Chapter 74- Forever After
Lucia “Papa, catch mel”
Little Isabella’s delighted shriek erhoed through the Roman estate’s grand hall as she raced past glittering Christmas decorations, her dark curls flying, Dante, the most powerful man in the city, dropped an important phone call mid–sentence to scoop up our two–year–old daughter, spining her umil her giggles filled every corner of the massive spiace.
“Careful of your brother,” I called on, touching the slight curve of my newest pregnancy -just beginning in show at four months. Our unexpected but joyfully welcomed Christmas surprise.
“She’s fine.” Donte assured me, though he did slow the spinning. “Aren’t you, principessa?”
“Again!” Isabella demanded her father’s commanding tone adorably miniaturized: “More spins, Pipal“.
“Your daughter. I observed dryly. “Always giving orders
His smile still devastating after three years of real marriage carried pure mischief. “Can’t imagine where she gets that from, cara.
–
“Tapa, up!” Twenty–month–old Alessandro toddled over from where Julia had been attempting to straighten his Christus bow tie. His perfect Romano features scrunched in concentration as he reached for his father.
Dante shifted Isabella to one ann, somehow managing to lift our son with the other while maintaining his usual elegant composure. The sight of the city’s most feared nan juggling two squirming toddlers while wearing a perfectly tailored Brioni suir sull made my heart flip.
The mighty Dante Romano, Sofia teased as die swept in, heavily pregnant with her first child. “Brought low by two tiny tyrants,
“Three soon,” Maria added, following with her own six–month–old daughter balanced on her hip. Etle Sophia had her mother’s delicate features and her father’s serious expression, even at such a young age.
The Romano estate’s massive living room had been tranformed for Christmas Eve celebrations Crystal snowflakes eight firelight like stars. The masive tree – carefully selected by Dante’s exacting standards–sparkled with generations of ornaments. Each perfectly wrapped gift had been personally impected by my control freak husband to ensure maximum aesthetic impact.
Some things never changed
But others.
“Uncle Tony!” Isabella squirmed free of Donte’s grap to launch herself at my youngest brother. “Did you bring me à present?”
Antonio, once our family’s wild card, caught her with practiced ease. Mamage to his college sweetheart had softened his edges, and impending fatherhood had tumed him into putry in his nieces honds.
Tabell,” 1 started to scold, but Leo cut me off witha lugh
Let her be, sorella” my hor–headed brother said, his own twin boys racing past in pursuit of cookies. “It’s Christmas.”
“Speaking of Christmas,” Marco emerged from the kitchen with Elina, both carrying trays of Mama Romano’s famous stuffoli, “someone better stop Fapa and Uncle Romans from arkling more lights to the garden. I think they can see the display from
now,
The sound of our fathers arguing good–apturedly over Christmas decorations drifted in from outside. Three years of peace had transformed their relationship from careful allies to genuine friends, united in their shared passion for spoiling grandchildren and competing over who could create the most spectacular holiday displays.
“Let them be,” Mama Romano called from her chair by the fire, where she was teaching Julia’s daughters the fine art of halian lace–making. “Your
fathers need their projects.”
“Like father, like son,” I murmured as Dante obsessively adjusted a slightly crooked ornament while still bahncing Alessandro.
“I heard that, cara” But his simile held nothing of business or politics as he passed our son to Julia’s waiting anns. He moved to wrap himself around me from behind, hands sending possessively on my growing bump. “Happy?”
The question carried echoes of that first Christmas after our real wedding, when everything still felt new and slightly surreal. Now, watching our Tamdies merged into one chaotic, loving whole, the answer tell even more certain
“Perfect.” I whispered, leaning back against his solid warmth.
And it was
Babella “helping” Antonio and his wife Emma decorate cookies, spreading more icing on herself than the treats. Alessandro curled in Julia’s lap while her husband Thomas read “The Night Before Christmas to their collective children. Solla’s husband James hovering anxiously every time she moved earning eye rolls from his very pregnant wife.
Maria’s daughter sleeping peacefully in hier bassinet while her husband Diego talked business with Marco, their heads bent together over plans for expanding the family’s legitimate enterprises, Leo’s brins plotting something suspicious with Elina’s young son all three wearing identical
michirvoin priùs.
100
Our fathers finally came in from the cold, fees flushed with friendly competition and too much of Papa’s special eggning. They joined Mama Boman by the fire, all three cooing over Julia’s intricate lacework while sneaking cookies to any grandchild within reach,
The amusement park opens in spring.” Dante murmured against my hair, his hand drawing abser patterns on my stomach. “Right when the cherry
Chapter 74 Forever Aler
My heart swelled at the reminder. Our shared dreun, built from love instead of calculation, would welcome its first visitors just as new life bloomed across the city.
The community center programs are really too, I added, covering his hood with mine. “Full scholarships for art and music lessons, just like we
“Mm.” His lips brushed my temple. “Speaking of plans… have you decided about the nursery?
Iturries in his arms, studying the face Fil grown to love in all its controlled perfectionis. “You mean, have I agreed to let you install a full medical monitoring system and hare round the clock pediatric stall?”
“I was thinking more about the color scheme,” he said with obviously fake innocence. “Though now that you mention medical monitoring. “No” But I couldn’t help laughing at his pout. “The nursery will be perfect without turning it into a hospital wing. Just like it was for hübella arıl
“Shh” I pressed a finger to his lips. Remember what I about silence being one of a man’s charme?”
listead of arguing, he kissed my finger, then replaced it with his lips in a gentle kiss that still made my heart race after all this time. “Eww!” kabella’s voice made us break sport, linighing. “Papa, stop kissing Manxan
Lemme see what 1 made!”
She grabbed Dame’s hand, trailing crnkie frosting on his perfect sun, as she dragged him toward the kitchen. He went willingly, his uival abandoned in favor of letting our dasglu er lead him on another adventure.
“Still can’t believe it sometimes Elina said softly, appearing at my side. “The great
Roumann, Trought in his knees by love
“And small sticky fingers,” I added, watching tobella demand her father’s complete attention for cookie decorating supervision. “Does he know about the foundation’s new project yet?”
My hand drifted to my stomach agaiis, feeling our newest miracle move. “Nut yet I’m saving it for his Christmas present.”
“The mighty mayor funding ari sherapy programs for moderprivileged kids?” Elina grinned. “The old families will have fin.”
“Let them. Pride colored my voice as watched my lashand help our daughter add more sprinkles to an already overwhelmed cookie. “Times change. Families clange. Love changes everything”
“Speaking of change…” Elina’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Have you told him about the misery yer?”
Hest rushed to my checks. Tomorrow. After he’s had plenty of Christinas wine
“Told me what?” Dante materialized behind us, somehow managing to look elegant despite the frosting in his hair.
“Nothing,” we said in unison, too quickly
This
s eyes narrowed. “Lucin.
“Present time?” Julia called out, saving me from his interrogation. “Everyone to the tree
What followed was organized chans as clentore into carefully wrapped packages while adults tried to maintain some semblance of order. Dante. naturally, had spreadsheets for gift distribution, Color–coded. With timestamps.
Some things really never changed.
But watching him help Isabella carefully open her presents, his perfect control abandoned in favor of genuine joy watching our families share love and laughter without him of their old rivalry… watching the future unfold in sticky fingers and frosted cookies and perfectly imperfect moments.
This was better than any fry l
“Mammal Alessandro todilled over with a package nearly bigger than him. “Help?”
Isank to the Door beside ham, not caring about wrinkles in my designer dress. Together we revealed a perfectly detailed dollhouse – an exact replen of the Roman estate, because of course Dance would commission nothing less.
“For Isabella 100?” Alessandro asked, his father’s generous bear already showing.
“For everyone.” I assured him, pressing a kiss to his dark curls. “Family shares everything.”
“Speaking of sharing,” Dante’s voice carried that dangerous edge that still made my pulse jump, “What’s this about the wursery!”
I looked up to find him watching me with equal parts love and suspicion, Isabella perched on his hip and covering his suit in glitter.
“Well I drew out the moment, enjoying his rare incertainty. “Reinemlier how you said twins run in your family?”
Understanding dawned in his dark eyes. In three steps he was beside me, sinking to his knees regardless of what talian wool did on handwond
“Twins?” His voice carried wonder I’d never tire of hearing.
“Due in May,” 1 confirmed softly. “Right when the cherry blossoms bloom.”
His laugh – real and unguarded and beautiful–drew everyone’s attention as he pulled me into a kiss that tasted of cookies and joy and forever.
“I suppose,” he murmured against my lips, “the misery might need some adjustments after all.”
“Don’t even think about medical monitoring systems.”
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Chapter 74- Forever After
“Nol even-
“No
His pout would have been more effective without the frosting in his hair. I love you,” he said instead, admiting defeat with unusual grace. “My perfectly impossible witc.”
ד
amo. I touched his cheek, hear full of everything we’d built together. “My perfectly imperfect control freak.”
Around us, our family continued their chaotic celebration. Children squealed over preseists. Adults shared wine and laughter. Old rivalries faded
into new traditions,
And in the midst of it all love flourished.
Real love.
Forever love
The kind that transformed careful political arrangements into fairy tales. The kind that buch amusement parks from childhood dreams and commmunity centers from shared hopes. The kind that filled nurseries with sticky fingers and turned powerful men ima devoted fathers and wove families together with unbreakable bonds.
The kind that lasted forever.
“Forever.” Dante whispered against my hair, somehow reading my thoughts as alway
“Forever.” Lagreed, surrounded by our perfectly imperfect happily ever after.
And it was
Setting
