I raise my own and we have a little toast. It’s a cool evening, and I’m pleasantly comfortable right now, despite all the little aches and pains. “I swear, I’m going to be ripped with how often I lift that baby.”
“You already are.”
“Even more ripped. Like bodybuilder ripped.”
Elisa waves a hand. “Those are just show muscles. You got real strength. Mom strength.”
I flex a little and tip more wine into my mouth. “All the power I really need.”
Elisa cackles and checks her phone before putting it face down on the table. “You hear from Raf yet? How’s he feel about your work?”
“He says so long as the garage makes money, he couldn’t give a flying cock how I run the place.”
“Sounds like him.”
“It’s exactly what I want in a Don and a brother—keeping his goddamn hands off what’s mine.”
Elisa shakes her head, grinning. “You’ve been in charge for six months and you’re already acting like it’s your entire life.”
“Because it is.”
“Sorry, weren’t we just toasting to motherhood?”
“Nitto keeps me busy at home, but you know Luca. He’s like a freaking hawk with that kid.”
“Seriously, it kind of surprises me how protective and involved he’s been.”
“It’s great, though.” I glance back toward the house where Luca’s giving Nitto dinner. “Not many mafia guys are as hands-on with the kids as he is.”
“Gives you tons of space too.”
“The nannies help a lot with that.”
Elisa waggles her eyebrows. “Must be nice.”
“Even with the nannies during the day, it’s still not easy. So when are you having kids?”
“I’d need a sperm donor first.”
“Pretty sure you could get any guy to make a deposit whenever you wanted.”
“True.” She salutes me with her glass. “However, I’m picky.”
“And there’s your problem.”
“Are you saying I should spread my legs for the first willing stud?”
“No, but I am saying you could use some direction, that’s all.”
Her face twitches slightly, and I can tell I’m on thin ice. I’ve been prodding at her to get a job, pick up a hobby, find a man, basically to do anything aside from mope around the house like she has for the past year, but she’s not really receptive to my ideas.
“Duly noted. And suggestion rejected. You should stick to managing your garage instead of trying to manage my life.”
“That’s a fair point.” I groan and rub my tired legs. “Why’d they have to make the place so big? And put my freaking office upstairs?”
Every day’s been a blessing and a challenge since Nitto was born. He’s a dream baby, handsome and happy and outgoing, which is why I thought I’d have the energy to take over as the manager of the Famiglia’s new garage. Turns out, it’s really hard to have it all.
But I love it anyway. Motherhood changed me in ways I never dreamed of, and I’m finding that management suits me.
