Page 94 of Girth (Marked Skulls MC 1)
Nico promised that it would only be a matter of time before we could visit Seattle often, before my parents could come to Rome!
I looked up now when Nico opened the door and stepped in. I beamed at him, unable to hide how happy I was feeling.
“You okay, beautiful?” he asked and I nodded my head.
Nico remained by the door, watching me and Avery in my arms.
“Come here, sit with me,” I asked and a grin started spreading on Nico’s face.
“I want to, but I think you’re ready for your surprise now,” he said and I crossed my brows.
“You have a surprise for me?”
Nico held the door open and Ava walked in.
My jaw dropped and I squealed. Ava squealed too and she came running to me. Avery giggled in my arms and Ava lifted her up, kissing the baby’s cheeks and cuddling her.
“Oh my God, Kenni, she’s absolutely adorable! She looks so much like you,” Ava said. Nico came over to take his daughter, so that Ava could sit with me.
We were both crying. This was the longest we’d been apart since we first became friends. I’d missed her every day and now she was finally here.
“What are you doing here? What’s going on?” I asked, gasping for breath. I watched as Ava and Nico exchanged pleased looks.
“It was Nico’s idea. He wanted me to be here for Avery’s birth but I missed the flight. I took the next one, no worries,” she explained and threw her arms around me. We were hugging and laughing and wiping the tears off each other’s cheeks.
“I can’t believe you’re here…I didn’t think it would be safe?” I looked at Nico now, while he rocked Avery in his arms.
“Things are getting better, besides Ava said you and the baby were worth the risk,” Nico replied.
I shook my head in disbelief while Ava sat on the bed beside me.
“How long are you here?” I asked and Ava smiled.
“A few weeks. I wanted to help out with the baby. But I have to go back for work of course,” she said and I nodded my head.
“I would have been just as happy even if you came for a few hours,” I told her and we were hugging again.
Over Ava’s shoulder, I smiled at the man…the father of my child…who had stuck to his word. He was fixing this. He was going to make sure that I was always happy.
***
One Year Later
It was our wedding day, and I was blessed to be surrounded by all the people I most loved. My friends, Carly, Sarah, Silvia and Mona were there with their husbands and their respective kids. My parents were flown in by Nico too and Ava was of course, fussing around me as she helped me with my veil.
I hadn’t seen Nico for an entire day, according to custom and our baby girl was now beginning to wonder where her daddy was.
“Where is Avery?” I asked Ava as she touched up my makeup. I was sitting in front of the mirror.
Nico and I had selected a beautiful Tuscan villa for the wedding. Ava and Carly had helped with the decorations and the food. This day was turning out to be perfect.
“She’s with your mom outside,” Ava told me.
Once she was satisfied with my makeup, she stood behind me and we looked at each other in the mirror.
“You look beautiful, Kenni,” she said and kissed the top of my head. As I held her hand, I saw the diamond glitter on my ring finger.
Nico had fallen on his knee one night, only four months ago. It had seemed like a regular night-in for us. Avery was there, we’d ordered pizza and we were just about to settle in for a movie. Instead, Nico had turned off the TV, put Avery in her cradle and got down on his knee.
When he asked me to marry him, I’d burst into tears.
I’d pictured myself spending the rest of my life with this man…but marriage hadn’t crossed my mind. I wasn’t one of those girls who dreamed about her wedding. And yet, I was the one having one of the dreamiest weddings!
We had four months to plan everything and Nico said he was going to make sure I had all my friends and family in attendance. Things were better with the Rossi family in Seattle now and he said it was safe for everyone to travel.
So, now they were all here. On my special day to witness the union of Nico and me. I was happy and content. I couldn’t even remember what it felt like to be in Seattle anymore.
There was a knock on the door and we turned to see an older man walk in.
“Excuse me, my apologies. They told me you were ready,” he said.
I recognized him from the one old family picture that Nico had. It was Fabio Rossi, his father.
“I am, Ava would you excuse us please?”
I watched as my friend left and Fabio stepped closer to me.
“No, no don’t get up,” he said when I was about to stand.
“I wasn’t aware that you were coming,” I told him and he nodded his head. I could see the similarities between father and son now. He must have been very handsome when he was young.
“You’re right, I wasn’t invited. I think I’ve done enough to deserve my son’s hatred. But I believed this would be my only opportunity to meet my daughter-in-law and my grandchild. I wanted to see you both. The woman who stole my son away from me,” he continued.
I gulped, a sudden fear had gripped my heart. Was he threatening me? Was he going to do something? Based on all the stories I’d heard about him, I knew that he was not a man to be trusted.
I stood up from the ottoman this time and turned to face him.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, trying to be as firm as possible.
Fabio breathed in deeply, squaring his shoulders the way Nico always did.
“Nothing, my dear. I just wanted to see you and wish you the best of happiness. I know my son is happy and that should satisfy me,” he replied.
I was confused now. Was he here to threaten me or was he genuinely being nice?
He must have seen the confusion on my face because he smiled now. It was a weak and sad smile.
“You remind me of my late wife. She looked just as beautiful on our wedding day. The truth is that she was a remarkable woman, but she died of sadness,” Fabio stated.
“Nico’s mother had cancer,” I said and he nodded his head.
“But she gave up too easily. She had no interest in fighting the disease. She had no interest in this life that I’d built for her. She was sad. She still loved me but she knew I was a monster. She didn’t want to see her son grow up to become one as well,” Fabio continued.
“He is not,” I remarked and he nodded his head.
“I know that, and I have you to thank for the peaceful life he leads now,” he said and reached for my hand.
I allowed him to take my hand in his. I could sense he wasn’t a threat to me anymore.
“Will you stay for the wedding?” I asked softly. His eyes were bloodshot now, he was brimming with emotion. This should have been just as much a happy day for him as it was for my parents.
“I don’t think my son would want that,” he said and I patted his hand.
“I think he would. I don’t think you know your son at all,” I replied and Fabio smiled.
“I’ll stay,” he said and I smiled at him too.
He left soon after and my father came in to walk me down the aisle. Then, when I walked down towards Nico, who looked so handsome standing there at the alter in his tuxedo, I knew I was truly happy.
We may have left Seattle but there was nothing missing from our lives. We were happy here. We led a peaceful life together, and now we were surrounded by our family and friends too.
Nico blew me a kiss as I walked towards him. We couldn’t wait to be married to each other.
***
One Year Later
It was Avery’s second birthday and we’d organized a huge party for her at our home in Rome. Our friends from the neighborhood and Nico’s work friends were invited as well as their large families. Avery’s playgroup friends were there of course and I’d baked her a big zo
o themed birthday cake.
After everyone left and Avery was tucked into bed, surrounded by all the gifts and toys she’d received—Nico and I finally had a chance to breathe.
