Page 222 of Made in Love and Blood

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Salvatore

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Lingering in the doorway of the newly decorated nursey, Salvatore listened to the conversation happening on the other side of the room. He didn’t think the two doing the talking would mind. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time he sat on the outside of their private bubble, taking the two of them in.

“They’re precious,” Vanna said, her tone twisting the last word with an excited sweetness. Something he was not used to hearing from her. “I can’t believe this is the first time I’m seeing them.”

“Whose fault is that?” Carina asked back, although not unkindly.

“Well...”

“I called, Vanna. So did he. We wanted you to come.”

“Maybe I thought you’d want to enjoy your babies without me and another kid in tow.”

“You’re lying.”

Vanna leaned sideways a bit, enough to bump her bare shoulder against Carina’s, before she straightened again and peered between the two rocking, white bassinets. “Okay, so maybe I didn’t know how I’d feel, and I needed the time.”

“That’s fair. Probably closer to the truth, too.”

“That is the truth!”

Carina just laughed, but she turned in her woolly, dark blue gown, a careful choice for a winter wedding, to find Salvatore quiet in the doorway. “Hey, babe.”

Vanna passed a look at him over her shoulder, greeting simply, “Salvatore.”

“Vanna. How are things?”

“Quiet. Different. Nice.”

“I heard the executor of Giorgio’s estate has begun liquidating the remaining assets.”

He didn’t bother to ask how the investigation into the apparent murder-slash-suicide of Giorgio, his son, and the other man in the equation had been going, as he already knew.

Vanna reached into the bassinet belonging to Dove. “Apparently. Nico should expect a good half of it, split between him and Carmen.”

“And what about you?”

She shrugged, never turning to look at him and Carina as they met in the middle of the room to embrace. He pressed a kiss to the top of his wife’s head, careful of her already slicked back chignon and the makeup on her face.

“He made sure I would be taken care of,” Vanna informed like she was ordering coffee and not speaking of the death of her husband. “Which means I won’t have to return to my father for anything significant, anyhow. That’s what counts.”

Salvatore cleared his throat, knowing the woman wouldn’t want to get too deep into that topic. “Well, in the meantime, if you do need something,” he replied while Carina squeezed his hand.

Vanna looked back at him one more time, nodding. “Thank you.”

“Just not this thing,” Salvatore clarified, only half joking, as he tilted his head toward Carina at his side.

Her hand swatted his back.

Vanna only laughed, her eyes darting between the two before her attention went right back to the twins in their beds. “No, uh, I don’t think I can...compete. I learned that a while ago, Sal. No worries there.”

He didn’t worry. He simply knew the past because it painted them all again and again.

Carina checked the delicate Cartier watch on her wrist. “You need to go get Frankie so we can get her dressed and downstairs. And where’s Nico? He’s your responsibility today, Sal. You wanted this wedding to happen before she was nine months pregnant, so we didn’t have water breaking on the priest’s feet.”