Page 351 of Valentino

Carlo Bernetti, the best friend I couldn’t have grown up without…but would give anything to forget.

“Happy birthday, you fucking asshole,” I murmur.

I bend and wipe the dirt from his name and with a lump in my throat, turn and walk back to the car.

Nobody says a word because there is nothing to say.

Time to go home.

Half an hour later I pull up in my driveway, the garage door slowly goes up and I drive in, it closes behind me.

I turn the car off and open the door and sit for a moment, this is my favorite part of the day…. Of my life.

I listen.

“Daddy’s home,” I hear Anna gush.

“Daddy!” cries a little voice, I hear clamoring and shouting as she runs up the hall, screaming in excitement. I want to get out of the car and greet her, but for some weird reason it’s not as exciting inside, she likes to surprise me in the garage.

The door opens and big brown eyes find mine. “Daddy,” she squeals as she runs, I scoop her up and throw her over my shoulder with a growl, she laughs and kicks and screams, as if it’s the very first time this has ever happened.

Evelyn Leone, my little girl.

“Hi, babe.” Anna smiles as she kisses me.

“Hello, my love.” My lips linger over hers as I rub my hand over her heavily pregnant stomach.

Anna Leone, my big girl and the love of my life.

My wife.

“What happened today?” I ask as we walk inside, Evelyn is still slung over my shoulder and my hand is in Anna’s.

“We finger-painted,” Evelyn tells me. “And played on the piano.”

“Really.” I put Evelyn down and pull Anna into a hug and hold her tight.

The lights twinkle across Lake Como and something delicious is on the stove.

Our second child is due in three weeks.

There was a happiness waiting for me on the other side, like nothing I could have ever imagined.

And if I had to walk through all of my pain again to get to here, to get to this, to get to her and our children…. I would do it in a heartbeat.

Because this… this is everything.

THE END.

Thank you so much for reading,

All my love

Tee xx

Read on for an excerpt of Romeo’s story.

xox