AllFreeNovel
Share Us
For the first time since taking over, I’m confident we’ve gotten rid of the people we can’t trust. We’re in a good place now, a respected place even. I’m still not sure exactly what the future should hold, but Lupa is right. We need to get rid of the past first.
“Okay,” I agree. “We’ll ask her. But if she says no, that’s the end of it.”
Lupa smiles widely. “I promise.”
“Thank you,” I whisper. “For everything.”
It’s taken a lot to get to where we are now, but every single moment of pain and misery was worth it to get to where we are today. Having the luxury of openly being together and even marrying is something most take for granted, but we didn’t. It’s a day I never dared believe would come, and now that it’s our reality, I’m going to do whatever I have to to have eternity with the love of my life.
“She’s perfect,” Lupa coos. I watch as she gently rocks baby Selene in her arms. “Aren’t you just the most perfect little girl?”
Two weeks old, and my niece has had us all wrapped around her tiny fingers since Cia gave birth.
“Alright, that’s enough,” Liam gripes as he tries to take the baby from Lupa.
She doesn’t budge, and the two of them stare each other down. If you thought he was protective of my sister, it’s nothing compared to their baby. Much to Cia’s amusement, Liam has turned out to be the embodiment of a helicopter parent. The smallest sneeze or cough, and he’s convinced their daughter is dying.
Jesus H Christ.
Okay, I’m not much better. When Cia wanted to go for a walk last week, I had one of my teams make sure there were no strangers within a two-mile radius.
“Leave her alone, Liam.” Cia’s voice is all it takes for him to stand down. “It’s good for her to be around her aunts. Besides, if you alienate them now, who’s going to babysit when you want to whisk me away for a weekend of debauchery?”
Laughing, I theatrically move my hands over Selene’s ears. “TMI!” I exclaim.
“Don’t pay attention to them,” Lupa sing-songs. “The only reason we haven’t babysat you yet is because we might not give you back.”
I feel a stab of… I don’t quite know how to describe it. Longing, perhaps. Watching my wife hold my niece is a reminder that we haven’t had time to even contemplate our own family.
The fact that we’re married is something I once thought of as nothing more than a pipedream. But thanks to Cia and Kai, it’s now our reality. No one sneers or makes derogatory comments when we’re together in public, which is something I’m still trying to get used to.
After so many years of hiding part of myself, it’s still hard for me to flaunt it. The change has come much easier to Lupa, and I’m thankful for her in so many ways. She’s the softness to my edges, always helping me with my shortcomings without ever making me feel bad about them.
“Here.”
I’m surprised when Lupa hands Selene to me, and it takes me a moment to remember to breathe.
This is the first time I’m holding my niece. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to before, but I’m terrified of dropping her, or somehow breaking her.
“I-I… am I holding her right?” I whisper. Though I try to hide the panic from my voice, it’s palpable.
Cia comes up to me, and after wiping some drool from her daughter’s chin, she looks at each of her men. “Why don’t the three of you pretend you have something else to do?” she suggests.
Feeling like this is the moment I’ve been waiting for, I murmur, “I need to speak to Cia alone.”
Unlike the men, Lupa doesn’t fight the dismissal. “Anything for you,” she says playfully.
Once we’re alone, I can feel my sister’s gray eyes bore into me. This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting so long for, but now that it’s here, I’m in two minds. Lupa is the only other person who knows, and if it wasn’t for her, I’d never even consider telling Cia what we found.
“Are you finally going to tell me what’s been bugging you?”
There’s no accusation in my sister’s voice, only amusement.
“Am I that transparent?” I sass.
I look down, surprised that Selene is sleeping in my arms. Something about that steals my resolve. If this little baby trusts me enough to fall asleep, I can’t let her down. I can’t hide away from the truth just because it’s uncomfortable.
“Do you want me to put her in her crib?” Cia suggests, but I shake my head and tighten my hold.
