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Elsie nodded with a smile but then furrowed her brows in the fakest way. “I missed, Mama.”
Last night after calling me Mama when she was frightened by the dogs, she actually apologized, and my heart broke into a million pieces. I told her it was not a problem anymore and she could call me mama whenever she wanted. I told her she could also call me Luce in case she didn’t feel comfortable yet, but Elsie was more than excited about it. She kept saying it like she was waiting for this day. She was really too much for my heart.
I went back to bed and sat on the other side of Elsie. She was now between us, still giving Val an angry look.
“Sorry for stealing your mama, Peanut.”
I flinched a bit despite Val’s smile. I knew he was never going to be harsh or rude against Elsie, but that didn’t mean he was going to be okay with everything. I had her for more than four years, but this was Val’s first time being a parent. I didn’t want him to be frustrated with it so early on, which was not a far-fetched thought considering Elsie had just interrupted us in the middle of making out. I wanted to give Valerio time to adjust.
I wanted him to be completely happy about his decision. It was the least I could do.
“What I told you earlier?” I asked Elsie. “Married people sleep on the same bed.”
At first, she didn’t look very pleased by the idea but then smiled. “Can I sleep with you, too, then?”
“No,” I said in a firm tone. I knew if I didn’t put down rules now, it was going to be harder in the future. “Married people need to sleep alone in their own bed.”
This time she nodded quietly. Elsie had never been a very problematic kid.
Valerio softly brushed her dark hair out of her face. “We need you to sleep in your own bed, but we will be here if you need us, Peanut. If you feel scared or miss us or need anything, you can just knock on our door. Just because you cannot sleep with us doesn’t mean we are leaving you. We just need private time sometimes. Okay?”
Elsie smiled up at him and nodded. “I understand. You need time for kissing.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
“Tony told me his mommy and daddy kiss a lot. You can kiss too.”
Valerio chuckled. “They sure do.”
I just shook my head, but I was glad Elsie got along well with the other kids, and she was getting used to being here even now. Seeing her happy like this helped me get over my worries. Still, I didn’t want to get ahead of myself for Valerio’s sake.
I rubbed her belly. “Hey, baby, why don’t you go to your room and get ready for a bath? I will be there in a second. Okay?”
“Okay,” Elsie singed. She kissed both Valerio and me before jumping off to bed to go back to her room.
I looked at Valerio. He was smiling after her. I mean, it was impossible not to smile at her sweetness, but I couldn’t get over what happened before. “I am sorry,” I muttered.
His forehead wrinkled. “For what?”
“Elsie,” I said, raising my eyebrows. “Because she interrupted us.”
Valerio chuckled. “Oh yeah. That was unfortunate, but why the fuck are you apologizing for it?”
“Because she is my daughter?”
“You really don’t make any sense to me right now, Luce.”
Even though I loved him, he was still so damn frustrating. “Val, this is your first time living with a kid. You haven’t been a parent before. I know these things can be frustrating. First, I tried to sleep with Elsie instead of here, and then she interrupted us. I don’t want you to regret bringing her here. Living with a kid has struggles, but I will do my best to not subject you to those. I failed this morning, so I am apologizing.”
Valerio shook his head and disbelief. “You are so stupid sometimes.” Then before I could even open my mouth to answer, he came closer to me and cupped my face with his hands. “Luce, I might have never lived with a young kid before, but I am not stupid. I didn’t bring Elsie here because I thought she was cute. I brought her here because she is your daughter, and she needs to be here. I have many kids and parents around me. I know having a kid is not all fun and games. She is going to interrupt us more, she is going to need us a lot, and she is going to create more and more problems, but I knew all of that when I brought her here. I want her here, and you shouldn’t be the one trying to keep me happy. I should be the one trying my best to be a good parent so you and Elsie can accept me.”
“Val, no,” I whispered. He always knew what to say, but I didn’t want him to feel like that. He was more than enough. He made me and Elsie happy, so I wanted to do my best to make him happy as well.
“Shh,” he softly kissed my lips. “I don’t want to hear anything else about this. I know Elsie is a struggle. She could be my biggest struggle, but it is so worth it. You know why?”
“Why?”
“Because I love her,” he said with a smile. He kissed me again and softly rubbed my cheek. “And I love you.”
