“You two go. I’ll wait here. I’ll take an espresso.”
She nods. Our soldiers exit the SUVs in our motorcade. A couple of them monitor our surroundings. Bets and Miff enter the coffee shop with Serenity and Madden.
Do I feel totally comfortable letting my son out into this cruel world? No, I know our men will do everything in their power to protect my family.
Several minutes later, Serenity and Madden return with a bag full of treats and a cup holder teeming with drinks.
Serenity places the espresso in my hand.
“Thank you,” she mouths.
“You’re welcome,” I mouth back.
Madden chomps on a cake pop while he breaks down why he had to have all the goodies his mother bought en route to the house. It’s surreal being in his presence like this. No sneaking around behind his mother’s back.
Today is about our family. We can talk about all the betrayal tomorrow.
As we walk through the house, Madden’s sugar intake is evident. He runs in and out of each room, screaming at the top of his lungs.
“He’ll sleep good tonight,” I say.
She laughs. “He sure will.”
Madden halts in front of me.
I stare into his excited eyes that mirror mine.
“Dad, pick me up.” He stretches his arms.
I don’t hesitate to lift my son into my arms and squeeze him.
I’ll never get tired of hearing him call me dad.
As I peer over the banister, he squeezes my neck tighter.
“Madden, I won’t let you go. Don’t play on or near the banister. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” he replies.
Halting in front of one of the bedroom doors, I push it open. Madden wiggles out of my arms and bolts inside. It’s a blank canvas.
“Let me and mom know how you want your room decorated. We can get bed sheets featuring your favorite cartoon characters, or we could try something new.”
He pumps his fists into the air and races in a circle around the spacious room. “Yeah!”
“We’ll start the designing process right away,” Serenity smiles.
The tension between us is obvious. Right now we’re civil with each other for our son.
Later that night, after tucking Madden in, Serenity and I retire to our bedroom. We move around each other in the bathroom and closet robotically as we get ready for bed. I climb into my side of the bed and grab the remote off the nightstand.
Serenity sits across the bed, a pink bonnet protecting her hair and a face mask covering her skin, absorbed in a romance novel on her Kindle.
After all these years, does she think that face mask will keep my hands off her curves?
I tap a few buttons on the remote and began watching sports highlights. Without fail, by the middle of the night, my body is curled around hers. We sleep peacefully this way. Well, at least I do.
I slept in until eleven a.m. Anyone in the mafia will say torturing takes a lot out of you. However, we love to do it. It definitely took a lot out of my wife. I climbed into bed aroundeight-thirty. Fifteen minutes later Serenity’s Kindle was face down on her chest, light snores left her.
