“Nope.” He yawned and leaned in closer to her.
“Okay, big kid,” I replied.
“I’m really not tired.”
“I believe you,” she said, shivering at the instant change in temperature. It was only March and yet it felt like November tonight.
“Boss,” Fedel nodded to her and opened the door for us. Ethan stepped in first, followed by Mel and then me.
The moment the doors closed, Ethan rested his head on her side.
“I’m not tired,” he muttered softly.
“I believe you,” she said softly, again kissing his forehead as his eyes closed. “Mio bel leoncino Significhi tutto per me.”
“And his father?” I asked her. “If he means everything to you, what happens to me?”
“Are you jealous of your son?” she asked, not bothering to look at me, her eyes only on him.
“Yes.”
Her head snapped to me like she wasn’t expecting me to admit it. Reaching up, I brushed her hair behind her ear, leaning in closer to whisper, “I love seeing you as a mother, you are stunning. But Sei il grande amore della mia vita. Il mio cuore è solo tuo Senza di te la vita non ha più senso. (You are the love of my life. My heart is yours. Without you, life has no meaning.) So never look away from me for too long.”
I kissed her cheek. She glared at me, but said nothing and leaned back in the seat.
I closed my eyes and tried to relax, but only seconds later the car came to a stop and we were at the gates of the mansion.
Over the years, we had expanded it to make room for the newest members of our family. Rule Five: One family. One Roof. Yes, even though we basically lived in a palace now, it still felt crowded some days.
“I got him,” I told her. I got out of the car and came around to the other side to lift him out of the seat.
His arms snaked around my neck. I can’t believe how big he is getting.
“Good evening, Sir, Ma’am,” our butler said to us when we stepped inside. “Madam Coraline has already put Wyatt and Donatella to bed, but they wanted to wait up for you.”
“I’ll go to them now,” Melody said and kissed Ethan’s cheek before walking up the steps.
“O’Phelan, anything worth noting happen in our absence?” I questioned.
“No, Sir. Between your mother and Madam Coraline, it was a casual evening. They baked cupcakes, spent some time outside before watching a movie in the theater with popcorn. Most of them fell asleep after that.”
“Good work. That’s all for the night.”
“Of course, Sir. Goodnight.”
Ethan’s room was only two doors down from ours, in the west wing, with a door that connected to his sibling’s room. It was massive, as per Melody’s orders, the floor covered in soft cream carpets, cherry wood paneling on the walls, and the best view of the backyard with the Chicago skyline in the distance. His bed was much bigger than it needed to be and when I laid him down, he rolled into the middle. I pulled off his tie and shoes and he stirred as I sat him up and took off his jacket and pants.
“Ethan, you need to change,” I told him when his eyes cracked open.
He made a face before lifting up the comforter and crawling underneath in only his boxer briefs. He fell right back asleep.
“Because of you, my night is ruined and yet you sleep like a baby,” I muttered as I kissed his head. “Sleep well.”
Moving to the door that connected to Wyatt and Donatella’s room, I turned off the light to his room, leaving the door only partially closed.
“Daddy?”
Donatella sat up rubbing her eyes.