Analise laughed, and he leaned over and kissed her. “I love you.”
“You already said that when I first got here,” she teased.
“And I’ll say it probably ten more times before we get home.”
“Good. I love hearing it. I love feeling it. I love you, my heart.”
Havoc kissed her again as Ruger and Lola tried to climb his legs. He grabbed them and swung them up, each on a shoulder and pretended like he was a giant and was going to drop them from the highest mountain — his shoulders. They squealed and wrapped their arms and legs around his head and each other.
Analise was laughing, and just happened to glance toward the door Giada had gone out of.
Giada was standing there, holding the hands of each boy, as she watched them. The moment she realized Analise had noticed her, she apologized. “I’m sorry, I should have said I was back. I just got caught up in watching you. You have exactly what I’ve always hoped for. It’s encouraging to see that it actually exists, even if I wasn’t meant for it.”
“Don’t say that,” Analise said, moving toward her. “You don’t know what life is going to bring.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve already figured out what it’s bringing,” Giada said.
“You didn’t know it was bringing Ronan. And you don’t know what he can offer you.”
“He’s sweet. So sweet.”
“And handsome,” Analise said.
Giada’s eyes widened. “Sooo handsome! But he’s also younger than me, and I come with a lot of baggage.”
“Don’t we all?” Havoc asked.
“Not like mine,” Giada said softly.
Havoc looked at Analise, and Analise nodded, then focused on the kids. “Hi! I’m Ms. Analise. This is my husband, Havoc, and these are our kids. This is Ruger and that’s Lola.”
Leo and Matteo smiled politely, but stayed very close to their mother.
“Do you know that Ronan is my little brother?” Havoc asked.
“He is?!” Leo asked excitedly.
“He is. And Lola and Ruger love to play with him. He’s really nice,” Havoc said.
“We like Ronan,” Matteo said.
“What are your names?” Analise asked.
They both looked up at their mother, who nodded at them.
“I’m Leonardo, and this is my brother Matteo,” Leo said.
“Like the Ninja Turtles?” Ruger asked.
“I guess so,” Leo said.
“That’s cool. I like the Ninja Turtles.”
“Me, too.”
“I like Phineas and Ferb. Ronan told us about them and we played their game,” Matteo said.
“You have a game of them?” Ruger asked.
