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FORTY
‘BABY’ ELVIS DREW
Lexi
Istand on the tarmac, watching Gio and Luce say goodbye to Drake, who looks like he’s seen much better days. His arm is in a sling and hidden beneath his sunglasses are eyebrow cuts and swollen black eyes. I mildly wonder what happened to him, but the guy is a pillar of strength all on his own, so I’m not worried. No, my mind is on the news I have and the vacation we’re about to take.
A baby grows inside me, and I truly have no idea how this is going to work out, but I know it will. I’ve already decided I will not have a DNA test done; both of my men will be daddies, and this baby will never know the difference. He or she will have double the fatherly love and double the fatherly adoration.
Bouncing on the balls of my feet and my mind running a million miles an hour with baby names and nursery designs, I don’t hear Jefa step up to my side until her whiskey voice penetrates my thoughts.
“I hope you guys have a good time, hermosa.”
I spin to her, finding a handsome little boy standing beside her like he’s her own personal bodyguard. He has green eyes like Jefa’s, scanning the area and me like he trusts nothing and sees everyone as an enemy..
“Who is this?” I ask her after I hug her.
Jefa looks down, her eyes softening before she looks back to me, “Mi hijo, Nemesio.”
I honestly can’t wait to meet my little one and have that same melting smile Jefa wears so beautifully. It’s as though this little boy holds all the answers to Jefa’s questions, and she can see no one but him. It’s the softest I’ve ever seen her.
I bend at the waist and hold my hand out, “Hello, Nemesio. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Jefa speaks softly to him in Spanish, his head tilting as he gazes at me in a way that can only be described as calculating, as though this child has seen and learned more things than any child should.
His small hand slides into mine, his other one laying softly on top in such a mannerly way that I have to bite back my smile, “The pleasure is mine. My m-mother,” he stutters over the title as though he’s unused to saying it, “tells me you have suffered a loss recently, please accept my condolences.”
Damn, this little kid speaks far greater than me, and I’m like three times older than him. My eyes flash up to Jefa’s, and I see her proud smile at the serious boy.
I tilt my head down in appreciation, feeling like I need to be as formal as he, “Thank you for that.”
Jefa reaches for my shoulder, her fingers squeezing my bicep softly, “Well, I just wanted to come by and see you off. We’re leaving the city for a bit as well, and I’m not sure we’ll see each other for quite some time. Business in Mexico has called me away. But I also wanted to give you a bit of advice.”
I look at her quizzically, “What advice do I need?”
She glances at the guys, “You were bred for this life, Lexi. I saw it in your eyes the moment I met you, and those men of yours…well, letting them walk away from the famiglia would be a tragedy.”
She takes my hands in both of hers, her eyes gleaming as I stand in stupefied silence, “Besides, that little one you carry in your womb will need all the protection he or she can get.”
My mouth drops open, and I feel my cheeks flaming, “How do you know?”
Jefa chuckles, “My best friend Silver had the same glow that surrounds you when she was pregnant, it’s hard to miss.”
She pulls me in for a hug, and I welcome it, my eyes already leaking as I wrap my arms around her. When we part, I chuckle and wipe my eyes, “The guys don’t know yet. I planned to tell them once we arrived in Barcelona. But Jefa, I just want you to know that I never planned on asking them to walk away from you all. If they choose to do that, it will be their choice, and I will stand by them.”
She nods her head and takes Nemesio’s hand, “Will you still stand by them if they choose to stay?”
I look over at Luce and Gio as they walk toward me, my hand cupping my flat stomach instinctively, “I will, and I’ll never regret it.”
THE END
