and darts down the road. I look up, a huge smile breaking out on my face again as I see Kent on the sidewalk just ahead. His back is to us as he speaks companionably with the butcher, a heavy bag of his purchases already hung
As I walk down the street towards the little Italian kindergarten, the whispers start around me, as they always do. I listen to all of them, a big German Shepherd padding quietly at my heels. “Is that her?” “Yes, that’s the one – I heard she was her husband’s mistress before he married her – tha
Both Kent and I laugh, but Don Bianci – across the baptismal font from us – snaps his eyes up, perhaps not liking the joke as much as we do. But I just ignore it, because dad’s right, frankly – and it’s too happy a day to care. After the final blessing everyone applauds Dominic – he likes that, bl
“Well, it didn’t seem to affect your first very badly,” Ivan says with a shrug, peering around Kent to where Daniel is laughing with an arm around Jerome’s shoulders. “So…maybe keep it up.” I smirk, squeezing Ivan’s hand once more before standing and moving to Kent’s side, tucking myself against h
“Hey, gorgeous,” Ivan says, his mouth turned up in a smirk as I cross the churchyard, beaming at him. “Look who’s talking,” I say, laughing and reaching for him when I come close enough. Ivan wraps me in a hug, dropping a kiss to my cheek as I hold Dominic a bit to the side so he doesn’t get squis
He laughs, smiling at me genuinely. “Do I make you nervous?” he asks, blunt. I laugh, unable to help it. “Has no one bothered to tell you, in all these years, that you’re a little terrifying, Don Bianci?” He grins and shakes his head at me. “Well, considering what you accomplished, young lady, I
Two months later, we’re all gathered together again. And it is only with frustration that I see Gio and Janeen standing so close together that their arms nearly brush, even though they’re still not together. I roll my eyes, dismissing the problem for a moment as I move my eyes down to Dominic and
It's an incredible night. Kent didn’t lie, not at all, about the food either. I’m shocked by the mountains of dishes that continue to follow each other, one after another, long into the night. After a few hours of it I just mournfully watch the waiters go by because I couldn’t eat another bite if I