Page 81 of Blissful Devotion

It would be annoying if it wasn’t so amazing.

I sit in the rocking chair in the corner of the room while Addison colors, and I simply take a moment to breathe and enjoy this.

Pretty soon everything will change, and while it’s for the better, I don’t want to miss a moment of the here and now. Not when I know how quickly everything can be taken from you.

My time with him still haunts my nightmares, but thankfully he mostly stays there. I’ve had a few rough moments, but the guys have been there to help.

They’ve been very present and very over the top, though I can’t deny it's kind of cute, most of the time.

There are some times when it’s a little too much, but after what happened, I try to remind myself I’m not the only one with scars.

One of which we are currently working on correcting.

While Addy and I hang out in the nursery, the guys are in ‘the bedroom,’ as Desmond has so unhelpfully named it.

It’s a room that we can all share, since my bed isn’t nearly big enough. They’ve come up with a rock, paper, scissors system that determines who gets to be in my bed each night, and while it’s kind of entertaining, I won’t lie and say I’m not intrigued to see this new room.

It sounds great to have all of us together, especially with all of us closer than ever.

Oliver has been a mother hen ever since I woke up in that hospital, but with every week, day, and even hour that passes, he only seems to worry more.

I love it, being close, seeing that he cares. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it.

Vince doesn’t fuss so much, but he still hovers quite a bit, as if he’s worried I might vanish into thin air.

I was actually surprised they managed to get either of them to leave my side.

Both are sweet in their own way, and thinking about how our relationship has evolved over the last three months is enough to warm my cheeks.

I’d never kept it a secret that I liked Vince, but that doesn’t mean I ever thought we would be here. I was under the impression this ‘agreement’ was only for Lawson men, and I wasn’t wrong. Nathan said they had a few issues at first with Vince and Des, but I’m beyond grateful they worked it out.

I couldn’t imagine life without him, too.

Oliver, on the other hand, I was almost positive our relationship would always be platonic, which was fine, but not exactly what I wanted. Oliver and I have a lot in common, so my attraction to him wasn’t something I could stop, but I could control myself.

I never wanted to force him just because the rest of them had decided they wanted this life. I wanted him to want me, and our time in Italy gave me hope. He was more open, but we still weren’t anything more than people living in a house together.

Or at least that’s what I thought.

Desmond has since informed me that Oliver did more than watch that night by the bonfire.

Just thinking about it drives me crazy.

“Figlia! Nipotina!”

“We’re in here, Nonna!” Addison calls, scrambling ‌to her feet and toward the door to meet her.

The guy's parents flew in a few days ago; apparently, she hadn’t gotten to be here for Des, Oliver, or Addy and ‘refused to miss out on another grandkid's birth,’ and with my due date only three weeks away, he could come anytime. Dr. Sterling has been checking in often; she’s sure I’ll deliver early from the Scopolamine. Thankfully, that seems to be the only effect from it.

Which is why everyone is here and scrambling to finish every last-minute task.

Their mother has been very helpful with Addison and has been cooking and baking for days to help us prepare for when I ‌go into labor. I wasn’t going to tell her we could have called Dale, and it doesn’t seem like any of the guys were either.

“Pranzo is ready,” she says with a smile as Addison wraps herself around her legs. I might not talk to my parents anymore, but I’m so happy the guys have a family worth having, who will be here for them even if across the ocean.

“Go ahead, I'll be right down,” I tell them since I take a second to get up now.

She levels me with a look that says she won't be doing that, then asks Addison to clean up her crayons. Addison doesn’t miss a beat, and by the time she’s finished, I’m standing, though somehow out of breath.