Page 248 of Lorenzo

I shake my head. “Nothing important.”

Her eyes narrow with immediate suspicion, but before she can press me, I distract her by taking her coat and putting it away with mine.

Mario appears in the doorway leading from the family room.

His gaze goes directly to Mocha.

I grin.

He notices.

“Do not start.”

“I said nothing.”

“You were about to.”

Donna looks between us. “He's already had his fill of babies tonight.”

Mario’s eyes narrow.

Donna pats Mocha’s head. “So yours should be safe.”

I bite back a laugh as Mario stares at her.

“He can’t possibly eat another one. Look at him. He’s stuffed.” She gestures at Mocha, who is gazing up at Mario, completely unaware.

“Donna,” I say, losing the battle with my laughter.

She looks at me innocently. “What? I’m trying to make him feel better.”

“You are failing spectacularly.”

Mario shakes his head. “I am beginning to understand why the two of you get along.”

He steps aside and gestures us into the family room, where everyone else has already settled in with the comfortable sprawl that comes from being together often enough that nobody bothers with formality anymore.

Victoria is curled into one corner of the sofa with Leonardo in her arms, while Julia sits nearby with Cecilia tucked against her chest. Ricardo occupies the chair beside her, Diego is stretched out at the opposite end of the sofa, and the younger generation has claimed nearly every remaining seat.

Donna slows for half a second when she takes in the entire room at once.

I lean closer. “Still think you were prepared?”

“I never thought that,” she murmurs, though the smile tugging at her mouth says she does not mind.

Mocha, meanwhile, appears delighted by the sudden abundance of people and attention. He trots ahead of us with his tail wagging, drawing several greetings at once as Victoria looks over and smiles.

“So this is Mocha.”

Donna nods. “In all his baby-eating glory.”

Mario sighs behind us as Victoria laughs. “Please do not encourage her.”

The babies have changed considerably even in the short time since they were born. Leonardo is nearly six months old now and increasingly interested in everything happening around him, while Cecilia is still small enough that she spends much of her time tucked contentedly against Julia.

Donna has met Victoria and Julia before, but only for interviews, not in a setting where the babies were present, so her entire being softens when she sees them.

I notice because I notice everything about her now.