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Luca shrugs with his mouth. “Is he?”
I hold my hands out to Ares and he starts doing the cute kicks again. “Yes.”
“Nah, he's always weird.”
I shake my head and Ares grabs hold of my arms. “You’re all strange.”
Luca chuckles and flicks some water at my face. “Could have told you that a while back.”
Later on, the chef made Ares dinner whilst I opted to wait for Enzo to come back so I could spend some time with him. I put Ares to sleep in our bedroom and he fell straight to sleep because he is the best baby in the world. Absolutely no contest.
I shower and put on a red linen dress as I sit by the pool barefoot in the evening sun checking my phone. It's Michael's rehearsal dinner party tonight. I've got a few texts from my mum to say she's received the presents I've sent and one from Michael telling me he'll miss me tonight. It hurts. I feel like I’m letting them down. It makes me feel worse that none of my family has even met Ares yet, only through Facetime. I obviously want Ares to meet his family. I’m desperate for them to get to know him but just the thought of Tom hearing about Ares is enough to send me into a panicked frenzy.
Enzo steps out from the patio doors in a t-shirt with black shorts and the Off White off-court hi-top trainers. I love him in casual clothes, it makes him look normal. He spots me alone and he sighs. “Has he gone to bed already?”
I nod and slide off the seat to wrap my arms around his waist. “He had a good day though.”
His fingers curve around my nape and he presses me up against him, brushing his mouth against mine. “I tried to get back earlier.”
I silence him with a proper kiss and he smiles against my mouth. “Stop feeling bad, it's fine,” I say pulling back from him and catching his eyes. He doesn't look placated but he takes my hand and motions his head towards the beach. “I have a surprise for you.”
He guides me down the marble steps to the beach and throws his arm around my shoulder as we stroll across the sand, the sun just starting to set in the distance. I sigh and relax into him. There's something about being under his arm. It feels like the safest place you could be. Where nothing can get to you. Like a Volvo XC90. Have you seen the crash test videos? If not, I suggest you do, might just tempt you.
Work song - hozier.
“So how was your exploration of the Antioquia jungle?” I wiggle my eyebrows at him.
He shrugs a big shoulder. “A Lot of trees, a lot of drugs, a lot of guns. You know, the norm.”
“My very own David Attenborough.”
He cocks an eyebrow. “Does that mean you can start calling me Sir?”
“Only in the bedroom,” I say airily. He lets out a small laugh and delivers a sharp slap to my arse, making me squeal and jump forward. My eyes fix on lots of flickering lights tucked behind a few bushes, I turn to him with a quizzical look and he puts his hands on my shoulders pushing me along with a small smile. We round the hedges to find a small table with some drinks and a few food dishes set out among hundreds of candles.
My face lights up as I turn to him. “Did you do all of this?”
“Carms did most of it.” He says, giving me a wink and pulling my chair out for me. I let out a disbelieving laugh as I look around at the scene. Who knew Carms had such a creative eye? He sits down opposite me picking up an envelope that was already set on the table.
The last of the sun is finally receding behind the mountains in the distance, the last rays creating a pink hue around us. “I love it.” I shake my head, grin bigger than the Cullinan diamond on my face.
“Good, because I've got a present for you.” He says as he hands me the envelope.
I take it from him giving a confused look but he leans back on his chair taking a sip of his whiskey. Am I sensing nerves?
I open the manilla envelope and take out what looks to be some kind of court document. I skim through until I see ‘Ares Dabrowski’ printed in bold letters.
I take a double look. He can't be serious? “You want to adopt Ares?” I have to take a measured breath just to stop my hands from shaking.
“Yes. I want to legally acknowledge that we are a family. You, me and him.” He says, Eyes heavy and fixed on me.
I'm so shocked I can't get my words out. I can feel tears build up in the corner of my eyes. I never expected him to do this. The way he's looked after us already is enough.
“Enzo, this is incredible,” I say as I look back through the document.
“I want him to be Ares Moretti, like how I want you to be Casimira Moretti.” He says his voice deep and thick with emotion.
I look up to him and he’s holding a black velvet box in his hand across the table. My hand flies up to my mouth as the tears start to spill. He opens the box and nestled into the velvet is the same ring Enzo wears on his pinky, the same ring all his siblings wear. The Moretti crest ring. A little smaller and more delicate but the same gold signet ring with the ‘M’ stamped in gothic lettering into the gold plate.
