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Theo looked up the bed at me, his eyes shiny. “It’s a boy. My gattina, you gave me a boy.” The doctor gave him the okay to pick up our baby and set him right on my chest for skin-to-skin.

I was sweaty, sore, and so fucking happy I thought I may explode. I did burst into tears as I looked between my tiny son and my husband. “He’s so beautiful.”

After a few minutes, the nurses took the baby to clean him and do their stuff.

“Do we have a name, Mom and Dad?” a nurse asked, holding the name card.

I glanced at Theo before nodding. “Yes. Lucian. Lucian Marcus Amato.”

“It’s beautiful,” she said, writing it down.

“And so are you,” Theo whispered to me, kissing my forehead. “I’m going to go get Adelaide from the waiting room.”

A moment later, he came back carrying her just as the nurse was handing a screaming Lucian to me.

I scooched over and patted the bed next to me.

Setting her down in the spot, Theo grabbed my camera before sitting near my knees.

“This my baby?” Adelaide asked, her eyes big and bright.

“Yeah, sweetie. This is your little brother, Lucian.”

“Hi Luushhhhen,” she sing-songed. At the sound of her voice, her brother stopped crying. She gave him a dimpled grin. “I gots a shirt, it says I big sister. Mama got you lil’ brudder shirt wear, too.” I tensed as she lifted her hand, but so gently, she touched his hand. “I love you, brudder.”

Passing Lucian over to his dada, I took the camera and snapped away. I wasn’t sure where I’d put more picture frames, but I was going to find a spot.

We sat like that for a while, just our family in our own world.

God, my husband is sexy.

I need to apologize for what I said while I was pushing.

Hopefully he knows I’d never break it in his sleep.

I love it too much.

After a bit, we gave the okay for the rest of the family to come in. They descended in a burst of flowers, balloons, presents, and noise.

All of which, Lucian slept through.

“He’s already going to do well in this family,” Lou said, looking down and beaming like a proud Papa. “I told you so. Bambini belli!”

My mind didn’t wander into the past often. Yet, in that moment surrounded byfamily, I couldn’t help but think about the life I’d had before Theo.

I’d existed rather than lived.

Stuck in a cage.

Alone.

Without hope.

But Theo had changed that. He’d given me freedom, hope, a family, and more love than I thought possible.

He’d replaced all my bad memories with good ones.

As I snuggled my excited daughter and looked over at my newborn son, I thought about the life they’d have. One filled with laughter and fun, surrounded by a family who loved them.

They’d always know they were wanted.

And they’d always be happy and safe.

Because no one fucks with us.

The End

…or is it?

Just fucking with you, it totally is.