Buttons and Grace (Buttons 6)

It didn’t bother me at all. “So, when do you want to make another one?”

She laughed as if I were joking.

“I’m being serious.”

She looked up at me, the smile in her eyes. “I need at least a six-month break.”

“I can wait. Then we’re back at it.”

“We haven’t even taken this one home yet.”

“Doesn’t matter to me. Now that I’ve seen him, I know he’s the greatest thing that ever happened to me.”

Her eyes softened as she looked at me.

“As are you.”

Epilogue II

Cane

Adelina started to waddle.

And damn, it was hot.

She shook her hips as she moved, her stomach wobbling from left to right. She was already sexy, but being pregnant just made her irresistible.

I couldn’t keep my hands off her.

She sat beside me on the couch, her pregnant belly poking through her shirt.

My hand automatically moved to her distended stomach, hoping to feel movement underneath. The first time I felt my baby kick, I was over the moon. I couldn’t think straight because I was blinded by joy. A year ago, the last thing I wanted was a wife and kids.

And now, I was so grateful I had those things.

“My parents are coming over for dinner,” she said. “Hope that’s okay.”

“I don’t mind.”

She pulled her hair into a ponytail and kept it off the back of her neck. It was a summer day, but the AC wasn’t enough to keep her cool when she was carrying another person inside her.

“Want something to drink?”

“No. I’m just a little uncomfortable.” She leaned back and rubbed her belly. “I still have three months to go. Pearl took it like a pro.”

“Crow told me she was a nightmare.”

“He did not.”

“Okay, he didn’t. But he did say she was difficult.”

“Now I understand why.” She moved closer into my side and rested her hand on my thigh. “How about we invite Pearl and Crow?”

“I’m sure they want to stay home with the baby.”

“How will you know unless you ask?”

I grinned. “You got me there, Mrs. Barsetti.”

* * *

We had dinner together on the terrace. The sun had just disappeared over the horizon, blanketing us with the cool breeze of evening. We dined on fresh baked bread, pasta Gerald made himself, Italy’s finest wine—and with great company.

Adelina’s parents took to Italy well. They didn’t seem to miss the constant business of America. They loved the endless landscapes, the olive trees across the land, and the smell of wine and cheese everywhere they went.

And having them there made my wife very happy.

That made me happy.

Pearl held Conway most of the time, but she handed him off to Crow when she needed to use the restroom or eat. Now she was engaged in a conversation with Adelina’s parents, a glass of wine in her hand for the first time in nearly a year.

That left Crow and me at the end, in our own little world.

I stared at him over my glass of wine, seeing him look happy without smiling. His son was cradled in a single arm, as if weightless. Conway was wrapped in a blue blanket, his eyes closed because he was asleep.

Crow looked over the horizon before his eyes drifted back to me. He noticed me staring at him, so he said, “What?”

“You look happy.”

A slight smile stretched his lips.

“Our whole lives, you never looked happy. And now, you’re happy all the time.”

His eyes lit up, the usual darkness disappearing. “I don’t think I knew what happiness was until recently.”

“Yeah…”

He held my gaze. “And you look happy.”

“Because I am.”

“If you think you’re happy now, wait until you meet your son or daughter for the first time. There’s nothing like it.”

My eyes glanced down to Conway. “Yeah…I can only imagine.”

Epilogue III

Cane

Adelina’s pregnancy wasn’t as smooth as Pearl’s.

The baby struggled during delivery, so they had to perform an emergency C-section.

I had to wait in the waiting room until they were finished.

And fuck, I was scared.

Crow was there beside me the whole time. He didn’t feed me false words of comfort. His silence was all he could offer me, and I took it gladly.

Until the nurse brought me into the room.

And introduced me to my son.

I held him in my arms and felt his heaviness. He was only six pounds, but he felt dense. The weight of responsibility fell on my shoulders, and I suddenly held something priceless in my hands. It was important than all of my assets.

It was my family.

I turned to Adelina, who was covered in sweat and tears. “Bellissima, are you alright?”

“I’m okay,” she whispered. “It was just scary there for a second. But we’re both alright.”

I cradled my son and kissed her on the forehead.

“We need a name,” she whispered. “We’ve been arguing for a while, but we need to decide.”

I hadn’t known if we were having a boy or girl, not like Crow did. This was a surprise for both of us because she’d wanted it that way. But at the same time, I wasn’t surprised at all. It seemed like I’d always known what would come out of her. “Carter?” Now that I’d met him, seen him with my own eyes, I felt like I knew him.