"My Dad just left," she whispered. "I said some horrible things to him." Her voice shook and I hugged her close to him.
"Shh, it's okay, Mia," I soothed. "He'll come around."
"He was so mad. I didn't think he'd be that mad about it."
"Princess." I moved so that I could look at her. "When we have kids and they bring someone home you know we're not going to think they're good enough."
I didn't blame Hector for his reaction. I wasn’t the ideal man for someone’s daughter when they didn’t come from my world, but I wished it had been a bit more contained on both ends.
"We're having children?" Mia asked, her eyes trained on me. She didn't want to talk about what had happened at dinner and so latched onto something else.
"At least six or seven," I told her.
"At least?" Mia squeaked.
"As soon as I make you a Foster we'll get started."
Mia blushed violently and some of the sadness left her as she laughed.
"Would you want that?" I asked her as Mia rested her chin on my chest and looked up at me.
"What?"
"Would you want a family with me?" Suddenly it was not a ridiculous notion. The fleeting thought had rooted itself in my mind. Mia as a Foster and starting our own empire woke something deep inside me. Was this how Emilio had felt when he’d decided to settle down with Carmen?
Mia's blush deepened. I knew we hadn't been in a relationship for long, but I knew Mia was it for me. I knew from the way I couldn't stand anyone being near her and the way I hated being away from her that Mia would be the only one I would want for the rest of my life.
"I think I could see that happening," Mia whispered and I reached down to kiss her.
"I know today didn't work out the way you wanted," I told her. "But we'll get through it together, okay?"
She gave me a small nod.
"I have a gift for you."
"Luc," Mia said. "We agreed to no gifts."
"I know but I couldn't help myself," I said with a shrug. Moving Mia from my chest, I pulled a wrapped box from the drawer of my nightstand and handed it over to her. “Go ahead and open it.”
We both sat up in the bed and Mia carefully unwrapped the gift. Everything about her had order and structure including how she opened the present. A beautiful gold, Cartier designer bracelet sat nestled in velvet. The design engraved in the metal looked as if screws had been placed along it.
"Luc, it's beautiful."
"Let me put it on you."
Mia handed the box back to me. I picked the bracelet out of it and she was surprised when I used a small screwdriver tool provided to unlock it before placing it around her wrist, the one I had bruised months ago, before it locked into place.
"That's a reminder," I said and placed the tool and box away before kissing her wrist. "That I am always with you."
Chapter Forty Eight
Mia
Iwoke early the next morning to see Luc sound asleep beside me. As the fogginess of sleep left me, I remembered the events from the day before and felt a knot in my stomach. I slipped out of bed and tiptoed out of the room.
On the second floor of the house, in the hallway, I saw Maria step out of her room.
"Morning, love," Maria greeted me.
