I felt lost… adrift at sea, unable to anchor.
Marcos took one look at my face and stopped. “Hey Luke, why don’t you head outside with Jason. I’ll be right behind you, ok?”
Once Luke was out of the room, Marcos crouched down in front of me and rested his hands on my knee. “Maya, are you, ok?”
“Hmm?” I asked, snapping out of the stupor of emotion I’d been in.
“Mi Vida,” Marcos murmured, rubbing his large hands over my knees. “Are you ok with this? Moving Luke in here?”
“I—of course,” I stammered.
“Maya.” Marcos’s voice was gentle and soothing. “Talk to me.”
Tears welled in my eyes at how gentle and caring he was being. “I don’t—this is just all so fast.” My voice broke as I choked on a sob.
Marcos immediately pulled me into his chest, holding me close while sobs wracked my body. “Shh,” he murmured, rubbing my back. “I know it’s fast, I know we’re rushing you. I’m sorry, I should have thought of that beforehand. You being taken by Hillcrest, it killed me, baby.” Marcos choked up and took a moment to get this own breathing under control. “The idea of being without you and Luke, not having you two close andhome, didn’t sit right with me. I’m sorry for moving things too fast and practically forcing you in here. Like I said, we can bring you back to your mom’s at any time.”
I shook my head. “After you already told Luke he could have both parents living together like all the other kids at school?” I pulled away from him to glare at him. “So I can be the bad guy and take him away from his father again?” I shook my head.
Marcos sighed. “There’s a lot we need to talk about, but I know now that you didn’t know you were pregnant when you left here. There were outside forces at play, I get that. I know you wouldn’t take him away from me. Even if we don’t work out, we’ll figure out the co-parenting thing. I promise you, Maya.”
I sighed, wiping my eyes and nodded.Why the fuck did he suddenly have the answers for things now?“Ok.”
Marcos nodded slowly. He slid his hand up my arm and over my cheek. “Luz de Mi Vida,”Light of my life“you are still the light of my whole fucking world. I hope you know that.”
I gasped, my eyes widening as I met his intense dark brown eyes. I traced his face with my eyes, taking in the crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes, his buzzed hair, and the stubble that covered his chiseled jaw—a permeant five o’clock shadow that only enhanced his features. He’d always been an attractive man, but he seemed to have aged like fine wine. His Mexican heritageshown through his complexion and dark eyes, had only served to make him even sexier.
The fact that his name of endearment for me wasMi Vida, and it literally translated tomy life, only made him hotter. I had never stopped loving any of my men in the ten or so years we’d been apart. That was never the issue. The issue was just everything else.
“Dad!” Luke shouted from the back door.
I jumped, whipping my head toward the doorway to the kitchen, expecting to see someone standing there. Marcos’s hand slipped from my face and he sighed. “This conversation isn’t over,” he said, before he stood up.
I didn’t respond, I didn’t know what else to say. We had so much to talk about…one day.
Nico
Walkingintotheloungeat the Seratelli family house, I weaved through cousins and family members, friends and acquaintances that loitered in the space, sipping cocktails and liquor. I greeted everyone that slapped me on the back as I walked by, giving pleasantries as I went.
It was a far different welcoming than my first night back at family dinner, and I didn’t know how I felt about it. I was grateful to all of them, of course, but I still wasn’t used to being back in the fold after so many years away.
I walked to the bar and ordered a whisky neat. Resting my elbow on the bar, I turned to face the room, just as my cousin stepped up beside me. “How’s your girl doing?” Leo asked.
Turning my back to the room, I sighed. “She’s…alright, I guess? She’s hanging in there. It’s hard to say, really. She’s surviving.”
Leo nodded solemnly, “That’s to be expected, right? I mean, she lived through something no one should ever endure.”
“Yeah,” I muttered despondently. Thankfully the bartender set down my whisky at that moment and another for Leo, before he walked away.
“You know, I’m here for you. If you need anything at all, even a fight, I’m here.” Leo squeezed my shoulder reassuringly.
I barked out a laugh. “You still get in the ring? God, what would the family say if I bruised their precious don?”
“Your don too.” Leo nodded at me. “I’m still your don, too.”
I swallowed roughly, meeting my cousin’s blue eyes. I jerked my head once in agreement, the emotion clogging my throat made it hard to speak.
“But yes, I still get in the ring occasionally,” Leo continued. “And who says you’d even get close enough to land a hit, let alone bruise me?” Leo smirked at me and raised his whisky to his lips.
