Page 108 of Bellini Bred

His eyes were locked on his wife and daughter. “I’d do anything for them. Even suffer through the debilitating anxiety of knowing I can’t be there to protect them every minute of every day.”

Serafina ran back into the room and came to a skidding halt before Allie. “My hands are clean.” She held them up for inspection. “Can I have the baby now?”

Motherhood lit Allie up from within, and she beamed down at our shared niece. “All right. Come sit down.”

Luca wasn’t as interested as the other children, who were already begging for their turn. With a younger brother at home, it would seem he was immune to the appeal of a brand-new baby.

He wandered over to where I stood with the other dads, lifting his arms. “Daddy, pick me up.”

I bent down, grabbing him around the middle with a growl, playing our favorite game where I pretended to be a bear.

“Daddy!” his peals of laughter echoed throughout the room, drawing the attention of Rory, whose smile couldn’t be contained.

Eventually, I granted my son mercy, putting an end to the bear attack, and Luca’s breathless, panting form slumped against my chest. I hugged his tiny body close, inhaling deeply against the top of his head. He smelled like everything good in my life.

Rory joined us, leaning her head on my arm and sighing as she surveyed the scene set before us.

“I love our family.”

“Me too,tigrotta. Me too.”

It had taken me far too long to realize it, but they were my most prized possessions.

And as long as I had them, I didn’t need anything else.