Page 65 of Mine To Honor (Southern Wedding)

“Why are you naked?” he asks Levi.

“I just got up. Was I supposed to wear a suit and tie?” he asks. “And why are you here so early?”

“Oh, so he didn’t tell you that we were coming?” Addison folds her arms over her chest right on top of her belly. “You had one job.”

“I—” He looks at me, then looks at Levi. “What is going on?”

“I have no idea what you mean.” I ignore looking at him. Levi and I have been together for the last, I don’t know, two months but we haven’t really told anyone. I mean, it’s not like the daycare doesn’t know we are together. Or that my work doesn’t know, it’s just that no one else knows, and by no one, I mean Stefano and then my extended family.

“Oh, shit,” Addison says, “I might need to sit down.”

“Um, sorry.” I hear a voice from the front door and a woman with long brown hair walks in. Her big blue eyes are shocked at the scene in front of her. Or maybe she is shocked that Levi is standing there half naked. “Should I wait outside?” Her eyes go back to Levi and I am really starting to get heated. In my head, I make a new rule that he has to wear a shirt in the morning.

“No, of course not,” Stefano says to her and I look at Addison, who shakes her head and mouths, “I’m sorry,” to me. “This is the reason we are in town,” he states, “this is Audrey. She’s Sofia’s cousin.”

She laughs. “That isn’t helpful at all,” she says.

“Okay, how about you guys come in,” I invite to them. “I’ll go get dressed and Levi can put on a shirt.” I look over at him. “Then we will join you.”

“I can take Cici,” Stefano offers. “Come to your uncle Stefano,” he urges, holding out his arms, and Cici just looks at him, then me.

“One, you aren’t her uncle,” Levi says, holding out his hand and Cici goes to him. “And two, stop scaring her.”

“I’m her godfather,” Stefano says.

“She’s not even baptized.” I laugh. “Go in the kitchen. We will be right back.”

I walk up the stairs and feel Levi at my back. The minute we are in the bedroom and he closes the door, I turn on him. “What the hell are we going to do?” I put my hands on my head.

“I’m going to get dressed,” he says calmly. “You are going to get dressed and then we are going to go downstairs and have breakfast.” He puts Cici in the middle of the bed with her bottle.

“Okay, but what about Stefano?”

“What about him?” He stands there looking at me as he puts on a white shirt.

“Well, do we tell him about us?” I ask and he stares at me.

“Do you not want to tell him about us?” he counters and puts his hands on his hips. “Do you want to lie and pretend we aren’t together?” He tries to hide his hurt.

“No.” I shake my head. “Of course not.”

“Good,” he says, going to grab Cici. “Now, go change and meet me downstairs.”

“Don’t tell him anything until I get there,” I tell him and he just nods at me. It takes me less than ten seconds to slide on a pair of gray lounge pants and matching T-shirt. I pin my hair up on top of my head, rushing downstairs.

“What did I miss?” I ask when I walk into the kitchen and see Addison, Stefano, and Audrey are sitting on the stools. Cici is in her chair as she eats some blueberries that Levi must have given her.

“I just ordered food,” Levi replies to me as he leans against the counter beside Cici’s chair.

“So.” I walk over to grab my coffee from the side table in the living room. “This is a nice surprise,” I say and feel like I’m going to throw up. Why am I so nervous?

“So,” Stefano starts, leaning back in his chair, “what’s the story with you two?”

He looks at me, then at Levi, then back to me. Levi’s eyes come to mine before he speaks. “We’re together,” he says officially. He thinks ripping the Band-Aid off is better than slowly easing into it. Stefano just looks at him now. “We live together,” he continues. “We share a life. We are raising Cici together.” He smiles at me. “Anything you want to add into that?”

“I think you got it covered,” I say, walking to stand beside him. He puts his arms around my waist. “Do you guys have any questions?”

“You bet the fuck I do,” Stefano grumbles.

---