Page 106 of Bellini Born

Bianca’s big brown eyes stared up at me from where she was seated on my lap. “Are we going swimming?”

“Uh, maybe when it gets a little warmer.” Though the weather was much milder than what we’d left behind in Chicago, it was still chilly in early February.

“Oh!” My daughter perked up as she ventured another guess. “Is Cookie coming?”

Even with as much trouble as that cat had caused, Bianca loved it. But unfortunately, without knowing how long we’d be staying abroad, we decided to leave it behind.

Summer reached out from her perch on the couch opposite me, holding Serafina, to give Bianca’s leg a little squeeze. “Sorry, B. I’m afraid it’s not about Cookie. But she’s safe with Uncle Enzo, and I bet we can video chat with him later so you can see her.”

Arms crossed, she pouted with a “fine.”

I jostled her on my lap, trying to get her to loosen up a little bit as I asked, “What if I told you I asked Summer to marry me, and that she said yes?”

The four-year-old’s head moved on a swivel, twisting as she glanced between me and her former-nanny-turned-future-step-mother. Summer kept her eyes glued to Bianca, nervously gnawing on her lower lip, as we gauged my daughter’s reaction.

Bianca peeked up at me. “Does this mean she will stay with us forever?”

“That’s the idea, yeah,” I replied, my chest filling with warmth at the mere idea of spending the rest of my life with Summer.

“My wish came true.”

Brow furrowing, I asked, “What wish?”

Shyly, she smiled before confessing, “The first night Summer came to live with us, I wished that we could keep her forever.”

“Oh, you did, did you?” I tickled Bianca, making her squeal. “Then I guess I owe you a giant thank you or maybe a giant bowl of gelato. How’s that sound?”

“Chocolate?”

I reared back, placing a hand to my chest in mock outrage. “Is there any other flavor?”

Grinning widely, she shook her head.

Setting her on her feet, I gave her little bum a tap. “Go on ahead, I’ll meet you in the kitchen. “

Bianca was gone in a flash, and I reached out to grasp Summer’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Watery laughter bubbled from her lips. “That was easier than I thought.”

I couldn’t contain my cocky smirk. “I told you she would be thrilled.”

Sniffling, she battled back the tears. “I can’t believe she wanted me to stay so badly that she wished for it.”

I scooched closer to her on the couch, cupping her face and wiping away the first tear that fell down her cheek. “It’s not hard to believe. Not when I’ve been wishing for the exact same thing this entire time.”

“Thank God I’m not wearing any makeup, or I’d be a mess after having the father-daughter Bellini tag team make me cry.”

With my forehead pressed to hers, I whispered, “You are always beautiful to me.”

And I meant it. Dolled up, dressed down, or even in a fucking hospital bed, I was in love with this woman in every single one of her forms.

I couldn’t wait to see all the others she hadn’t gotten around to showing me yet.

“Go get Summer,” I encouraged Serafina.

Our small but mighty eleven-month-old was rocking on her knees, so close to crawling for the first time. This would be a huge milestone for her physical development.

Summer sat only a few feet away, jingling a set of toy keys. “Come on, little mouse.”