With everything settled, we’d organized a sip and see for everyone to meet Link properly. His introduction to the family was gearing up to be one of the most highly anticipated events in the social calendar. Our house had been lavished with expensive bouquets of flowers, and Link’s nursery filled with clothes and gifts. It would be a hard task to keep my son grounded and humble if this was how he was being treated before he could walk and talk.
“Mia!” Luc’s voice carried through the house.
“I’m coming!” I gave myself one last look in the mirror. Pregnancy had made me a little more self-conscious about my body. It had stretched and molded to house my baby and now he was with us, I bore all the evidence of his tenancy. My pants sat snug against my stomach and I pulled my jacket on before walking out of the room, heels clicking as I walked along the hallways and down the stairs.
Luc was waiting in the foyer, dressed head to toe in black with Link’s carrier in one hand. He wore fatherhood like a designer three-piece. I’d maintained there was nothing that could make Luc more attractive than he already was, but when I saw him bonding with Link, loving our son with his all, I fell harder than ever.
“Eyes back in your head, pervert,” Luc said with a smirk as I flushed red from being caught. “We don’t have the time for that unless you wouldn’t mind running late.”
“We are not turning up late. That’s not the image we’re trying to portray, remember?” I sidled up to them and Luc wrapped an arm around my waist and gave me a kiss that set me on fire. When we broke apart, I looked down into the carrier to check on Link. “Luc!” I said, on seeing my son. “I gave you one job. You needed to get him dressed.”
“I got him dressed.”
“As a dinosaur.”
Luc grinned at me and I looked at my poor son, sound asleep in a dinosaur onesie, complete with hat. At the moment there was a distinct difference between how we dressed Link. I had a host of cute and formal outfits while Luc and Dante seemed content with playing dress up, transforming Link into dinosaurs and bears. That was how Link had earned his nickname of Cub, because Dante and Tori had gifted him a bear suit, which was still a bit big for him to sport yet.
“You never clarified what to dress him in.”
“Next time I’ll give you written instructions,” I grumbled. Luc dotted a kiss on my forehead and we left the house.
The venue had been professionally decorated in baby blues and silvers for the first event that I would formally host for the entire family. Long gone were my days of penny pinching and homemade décor. Luc had money and I was expected to use it to impress all and sundry. In between night time feeds, I’d signed off on emails regarding bows and table settings. It almost pained me to admit the entire place looked better than anything I could have conjured, and it had been money well spent.
Franco stood at the door, sullen faced on his first official order from me. He was here at my request because I didn’t want Luc, Dante or any of the others to have a worry. If Franco had been given to me for security, then he could do the job he was assigned for. He followed silently as we made our way through the function hall, checking everything was in place.
“They’ve done a wonderful job.” Luc and I both looked up to see Maria being escorted in by Dante. The event planners had been the same ones that she had once used, although the ownership and management had been passed down to younger members of the family. Maria had dressed up for the occasion and walked as steadily as she could toward us. Her eyes lit up as they fell on Link and I pulled him out from where he was nestled. Wide awake, Link’s bright blue eyes drank me in as I walked over to her.
“Let me see him,” she said, eager to get a hold of her grandson again.
I could feel Luc’s presence looming behind me. If he had been imposing before, it had only gotten worse since our son arrived. Whenever we were in the same room, I could feel the burn of his stare as he watched us, almost as if he was waiting to swoop in if something happened. His mistrust in everyone had grown, and considering our last visit to Maria had led to heated exchanges, I wasn’t surprised that he was on edge.
Champagne flowed freely as curious guests entered the room, some bearing gifts for our cub. I’m sure Link sensed that the entire event was for him, because I’d never seen my baby boy so well behaved.
“He’s beautiful, Mia. May I hold him?” Katia asked. I was less than eager to approve of this request, but Luc had started to work with Jonah again and Katia had sent a rather large stuffed hippo to welcome Link to the world. It sat in the corner of the room and seemingly had Cerb’s approval, since it hadn’t been torn to shreds yet.
“Of course.” Carefully, I placed Link in her arms, and she beamed down at him.
“You know,” she said quietly, “Jonah and I are hoping to start a family soon.”
Rosalie gasped. “You never said.”
“Yes, well, we weren’t sure, but a little one added to the family would be perfect.”
“They’re a lot of work,” I warned her. “Constant need for attention.”
“No different from our husbands then,” Katia muttered, making me snort. “And you seem to be dealing with it well enough. I can’t imagine looking so good weeks after having a baby.” Laid on a little too thick, but I accepted the compliment. Katia’s attitude had changed significantly since her apology at the wedding reception. Who would have thought a little cold shoulder would be the way to get someone to warm up to you?
“What about you, Vittoria?” Rosalie asked. Tori looked up and arched an eyebrow. “Are we expecting any news from you?”
“News?” Tori asked coolly. “Like the dress from the latest Dolce line finally arrived?”
“Nooo.” Rosalie drew out the word and then held up her left hand and wiggled her ring finger.
The pink splashed across Tori’s cheekbones. “You’d have to ask Dante and Dad about that. It all depends on if they can see eye to eye.”
I’d learned how to ignore the guilt. It still appeared, still demanded to be felt when Dante and Tori joined us for dinner or when Tori would call for a casual catch up or to complain about her boyfriend. I couldn’t rid myself of the emotion, but I had figured out how to push it away and justify the actions we were taking.
“I don’t suppose you know anything, Mia.” Tori rarely softened; her edges were sharp, dressed designer to make her more palatable, but as she asked the question, she looked almost bashful and the guilt threatened to swallow me.
