I bit my tongue.
A shot of pain barked through my nervous system.
Reality didn’t fade. I wasn’t asleep. Which meant…my secret wasn’t in danger.
I looked at him then. Really and truly looked. Curious, bright brown eyes stared back at me. The baby didn’t resist the comfort I offered. In fact, Luca had quit crying.
He’s here.My boy was here. I was holding him. Tucking him tightly against my side, I smiled.
Luca let out a hesitant whimper. He didn’t fuss. He didn’t fight to go back to the only motherly figure he’d known. He seemed…content.
“O, porca miseria, his head,” I muttered.
I bounced him in my arms, twisting to better examine his bump.
“Is he okay?” Linda asked.
“He’s got a lump,” I said, my insides melting at the sight. “Can I go to the kitchen and look for an ice pack?”
She nodded. “Bottom drawer of the freezer, left side.”
By the time I found it, brought it back, and sat down on the couch, Liam and Linda were talking.
“My husband always wanted kids. He pushed and pushed,” she began, “but when we couldn’t conceive, I went and got tested. Just to find out, you know? The problem wasn’t with me, and he refused to get tested! So, the next best option was adoption.”
It was the story she’d already told. I listened intently as I tried to keep the frozen pack on Luca’s bump.
The baby wriggled and protested.
Storm chose that moment to hop on the sofa beside me. I gasped, but the puppy already had his snout pushed against Luca’s tummy.
My son laughed.
The sound was pure magic.
Linda sighed. “These last nine months have been the hardest of my life. Not only that, but I found out just last week that, on top of blaming me for our fertility problems, my piece-of-shit husband has been keeping a mistress out in the suburbs. She has three children, and he’s paying for sports, private school, and everything else they want. It’s been going on for two years. That’s why he’s never home with Brady and—”
“Luca,” I corrected her. “His name is Luca.”
She lifted her shoulders. “I suppose it is.”
I felt the beast shift his gaze to me.
My breath hitched. Did I dare look at him? What if he was angry? This was the answer he’d wanted, and now that he had it, anything could happen.
Divorce.
My execution.
He’ll never hurt you.
But my only priority was keeping this precious secret safe. No matter what happened to me.
“He looks like you, you know,” Linda commented.
I ran my hands over the baby’s chubby little arms, relieved that he wasn’t trying to wriggle out when the ice pack became too cold. The puppy had a lot to do with that. Leaning over, I plucked one of the flannel blankets, which were tucked under the footstool where the rest of the baby stuff was kept out of sight and mind to keep the house pristine. This was the only window to a life that had been stolen from me, and I’d memorized this space from afar. The blanket fluttered open. Gently, I tucked it around Luca’s lap.
And he immediately fisted it and shoved it in his mouth.
