Page 81 of Bossy Ex's Brother

But sometimes, I was still scared that it would all come back to bite us in the butt, which was why I was freaked out about sending Felix to school.

I brushed his hair back. “I know. I’m just concerned.”

“Well, don’t be too concerned when the baby gets here,” he quipped with a smile, and I groaned. That was another thing that was making me anxious.

I had no idea if I would even be a good mother, no matter how much Luca assured me of it.

Felix kissed me on the cheek. “I’ll be fine. I’ve been taking Taekwondo classes, and I have this hacker friend who can smell trouble a mile away. I’ll be fine.”

“A hacker friend, huh?” I probed, and he must have sensed where the recent line of questioning was going because he suddenly checked his watch.

“Huh. I’m going to be late for my flight if I don’t leave soon. Let me finish packing up,” he said as he took off to the bathroom.

I shook my head, deciding to give him space. I waddled down the stairs into the kitchen just as Luca came in through the front door.

He smiled at me. “How’s my little girl doing?”

“Kicking up a storm,” I announced to him wryly.

“I was talking about you,” he said.

“Ain’t nothing little about me,” I told him. “I haven’t seen my own feet in months. I can’t wait to pop.”

He drew me into his arms, breathing in my hair deeply as he held me. “But you’re still so beautiful.”

“Yeah, right,” I said, but it warmed my heart that he said so.

“How did it go?” I asked and saw his expression darken.

His lips tightened. I’d finally convinced Luca to meet up with his brother. Things were still tense between them, and I wasn’t sure Luca was quite ready to forgive Lorenzo yet, but I thought they needed to make up. Both Luca and Lorenzo had explained their sides to me at different instances—Lorenzo apologized again for leaving as he did—and while I didn’t agree with how he’d done it, I understood him as well.

I told Luca as much, but he was still proving stubborn. Last night, after a particularly passionate round of cuddling, I convinced Luca to go see Lorenzo at his mom’s for Sunday dinner.

“It was fine,” Luca said, which I interpreted as a step in the right direction. Luca wasn’t one to sugarcoat things and would say, “Fuck that guy,” if he was still pissed. He may not have forgiven Lorenzo yet, but at least he wasn’t avoiding him anymore. That was progress.

“Mom was sad you weren’t there, though,” Luca added, and I smiled, remembering the warm woman who was quickly becoming one of my favorite people. I’d been nervous about meeting Luca’s mother at first, given my history with Lorenzo, but from the beginning, she welcomed me with open arms. Sheinsisted on me calling her ‘Mama,’ and she treated me like her daughter, showering me with advice and food for weeks to come.

I was sad I couldn’t make it to this Sunday dinner too.

“I’m sorry,” I told Luca. “I’ll call her and explain later, but I just felt sick to my stomach today. I didn’t want to spoil the dinner.” So, instead, I stayed home with Felix and Beth, who were under strict orders to watch me and call if anything happened.

“Yes, but you should be due a few weeks from now. Which means that from now on, you’re going everywhere with me.”

“Sure thing, boss,” I said in mirth, and Luca shook his head, leaning down to kiss me again.

And just like that, I felt the liquid running down my legs.

“Oh, God.” I pulled back, staring at Luca, horrified. “I think my water just broke.”

My capable husband froze for a few seconds, his mouth moving like a malfunctioning robot. I could see the words computing in his brain, but they simply weren’t coming out.

Then, in a snap, he was yelling out orders like a maniac, picking me up and hustling me to the car with Beth, Felix, Emmett, and Angel running in tow.

Lorenzo and his mom came over to the hospital, the latter being the only one who could calm Luca down and keep him from terrorizing the nurses.

Beth was just as freaked out, but I sent her home with Emmett and Angel because the other two had school the next day and needed to rest.

And Felix missed his flight because he didn’t want to miss out on the birth.

By that evening, surrounded by my wonderful, blended family, I gave birth to two beautiful baby girls.

The End.

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