Somebody sedate me.
“Alex!” Gia’s tiny, excited voice rang out from the living room, and suddenly she was bounding toward him, abandoning her princess movie without a second thought. She launched herself into his waiting arms, and he caught her easily, lifting her up like she weighed nothing. She clung to him like a little koala.
“I missed you!” she declared, her tiny brows furrowed in mock indignation. “Mama’s been stealing you.”
Alexander nodded solemnly, playing along. “I know. It’s so unfair.”
“She’s right here, you know,” I said, crossing my arms, but my grin betrayed me.
Gianna placed a hand on her hip, her tone exasperated. “Mama always wants Alex time.”
I snorted, recognizing Nicola’s sass in my toddler. Alexander, on the other hand, looked thoroughly delighted.
“I was thinking,” he said, shifting Gia so she perched more comfortably on his hip, “how about a picnic? Maybe near a park?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Gia chanted, squirming in his arms. “Mama! Park!”
I gave in immediately, not that there was any other choice. “Okay, baby. Let’s go to the park.”
Alexander smiled at me, soft and warm, like I’d given him more than just an afternoon plan. I let my eyes linger for a moment, taking in the rare sight of him dressed casually—a short-sleeve knit button-up that showed off the tattoos curling over his ebony skin, from the rose on his hands and up to the delicate wings on his neck.
I was not going to survive this day.
By the time we reached the top of the hill at the park, the sun was shining, and Gia was perched on Alexander’s shoulders, giggling endlessly. She was pointing out trees and rating them based on their “prettiest colors.” Alexander played along enthusiastically, giving each tree a dramatic flourish as if it were the most extraordinary sight in the world.
Meanwhile, I lagged behind, cursing my decision to wear heeled ankle boots on what turned out to be a grassy incline. But honestly, I couldn’t even be mad. Alexander kept slowing down, waiting for me. My view? Alexander and Gia, laughing together in the sunlight, like they’d been doing this forever.
Alexander waved his free hand dramatically, apparently narrating something to Gia that sent her into peals of laughter. Whatever it was, I couldn’t hear it from my spot a few paces back, but it didn’t matter. Watching them was enough.
It hit me then, with a force that left me breathless.
This wasn’t fake. This wasn’t a PR stunt or an arrangement or a temporary illusion.
This was my daughter, my life, and this man who somehow made everything feel like it could be real.
I was in so much trouble.
The picnic blanket was spread out under a sprawling oak tree, the kind Gianna had deemed a “queen tree” on our walk up the hill. Alexander knelt by the basket, pulling out neatly packed sandwiches, fruit, and—of course—a bottle of sparkling water because, apparently, he couldn’t even pretend to be low maintenance.
“Did you pack a three-course meal in there?” I teased, plopping down onto the blanket.
“I was going for four courses, but Anna stole my dessert,” he quipped, flashing me a grin as he handed me a plate.
Gianna, having grown bored of sitting still, had already dashed off to the playground, her laughter ringing out as she climbed up the tiny rock wall attached to the play structure, her stuffed bunny in tow.
Alexander followed my gaze, his smile softening as he watched her. “She’s fearless,” he murmured.
“I don’t know where she gets that, I wish I was that free,” I said absently, then immediately regretted it. I glanced at Alexander, worried I’d soured the moment, but he didn’t flinch.
Instead, he leaned back on one arm and let out a noncommittal “Hmm,” his relaxed posture entirely too charming. “And the sass?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Me, but also Nicola has been quite the influence,” I admitted easily with a laugh.
“She’s perfect, just like her mum.”
Heat bloomed in my cheeks, and I busied myself with my sandwich, trying to ignore the way my heart had started its now-familiar fluttering. “You’re laying it on thick today, Wright.”
“Just being honest,” he said, shrugging like it was the most natural thing in the world.
