CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

DALIA

Two Years Later…

Sitting in the rocking chair holding my one-year-old is an experience I never thought I'd have. I never expected to be a mother, and if I'm honest, I never wanted to become one this way. I grew up with a mother and father, of course, I wanted the same for my son. Yet, I don't regret it. You're never truly ready to become a parent, but Ares soothes my soul. Yeah, I named him after his father, because first loves die hard. I still think about Aries every day. He probably forgot about me a long time ago. Ares does this lopsided grin that reminds me so much of his father. I had always planned to at least hear him out, but changed my mind when I found out I was pregnant, because at that point it didn't matter why he made the choices he did. I knew very well he didn't want a child, and why would I want that for my son?

Not long after my son was born, I bought a house in upstate New York. It was hard to leave my family, but I felt that I needed distance. I needed to stand on my own two feet. Luckily I'm only three hours from them, and they visit once a month at minimum. And Giada and I spend a lot of time trading recipes, and mom hacks.

"Do you miss work yet?" Giada asks while we sit on the couch beside each other, with Kat on my other side, and Natalia on the other side of Giada. We are all sipping wine, while the guys play with the kids in the backyard, with the exception of Kat. I have a feeling there's an announcement coming, but I won't ask and be that person.

"Sometimes. I liked what I did, but I don't want to miss his early childhood. If a woman can't afford to be home or chooses not to, I get that. For me though, there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Kat starts waving her hand, and for a moment I wonder if she's having a seizure, "I have to tell you something before the men come back in with the kids."

We all turn to her and wait, and she speaks low, like the guys are inside rather than outside with the children, "A guy came up to me at school."

I raise an eyebrow, "A guy?"

She rolls her eyes, "Not like that. Give me a break. He was asking about you, Dalia."

I shake my head in confusion, "Why would a guy come to a law school to ask questions about me?"

Giada grabs my arm on a gasp, "Aries."

I sigh because this conversation with her is getting old, "Aries is off dicking all the other pussy he can find. I'm the last thing on his mind. It has been two years, Gia. That's a long time."

She sits back and pouts, "Look at all the time Kat and Damian were apart. Look at them now. Besides, ‘Distance makes the heart grow fonder'. Simon Elkeles said that."

"You and your quotes. What happened to him being good for my holes but not my soul?"

Finishing off her glass of wine, she says, "That was before I could clearly see that, after not seeing him for two years, you still love him."

Giada is a hopeless romantic, and the stories of my brothers' love lives have only made it worse. She's positive every person has a soulmate out there, and that Aries is mine.

Drake comes in with their little guy they had with Natalia, Nathan. He's really close in age with Ares, and they play so well together. Domenic and Giada have two kids now, a boy and a girl. I love this big family, but I worry about Kat and Damian. I have no idea if they want kids and are having trouble, or if they've decided kids aren't for them. Neither of them have ever said a word, and Damian and I are very close, so that's surprising.

When I spot Ares barreling for me, I hold my hand behind my back so he doesn't hurt himself on the wine glass, as he jumps onto my lap excitedly, "Dom Dom," he squeals excitedly.

Domenic laughs, "I pushed him on the swing."

Ares is starting to talk but his language skills are limited. He calls Domenic, ‘Dom Dom' which entertains Drake to no end.

He stands in the corner chuckling, "Oh yeah, Uncle Dum Dum pushed him in the swing, and he was giggling up a storm."

Dante kneels down and kisses Nathan on the cheek, "Should we order pizza?"

All the kids cheer and clearly think it's a good idea. I love cooking but I'm glad to not have to tonight.

I can't stop thinking about the man at Kat's school, so I pull her aside, "What did he say?"

She looks around me to make sure no one is listening, "He asked if I knew where you moved to. I asked him who wanted to know, and he said ‘an acquaintance'."

"That's weird, but I don't think it has anything to do with Aries."