114. Happy tears. Congratulations on a job well done.

ANTONIO

Surprisingly the dinner was an easy and simple affair after the few minutes of initial silence. Ami was a great host, the title of duchess suited her and unlike his brother Raphael was easy to talk to too. It was Katlyn, Kat as she was called by everyone, who used her dry humor to make everyone laugh and after some time even Summer relaxed.

Gabriel regaled us with the tales of his son and Raphael joined as he told us how much he loved everything his twin daughters do. They seemed to be proud fathers and I couldn’t wait to be one. Erica’s small hand came to my thigh and she gave me a squeeze as if comforting me, I looked at her and she smiled.

When the dinner was done, Ami told me that the ballroom in their house rarely get used because Raphael doesn’t like huge parties. So it was the reason she took this occasion to plan this dinner and to decorate the ballroom. I complemented her, and not just to be a gentleman—that I was not. But I had noticed the candles and the flowers,