— x.ᴅ.ʀ.

"Dada up." Emiliano squealed right beside my ear making me flinch away from him a little. Turning my head to his side I found him looking at me with a wide smile while extending his arms and wrapping them around my neck.

"Don't scream in my ear, principino. I told you about that." Explaining I wrapped my arm around his little body and stood up from our position on the floor.

"Mama w-whe.. umm, whe-e?" He struggled to say causing me to smile at his trying of pronouncement.

"Where is mamma? Is that what you want to say?" I asked making his eyes lit up and his head bob a little. "Come on, let's find mamma.. where do you think she is hiding?"

The week passed since Antea's memories started to come back and things slowly started to fall into their place. Everything started to somehow be like before, like before everything bad that happened. Before I made my mistakes.

I'm still in constant fear of her remembering and dilemma of telling her the real cause of her miscarriage, but I don't have that in myself. I'm a coward.

I'm scared that if I tell her everything will go downhill. Just like it did last time. I can't watch her trying to kill herself, not again. I can't risk her or the baby. She means too much to me.

Walking towards the living room we found Antea sitting on the couch. Her face seemed twisted in one of pain and discomfort caused me to speed my pace.

"Amore? Are you alright?" I asked letting Emiliano down on the couch while I crunched in front of her.

"I'm fine. It's just.. baby is just moving a lot today. And it keeps laying on my bladder." She said smiling making my lips tilt upwards. My hand found its way on hers engulfing her hand in mine while my eyes didn't leave her face.

"Baby's moving? How does it feel?" My curiosity got the best of me. You can't blame me. During Maddie's pregnancy, I wasn't really with her. She would usually push me away from herself. I didn't experience that part of Emiliano's life how I would like I did.

"Well, umm.. it feels weird. It's like the baby is doing some kind of swirls? I don't know how to explain. It's like butterflies in the stomach but more intense." Chuckling she answered.

I couldn't suppress the feeling of pride that washed over me. Not just because of my baby but because of the women carrying it. Even though she was through so much she is right here next to me, smiling. Carrying our child.

"I mean.. you already knew about how it feels, right?" She asked averting her eyes on Emiliano next to her.

My smile fell a little as I shook my head slowly. "No. I don't know how it feels." Smiling sadly I rubbed a thumb over the back of her hand.

"Oh yeah, cause she left you." She mumbled but then as quickly as words left her lips she slapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened and started to get watery making a frown pull in my eyebrows.

"What is it?" "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I didn't want to be rude." She whispered as a tear fell down her cheek. Rising my hand I swiped a thumb over her cheek wiping a tear away.

"Don't cry, amore. Rude about what?" "I said that you don't know how it feels cause she left you." She sniffed turning her eyes in her lap.

My heart made a weird pattern while looking at her. Does she think that those words are an insult to me? I've been through much worse and besides she didn't say anything that wasn't true.

"Look at me." I ordered as softly as I could muster, however, her head didn't move one bit. Gently grabbing ahold of her chin I lifted her head locking our gazes. "Don't cry. You didn't say anything wrong. You told the truth. She was and still is a bitc.." I flicked my eyes on Emiliano for a second ".. is a ba-bad person." I finished making a soft chuckle erupt from Antea mouth.

"Okay." "Don't spill your tears on people who don't deserve them. You can spill them only if they are happy tears. Okay?" "Mhmm." Humming she turned to Emiliano.

Sighing I sat on a spot next to her while looking at her and Emiliano interact. 'How could I ever think that she would do anything bad? She is just... perfect.'

Antea's sudden flinch made my eyes fix on her. Her whole demeanor turned into one of shock when she looked at my wide eyes.

"What is it?" I asked pulling my eyebrows in confusion "Did Emiliano hit you or something? Is the baby moving again?"

"N-no.." she trailed off as a smile stretch on her lips and she placed a hand on her stomach. "What then?"

"Give me your hand." Exclaiming she grabbed a hold of my hand and put it on her stomach.



Her move alone took me by surprise when she did it. I know it shouldn't but it did, since she returned to my life I didn't touch her in any way she didn't and wouldn't let me. So this took me off guard.

A smile graciously stood on her lips as she skimmed her eyes over my face slowly. "Do you feel it?" Her whisper came out breathlessly while looking at me curiously.

"Feel wha-" I stopped what I was saying when it happened. A small yet powerful kick was felt against my palm causing my eyes to widen and all my thoughts went out of the window.

Drawing my hand away from her stomach I clasped it against my mouth. "Di-did, umm was that what I think it was." I asked wanting to hear her confirm my thoughts.

Nodding her head she looked at me with tears glistening in her eyes. Not being able to hold myself back I drove her into a hug. I could feel my heart beat wildly in my chest at our closeness but that didn't stop me to wrap my arms around her holding her as close to me as baby bump would let me.

"I felt our baby kick." Mumbling under my breath I pulled away ever so slightly "Can I?" I asked Antea showing her my hand. Nodding she grabbed a hold of my hand guided it on her stomach.

I couldn't suppress the big grin that stretched on my face. "Is this the first time that baby kicked?"

"Mhmm.." she mumbled turning her head to the side to look at me. Our eyes connected and just like the first time all air escaped my lungs.

"Yeah.." giving me a sheepishly smile she skimmed her eyes over my face and stopped at my eyes "..this is the first time."

"I'm glad I was here when it happened in that case." I whispered glancing at her lips. Her lips parted as she caught my eyes and her cheeks started to get pinkish coloring.

"I think I don't say this enough but... you are gorgeous, amore." My voice came out breathlessly making her eyes widen ever so slightly but she still kept our eyes locked.

Slowly without realizing I started to lean towards her. The distance between our lips was only a breath away. She is my number one priority, I don't want to scare her away and that was the reason for me to stop myself, letting her choose.

Her brows twitched and her eyes fell on mine letting me know that she wants the same. And that's everything I need, bring my other hand to brush a strand of hair from her face I gently creased her cheek with my thumb.

Our noses were touching and our lips were about to connect when a tump was heard from next to us followed by a loud wail.

Swiftly we pulled away from each other and turned towards crying Emiliano on the floor.

"Hey, hey baby. What happened?" Antea asked watching how Emiliano crawled to her and leaned his head on her lap.

His crying continued until I didn't pull him to sit between us. The moment he got comfortable between us his cries stopped and a big smile took over his face. I looked at him in disbelief. Did he just-

"I should've called you Dante. You are more and more like him by the day passing." I didn't take my eyes from him until a chuckle from behind him didn't snap my attention away.

"He is a little, isn't he?" Antea chuckled looking at Emiliano however when her gaze lifted and our eyes connected I could see her cheeks still holding onto that beautiful red color and a sly smile playing on her lips.

"He is and I'm not gonna lie but.. that scares me a little."

"I think it's gonna pass. You know, how he grows and all-" she started explaining but got cut when Dante all but run into a living room.

"We got a situation." He said breathlessly looking at me causing me to tense.