In meetings, businessmen had gotten used tohim appearing a little less than presentable.
He’d gone from being known as the beast ofthe boardroom, to thereasonable family man. Luca had even heard rumors that if someoneattempted to insult him, that person had been told to shut up, thatno one wanted the beast back.
Children had changed him, but not when itcame to business. If he didn’t believe a company could be saved,then he was blunt with them and even offered their best options. He wasn’t made afool of.
Tillie putting a hand on her roundedstomach drew his attention, and his son and daughter got a reprieve as he went to herinstantly. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m fine.” She took his hand andplaced it against her stomach. “Just a little bouncy today.”
Their third child was due in three months.They were going to have another son. He felt his child kick, andthen he cupped his wife’s face and kissed her hard. “Have I toldyou how much I love you lately?”
“You did so when you woke up this morning,then at breakfast, when you left, and twice through texts.”
Luca had come to realize, in knowing hisown family, that life was short. He didn’t want to waste a momentwithout telling the woman he loved, that he loved her. He wanted her to know how hefelt.
“And guess what?” Tillie asked.
“What?”
“I love you too.” This time, she pulled himdown for a kiss.
He ran his hands up her back, and then hegroaned at the sound of childish giggling. He could quiteeasily be distracted andmake love to his wife, but with their children present, that wasn’tgoing to happen.
“I know what’s on your mind, and that is something I was goingto tell you about,” Tillie said, playing with the lapel of hisjacket. “Mom and Dad have agreed to take Daniel and Elizabeth forthe weekend.”
“The whole weekend?” Luca asked. He lovedhis kids, and it was rare for him to want any time away from them.A few years ago, Bella and Andrew had wanted to take the kids, andat first he had refused.They had advised that he take the time to love his wife. To not seethem as interfering or trying to take his kids from him, but thatthey were all family, and they needed space to be acouple.
That weekend had been amazing. Yes, he hadmissed his kids, but he hadn’t wasted the opportunity to make loveto his wife.
With baby number three on the way, and howattention-seeking hiskids were, he wanted a full weekend with his wife.
“The whole weekend. No kids, no earlymornings, no middle-of-the-night drink breaks, or monster checking,” Tilliesaid.
“Is it wrong that part of me is turned on atthe thought of a full night’s sleep?” Luca asked.
Tillie burst out laughing. “I figuredtonight we go to bed early, wake up late tomorrow, and the rest is just you andme.”
He pulled her in close, knowing he hadgotten so lucky, and he was never going to take her forgranted.
“Consider it a date.”
The End