"Hey, buddy." I crouch beside him. "Mind taking a break? Your mom and I need to talk to you about something."
He looks up. "Is it about Chicago?"
"Sort of." I ruffle his hair.
Katerina sits on his bed and I pick him up so we can sit with her.
"We wanted to tell you something exciting," Katerina’s hand finds mine as Enzo settles between us.
“Okay.”
“How do you feel about being a big brother?” I ask, feeling like I have the goofiest grin on my face.
“Like a baby?”
“Yep, like a baby.”
Enzo's eyes widen. "Am I getting one?"
God, I hope he’s happy about this. I’m certain that Alessandro always hated me because I was the one who made it so that he wasn’t an only child anymore. "Yeah, you are. Your mom is going to have a baby."
"For real?" Enzo bounces. "When? Is it a boy or a girl? Can I name it?"
Katerina laughs. "It'll be a while before the baby comes. And we don't know if it's a boy or girl yet."
"Either way, you're going to be a big brother," I add. "That's a pretty important job."
Enzo puffs up his chest. "I'll be the best big brother ever. I'll teach them everything."
The moment is bittersweet. I love that I have the family I lost.
But in this moment, I keenly feel what I missed the first time around.
Katerina’s pregnancy.
Enzo’s birth.
His first steps.
But there’s no sense ruminating on the past. Not when the future is so bright.
"There's one more thing.” I bring Katerina’s hand to my lips. "The only thing left to do is for your mom and me to get married. What do you think about that?"
“Yeah!” Enzo claps his hands. “Then we can be together forever.”
Katerina arches a brow at me.” Are you proposing, Luca Dante?”
“Yes.” I hope I haven’t played this wrong. Maybe I should have arranged a fancy dinner and flowers. And a ring. Fuck, I don’t have a ring.
Enzo tugs at my sleeve. "Say yes, Mommy."
"Yes," she says, her gaze holding mine. "That's definitely a yes."
I pull her into my arms, Enzo squished between us in a tangle of limbs and laughter.
"I love you. Both of you. All three of you."
“We’re a real family now,” Enzo says, wrapping his short arms around our necks.
