He dipped his face into my stomach and pressed his lips to the area just under my bellybutton, kissing us both dotingly.

And just when I thought I couldn’t adore him anymore than I already did, I went and fell all over again, loving him more today than I had yesterday.

24. At peace

Chapter 24

At peace

Ettore

There was no hiding how ecstatic I was about our baby and I couldn’t wait to tell my family. Vittoria and I both agreed not to make the announcement until twelve weeks as was recommended by the good doctor. And when the time approached, I saw Tori had become riddled with nerves.

“What’s wrong?” I stepped in behind her, slipping my hands over her not yet visible bump, pressing my front into her back.

“Nothing,” she clipped out.

I planted my chin on top of her head and caressed her stomach, soothingly. “Liar.”

And when her shoulders slumped, my brows drew down as she started then stopped, then started again. “I’m just worried.”

“About what?”

She scoffed as she cut up small pieces of fruit to put into a bowl. “God, name something, Tor. Telling the kids. Telling your family.” The knife slipped through the apple harder than necessary. “Feeling so damn happy and knowing your brother will find a way to take that happiness and flip it in the way he always does.” The blade hit the chopping board hard when she anxiously uttered, “It won’t be long before my sister finds out and-” The cutting paused when she breathed out a shaky, “And I don’t know what she’ll do.”

Frustration built up inside of me.

Nope. I didn’t like this.

I reached out, took the knife from her and set it down before spinning her around and when she glanced up at me, the way her mouth pulled down was an immediate no for me. I stroked her hip. “Do you trust me?”

She sighed and rolled her eyes, the little shit. “Yes,” she drew out the word.

“Do you love me?”

And although she still looked irritated, her voice gentled. “Yes.”

“Do you trust me to take care of you? To guard you, and protect our children?”

With that, her irritation flew the coop. She wore her soft heart on her sleeve when she looked straight ahead, at my chest, and reached out to lightly poke my stomach. Her voice quieted, “Of course, I do.”