She nodded. “I know. And I choose you. All day, every day, from this day forward, or well, from yesterday forward.”
Ronan kissed her, slowly, acutely aware of Leo and Matteo, as well as his parents in full view of them. “Forever?” he asked, looking down at her as he cupped her cheek against the palm of one hand.
She shook her head. “Longer.”
“Does that mean Ronan is our daddy?” Matteo demanded.
Giada looked toward her boys, now their boys, then up at Ronan.
Ronan nodded.
“It sure does,” Giada said.
Both boys jumped off the sofa and charged Ronan, almost taking him down in their excitement.
“Hang on, hang on! Your momma’s not a hundred percent! Let Ronan get her somewhere comfortable before y’all knock them both down,” Maverik said laughingly.
“We knowed she was awake first,” Matteo said as Ronan led her over to the sofa and sat her down.
“And you didn’t tell me when you first woke me up?” Ronan asked.
“They did,” Giada confirmed. “They came running in the bedroom right behind your mom. They couldn’t wait to tell me that they had a new grandpa named Puppy and a new grandmother named Val,” Giada said as she eased back on the sofa to sit beside Ronan.
Ronan curved his arm around her shoulders, supporting her gently. “Which is why they weren’t all that excited to see you walking into the living room. They’d already seen you.”
“Exactly,” Giada said.
Valerie walked over to them carrying two cups of coffee. “Here you go. Enjoy these while I finish up breakfast.”
“Thanks Mom,” Ronan said.
“Thank you, Mrs. Valerie,” Giada said, gratefully accepting the steaming cup of coffee.
“Nope. What did I say?”
Giada smiled as she looked up at Valerie. “Mom. Thank you, Mom.”
“That’s better,” Valerie said. She reached out and tucked a piece of Giada’s long dark hair behind her ear. “I’m so glad you’re here and you’re alright.”
“Me, too,” Giada said.
“And you can call me Dad or Maverik, or Mav, or Poppy. I really don’t care, as long as you call me something other thanMr. Maverik. We ain’t strangers. You’re as much my family as any of my kids, and I’m proud to have you join us.”
Giada blinked away a sudden rush of tears. “Thank you,” she said.
Maverik inclined his head acknowledging her answer, but then turned his attention to his mate. “How long until the food’s ready, baby? I’m about to have my stomach eat itself from the inside out.”
“In a few minutes,” Valerie said. “Boys, go wash your hands and get ready to eat.”
“Yes, ma’am!” they both shouted as they jumped up off the floor where they played with their superheroes and ran down the hallway.
“What’s this for?” Ronan asked, catching a tear on his fingertip.
“Because this is what it feels like to belong to a family who truly cherishes you. To be safe in every sense of the word. I haven’t known that before.”
“You do now!” Maverik said.
“Brace yourself. You have a much larger family than you think. Not just my parents, but everybody. All my aunts and uncles. All my cousins, some of which were there last night.”
