Lucia exhaled a laugh, her hand brushing over my shoulder as I stood. “You’re so good with her,” she said softly.
“Comes naturally when you’re around,” I teased, earning a roll of her eyes but a faint blush on her cheeks.
Meanwhile, from the adjoining suite, Nicola’s exasperated voice carried through the wall. “Matteo, if you snore, I swear I will smother you with a pillow.”
“Noted,” came Matteo’s amused reply. “But don’t worry—you’ll be too busy dreaming about me to notice.”
Lucia and I burst into quiet laughter, sharing a look of mutual understanding. The vacation was already off to a chaotic, ridiculous,perfectstart.
* * *
Turning my phone off and leaving it in the hotel room had been a great decision. We were lounging on the beach. Nicola had stormed off into the ocean after Matteo said something stupid. I was building a sand castle with Gianna while Lucia was taking a well-deserved break. Deserved because she looked so beautiful lying there sunbathing and the view was too nice to disturb.
“Alex, can we make a princess tower?” Gia asked.
“Sure, G,” I replied, prying my eyes away from her mother.
“I’m hungry,” Matteo whined, making Gia sit up.
“Me too!” She matched his whine. God, they are the same person, it was kind of terrifying.
“Let’s go, principessa.Andiamo!” Gianna ran over to him, her body covered in sand. I laughed at them, Matteo was also covered in sand as he had just emerged from being covered in it when Gianna made him into a mermaid.
They walked away, hand in hand, covered in sand, and I only smiled and looked to Lucia. She had pulled her sunglasses down to look after Gianna and Matteo, waving goodbye to them. Then her eyes tracked over to me. Gleaming under the Italian sun. God, she was beautiful.
“What are you thinking about, angel?” I asked.
“That I have the best village.” She smiled, and I cocked my head a bit. “They always say it takes a village to raise a kid, and at home I had my parents. And don’t get me wrong, they were amazing and wonderful, but it still felt so lonely. Out here with you guys. I’m just really thankful, is all,” she mused. I strode over to her and leaned down, kissing her.
“You’re getting sand on me!” she complained. I only laughed and brushed my hands together to make more sand fall.
“You’re the worst!” she grumbled, shaking her head.
“Wanna go rinse off?” I asked, raising a brow and nodding toward the ocean.
“It’s going to be freezing.” She groaned. The sun was out, which was amazing, but she was right, the ocean was freezing.
“Come on, this is your yes year.” I poked her.
“Don’t use that against me!”
“Have you ever jumped in a winter ocean?” I asked, knowing she hadn’t.
“No…” she trailed off, looking at the ocean. Nicola was swimming, but Nicola was kind of insane like that.
“Let’s try new things then,” I said, dragging her up.
“Fine, okay, I’ll put my feet in.” She conceded. I only laughed and shook my head, then reached down and pulled her up, throwing her over my shoulder.
“Alexander! Put me down!” she screamed.
“I don’t think so,” I replied and ran us to the ocean. The closer we got, the more she shrieked.
“Alexander, I swear you will regret this!”
“Worth it,” I said before launching both of us into the ocean. I pulled us back up above the water quickly, a shit-eating grin plastered on my face.
“Fuck you!” she screamed, splashing water at me, a huge smile on her face. “It’s so, so cold, oh my god,” she cried, bringing her arms into herself. I reached out and pulled her toward me easily. Her legs wrapped around me, as if on instinct.
