Page 77 of A Treasure To Keep
Luci and I take Gia and Théodore up to Gia’s nursery, followed not so subtly by Enzo. I shouldn’t be surprised that Enzo is more attached to Luci during this pregnancy. I think Alessandro would make him bury himself alive if she went missing again.
When Marco and Andrea decided to tell Alessandro and Luci about us, we decided separately might be better. I desperately need to have some much-needed girl talk with Luci, anyway. There’s too much testosterone in that apartment. Also, for some dumbass reason, Marco has decided now that if Théodore can pee without perfect aim, he can too. I’m convinced it’s his excuse when he dribbles on the toilet seat. Because apparently, he can’t even take the time to lift the damn seat. Another reason we weren’t friends yesterday. Waking up and sitting in pee dribbles first thing in the morning isn’t what I want to experience.
Luci lays out a blanket on the floor, giving our babies a place to hang out while we sit on the floor beside the blanket. I keep an extra eye on Gia while she sits, and Théodore hangs out on his tummy. He takes turns between lifting his head and his head plopping onto the blanket until I help him lift his head again.
Luci sits with me, smiling at the two of our babies together. She smiles blissfully while rubbing her belly, holding Théodore’shand. She’s obviously daydreaming about her future. A few seconds pass before she turns her head to me, genuinely asking how I’ve been. “How’s motherhood going? I can’t imagine having a newborn that was in the NICU.”
“You have no idea. Andrea and Marco have been a godsend. I don’t think I could have done any of this without them. Speaking of, that’s one of the reasons we came over today. Over the last ten weeks, we’ve done a lot of healing as a new family. The other night I had sex with Andrea for the first time since having Théodore. Let me tell you, it had been way too long. Anyway. Marco tiptoed his way on in and joined us. Then Andrea and Marco joined each other. We’ve reverted to how things were about a year ago.” Pause for reaction. One, two, three, four, five. Fuck! How is this pause going to last?
“I didn’t know Marco was attracted to guys.” Seriously? That’s her answer?
“He doesn’t. I mean, he’s attracted to Andrea. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.”
“Is this what you want? Both of them? Is this what would make you happy?” A perfect best friend answer. This is why I love her.
“Absofuckinglutely. I love them.”
Luci reaches for my hand, resting hers on top of mine as she sweetly smiles. “I’m happy for you.”
We smile at each other, living in the moment as best friends, mothers, and women deeply in love with our men. I’m stuck in this perfect moment, almost forgetting about the most important thing. Something my men could never relate to.
“Oh my god! I forgot to tell you!”
“What?”
“Pelvic floor exercises have changed my life. I don’t pee when I sneeze anymore.” Even post diapers, I’ve found myself needingto wear liners or change my underwear anytime allergies tickle my nose. Let me tell you, it’s annoyingly inconvenient.
Luci’s eyes get optimistic and wide, letting me know what she’s going to say before she says it. “Really? Where did you get this information? Where canIget this information? I thought it was bad after I had Gia. Now, being pregnant again? It’s worse. I’m convinced I’ll be in diapers forever after having this baby.”
I’ll order you the book. Seriously, babe. Life. Changing.”
The rest of the day goes by way too fast, and before I know it, Théodore makes his little grunting noises, telling me he’s struggling to stay awake. There’s been no yelling or screaming from downstairs, letting me know the conversation between the boys is going well. Good. Luci couldn’t even stop me from castrating Alessandro if he offended my two men's love for each other.
“Alright, girl. Little man over here is telling me it’s time to go home. My insurance check finally came in, and I’m going to get a car soon. After that, I can come over whenever you want. We need to plan your baby shower and my bachelorette party. I may be with two different men, but I need to have at least one of the same last names as my son. And I already promised my hand to Andrea. Don’t worry, Marco knows, and he’s fine with it. Promise to amuse me with my party planning?”
“Always.”
Théodore dozes off and is asleep by the time we get downstairs, proving that the day was way too eventful for him. I can’t wait to have more adventures out of the house with my best friend, watching our babies grow as we raise our children together.
Chapter 84
Andrea
Luci and El went upstairs with the babies, leaving Marco and me with Alessandro. Marco has poured his second drink, and I’ve concluded that he needs the liquid courage to tell his best friend that he’s with not only El, but me, too.
I’ve always known I’ve been attracted to men and women since I was a boy. When I casually mentioned it, ma mère simply said, ‘Okay. Do you want lunch?’ and we went on with our day. I can only imagine what it’s like to realize you’re in love with a man when you’re thirty. To top it off, you have to tell your best friend who’s known you since you were a kid.
Alessandro is scanning through something on his phone, and I’m only guessing he’s peeking in on the cameras in Gia’s nursery. No sound is coming from his phone, making me wonder if he has the sound off or if there’s no sound to begin with.
The silence is defining. We need something to happen before the opportunity passes to have the conversation.
“With having a newborn at home, I’ve forgotten to congratulate you on baby number two. How far along is Luci?” Alessandro switches his focus from his phone to me, locking it before sliding it into his pocket.
“Thank you, Andrea. We’re estimating about sixteen weeks based on how she’s measuring. Luci found out she was pregnant right before El’s baby shower. This pregnancy has been vastly different. She has more energy, she hasn’t been sick, and she’s not as emotional. She’s had more eyes on her this time around, too.” Luci ran off with her grandfather the night she found out she was pregnant, separating the two of them for several months. I noticed immediately that Enzo followed the two ladies upstairs. I’m not surprised he’s got her on lockdown during this pregnancy.
“Good. I’m happy for you two. Marco, El, and I have news too.” Marco stops mid-sip, not expecting me to bring this up randomly. The whole point of coming over here was to have this conversation.
Alessandro is hyperaware of the room, noticing how Marco tenses. “And? Are we pausing for dramatic effect?”