Page 94 of Where We Met

“Thank you for doing that. I’m sure it meant a lot to him. It means a lot to me.”

“He’s your father. I want nothing but the best for you, and having him approve of your boyfriend is pretty important.”

We rest in silence for some time as we watch the dogs chase each other around the yard. They stop and drink water every so often before getting back at it.

“You know, when people ask how we met, what are we gonna say?” she asks.

I look down at her and smile. “We tell them the truth. I’ll never regret or shy away from our story. It’s where we met, where we fell in love, where our lives changed forever.”

“I agree.”

Epilogue

Luke

TwoYearsLater

"You ready for this?" I stop Savannah at the door of my parents' house.

She looks up at me with a smile, one that seems to be permanently stuck on her face since we found out. I lean down for a small kiss before we walk into the craziness.

"I'm so ready," she says. "It's been killing me to keep in the news."

"Then after you, Mrs. Giannelli," I say as I playfully swat her ass.

She may be pregnant, but she's still my sexy wife, who I can't seem to keep my hands off of. She doesn't even flinch at the contact of my hand on her behind. I think that's how you know she's used to it. We've been married for a year, but you'd think it was a day. I still feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

I proposed to her on one of our work trips to Italy, bringing her back to Mancini Farms, where it all began. She's been working for us for a year now. She came in for a formal interview with my siblings, and they were sold instantly. She was hesitant at first, not wanting to be hired because of our relationship.

It took some convincing, but she eventually agreed. She's been a huge asset to our company. Her people skills are second to none, and she loves the travel. I love seeing her happy, so it all works out.

Her father and I have a solid relationship now. It took about six months before things started to feel a bit more natural.

"Hello?" I shout as we walk into the house, but nobody hears me.

The voices coming from the family room are too loud to beat. To a stranger, it probably sounds like my family is yelling at each other, but this is how Italians talk. I know it's just a regular Sunday conversation.

We walk into the room, and I spot my two-year-old nephew, Joey, playing on the ground with his toys. He sees me, and a huge smile breaks out. Joey and Sienna are my brother Gabe's kids.

"Hey, buddy," I say as I pick him up and kiss his cheek.

His chubby arm wraps around my neck while he points to his trucks on the floor.

"I play trucks," he says.

"Wow. Look at all those trucks lined up," I say as I put him back down.

Savannah is already sitting with Mia and Alexis as they chat and laugh together. It's been great to see the three of them form such a tight bond. I couldn't have asked for a better person to bring into my family.

Sienna and Ma are in the kitchen laughing at something, and I turn around to see flour on Sienna's face. The girl is growing up too fast. She's already eight, but sometimes I swear she acts like an adult. Ma loves having Sienna in the kitchen because she's talented and enjoys it as much as she does.

Looking back at Savannah, her eyes are locked on me with worry. Oh, shit, she isn't feeling good. We were worried she'd be running to the bathroom to puke before we got the news out. I don't know why they call it morning sickness. My girl is getting sick around the clock, and there's not a damn thing I can do to stop it. I've researched all the ways to help ease the vomiting, but nothing works. I'm left powerless, seeing her suffer through this. I hate it.

It's a good indication that I'm gonna have a hard time watching her in pain while she gives birth.

I know she's trying to tell me we need to get the news out now so she can openly get sick all evening.

"Hey, Ma," I turn toward the kitchen and shout. She looks up at me. "Can you and Sienna come over here for a second? Real quick?"

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