His smile is wide and unrestrained, like it’s the best moment of his life.
It’s such a simple moment, but it hits me like a wave—the three of us here, safe, happy, together.
I can’t stop smiling either.
Watching them together—father and son, finally able to be just that—has been like watching the pieces of a puzzle click perfectly into place.
I blink hard, not wanting to cry in public, but the emotion is too big. It’s been months since Gio came back into our lives for good, and in that time, he’s done exactly what he promised—he left his old life behind.
Completely.
No more dangerous plans in the middle of the night. No more enemies lurking in the shadows.
No more secrets.
Instead, he took a job teaching soccer at Jackson’s school. Not because he needs the money—he doesn’t—but because he said he wanted every excuse to be around his son, to make up for lost time.
He’s looking for every excuse to pour himself into something good.
And he’s poured himself into me too.
The past few months have been a steady stream of stolen kisses in the kitchen, sweet, thoughtful gifts delivered to the shop—hell, he even bought us a Mercedes so I don’t need to take the L to work anymore.
He’s made it his mission to romance me, and I can honestly say I’ve never felt more wanted, more cherished than I have these past few months.
The flower shop has thrived as well in the past few months, with Gio helping me market the business more and in other small ways that have only boosted my brainchild.
Miko even gifted me a considerable chunk of land around his property to build a greenhouse, so I’ve been able to produce so much more than before.
It feels like life couldn’t be better—and I’ve never been happier.
Jackson runs toward his team, high-fiving them, his cheeks flushed pink from the effort.
My chest swells with pride, my hands automatically pressing against my growing belly.
Beside me, Gio glances down and notices the gesture.
His hand covers mine, warm and steady, and for a moment we just stand there, silent in the noise of the game, sharing that quiet joy.
Life feels… good.
More than good.
It’s the kind of contentment I didn’t think I’d get to have again.
After the final whistle blows, Jackson bounds over, sweaty and grinning.
Gio sweeps him up before he can protest, spinning him around once before setting him down. “That was amazing! You killed it out there.”
Jackson grins even wider. “Did you see the goalie’s face when I scored?”
“I did,” Gio says, ruffling his hair. “I’ll never forget it.”
The three of us walk back to the car, the air cooling slightly now that the sun is dipping lower in the sky.
Gio’s hand rests on the small of my back, guiding me gently over a patch of uneven ground.
It’s such a small thing, but I’ve learned that with him, the small things add up to everything.
