18.

TABBY

"You must be exhausted," Luca said as we stepped out of the elevator.

"It had been a very busy and emotionally-draining day," I agreed as I followed him across the hall. "I'm still not sure I should have left Ember with Sasha tonight. What if she has a nightmare about what happened today or . . ."

"Your friend will call you, and it will only take a minute or two for me to get her and bring her home to you," Luca assured me before he greeted the guard standing at the door, a man I didn't recognize, and then scanned his thumb to unlock the door in front of us. "Sam hired a moving crew. I'll send a few guys over with Simon to pack up your . . ."

"What is that smell?" I interrupted as I pushed past Luca into the entryway. I heard sounds coming from the kitchen and asked, "Oh my God. Do you have a chef?"

Luca laughed and motioned toward the door of his - I guess it was actually our apartment now - and said, "You could say that." As we walked through the doorway, he said, "There's something else I need to tell you about my family, Lou."

I sniffed the air and turned to walk down the hall that led to the kitchen as I asked, "What?"

"My dad is . . ."

The man of my dreams, and one I'd been comparing to Luca since I first met him, appeared in the doorway with a huge smile on his face and said, "You're home just in time!"

"Hey, Dad," Luca said from behind me. He put his hand on my lower back as he stood next to me, and when I turned my head to look at him, he chuckled. "Tabby, this is my father, Valentine Russo."

"Russo's Road Trip is your father?" I whispered. I got that dizzy feeling again and took a deep breath through my nose and then exhaled slowly out of my mouth. Luca somehow sensed what was wrong and pulled me closer to his side. "I'm okay. I just need to sit down. Or wake up. One of the two."

"Is everything okay?" the man asked as Luca turned and walked to the counter where he pulled out a chair for me. "Sit down, sweetheart. You're awfully pale. I'll get you a bottle of water."

"I didn't even put two and two together because why would I? He's famous! But you're kind of famous in another way, and you said . . . he lives in Texas and . . . Holy shit," I mumbled to myself as I sat. "Everything is so topsy-turvy, it feels like I'm in a dream."

The man I'd admired for years as I learned to cook the delicious meals he created handed me a bottle of water, and I tipped it up to my mouth to take a long drink. I wasn't sure that my dizziness had anything to do with the pregnancy at this point because anyone would be overwhelmed with today's events, but when my stomach growled loudly, I realized that in all the excitement, I really hadn't been taking care of myself.

I finally remembered my manners and stammered, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Russo."

"Call me Stamp, sweetheart," Valentine Russo said as he wiped his hands on the towel hanging from his pocket. Once he was sure they were clean, he reached out and took my hand, lifting it to kiss my knuckles before he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, nuora."

"Nuora?" I asked breathlessly as I silently made a vow to never wash that hand again.

"Daughter-in-law," Luca explained.

The spell was broken, and Luca"s dad dropped my hand before he turned and pulled him into his arms for a tight hug. They greeted each other warmly before the elder Russo made his way back around the counter and lifted the lid off of a pan before he turned around and said, "I know it's late, but when I sent Matteo a text earlier letting him know we were here, he said neither of you had a chance to eat yet, so I thought I'd take care of that."

"What did you make?" Luca asked as he sat down next to me. "I'll text Matteo."

"He'll figure it out. Bernadette is over at his place with Frankie and Paula."

"Who is . . ."

"Bernadette is my stepmom, Frankie is Rico's sister, and Paula is Zach's mom."

"And they're all friends?"

"I've known those ladies since they were just girls," Stamp said before he started pulling plates out of the cabinet. "Paula said they ate earlier but I know she'd probably like some too. I'll go get them and see if your brother is home yet. Be right back."

"Is there anything else you forgot to mention about your family?" I asked Luca once we were alone. "Is DeNiro your great-uncle? What about Pacino?"

Luca chuckled before he ran a hand around my neck to tangle in my hair. He leaned forward and gave me a kiss before he said, "Never met either of them. I think this is the last surprise."

"You've got an identical twin. Your father is famous. You and your brother are famous. Who is your mother?"

"She's just Mamma. She's also a little bit famous, at least in New York, but you've never seen her on video or television. I promise."

"Do you really own this building?" I asked as I turned to look out over the city. "This place is bigger than six of my parents' houses put together, Luca."

"The hotel is only as big as . . ."

"No, Luca. Your apartment is that much bigger than the house where I grew up. It's insane to me."

"I have to admit that it gets lonely here, but I think that with you and Ember around it will be much more cozy." Luca gave me another kiss before he let his hand drop down to rest on top of mine. When I turned my hand over and intertwined our fingers, he smiled at me and said, "Welcome to your new home, Lou."

"I'm the luckiest woman in the world," I whispered before I leaned forward to kiss him again. "Thank you for believing in me, Luca."

"It wasn't hard to do, sweetheart. I've never met anyone with a heart as big as yours."

"Today has been the most terrifying and magical day I've ever experienced."

"Not sure how those go together, but I completely understand."

"I married Prince Charming, got terrified when my daughter was kidnapped, explored the prince's castle at the top of the New York sky, reconnected with two women I love more than my next breath, met one of my idols, and now I'm sitting here with you. Today was everything rolled up into a single day, and as much as I love where I'm at right now, I'd really like for things to calm down."

"They will. I'll protect you from the world, Lou. So will the rest of The Four Families. Ember too."

"It's not going to calm down for a while. I've still got to give birth to the mini-mafiosos and figure all of that out."

"Do you feel better knowing that you'll be part of their lives?"

"Much better. Thank you for that," I whispered before I gave him another kiss.

"Honey, I'm home!" a woman called out from down the hall.

"Remember you said that you were ready for things to calm down?"

"Yeah."

"That's not going to happen tonight."

"Who is here?"

"That was Zach's mom. She's a little . . . Okay, she's a lot, but when you add other members of the coven, they . . ."

"Zach's mom is a witch?" I whispered in shock.

"Technically, no, but when you get her and all of her friends together, the disturbance in the force kind of makes you believe in witchcraft."

"That's not terrifying at all," I muttered under my breath as three women walked into the room followed by Luca's father and brother.

"I am so glad you cooked, Stamp. Frankie made us go to that fancy ass restaurant where they think a serving is three bites of food on a pretty plate," the shorter woman said angrily.

"It was delicious," one of the other women said as Luca's father rested his arm across the third woman's shoulders.

"Lou, this is Bernadette, Frankie, and Paula," Luca introduced each lady as he motioned toward them. They smiled at me, but their jaws nearly hit the ground when he added, "Ladies, this is my wife, Tabby."

"Wife?" Frankie gasped.

"Holy shit," Bernadette whispered. "Does your mom know?"

Luca laughed and said, "She knew it was going to happen, but she wasn't there for the ceremony. We got married by a judge at the courthouse today, but Mamma will want to have a formal wedding soon, I'm sure." Luca looked at me and winced before he added, "If that's okay with you."

"Don't do it!" Frankie insisted. "It's hell on earth. Believe me."

"Frankie got married downstairs a while back, and she's still having flashbacks," Stamp explained.

"If you're okay with it, I'd love to help you plan a wedding," Bernadette offered. She grinned at Luca and said, "After all, I do have a business here in New York for just that."

I saw Luca wink at her, and then he smiled at me. "We've got some time to make plans."

"When are you due?" Frankie asked as she looked down at my bump.

"Oh! They're not Luca's babies," I assured her.

"We know," Paula said with a secretive smile. I suddenly remembered that she was Zach's mother and understood that she probably knew much more than she was willing to let on. I realized that even though I had been pulled into this scenario by a woman who Paula probably hated, she wasn't going to hold it against me. "I'm so glad that Zach will have you and Brett around to help him with the twins. God knows that boy needs a keeper of his own, so I can't imagine what would happen if he was left to his own devices."

"He's changed over the last few months," Luca said in his friend's defense.

"I know, but it's still my job to give him shit every chance I get, and that's not ever going to change," Paula informed him.

"Ladies, find a seat and I'll start serving dinner," Stamp said as he nudged Bernadette closer to the island.

As the women got settled and Luca's father walked around the island toward the food on the stove, Luca leaned down and gave me a kiss on the cheek before he whispered in my ear, "Are you okay, Lou?"

"Better than okay," I assured him. "I not only found a unicorn who makes me happy, but I think I've found a family too."

"This is just the tip of the iceberg, sweetheart. There's so much more to come."

I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. I wanted to burst into tears - happy ones this time at the thought of all that I had gained after this crazy roller coaster ride that had been my life since the night my father kicked me out.

It was almost enough to make me believe in magic again, which made sense since I was sitting in a penthouse apartment with my arms around a unicorn.

◆◆◆

"I've looked over your blood work and found a few things that are concerning. In looking at your blood pressure when you arrived this morning and then the readings the nurse reported from the monitor we've had on you for the last hour, I believe that it would be better for the twins to come sooner rather than later."

"How soon?"

"Tomorrow," the doctor said firmly. "This puts you in a safe window for delivery as most twins are born between thirty-five and thirty-seven weeks gestation, and you're at thirty-six."

"Why? I feel fine and . . ."

"Your blood pressure is concerning, and you admitted that you've been lightheaded."

"But I've been under a lot of stress. I should be okay now."

"The stress didn't help, I'm sure, but this has nothing to do with that. Preeclampsia is a common problem, and the only surefire way to protect you and the babies is to deliver them. Honestly, I've never seen twins who are quite so big at this stage of pregnancy. They're almost the size of a baby who is the product of a singular birth. I'm impressed. However, what didn't impress me were your blood work results."

"And this is what's going to be best for the babies?" Brett asked as she took my hand. Luca was standing behind me, and he gently squeezed my shoulder, so I looked up and gave him a reassuring smile. "Tabby will be safe too?"

"If we take care of this now, yes. This is best for all of them." I looked back at the doctor when she asked, "Tabby, do you have any questions?"

"I do have some about the recovery time and what to expect after the c-section. I've never had surgery before, and it scares me."

"C-sections are very commonplace, and I've performed hundreds of them. I'll give you a packet of information about what you can expect during the surgery and after as you recover, and, of course, my office will be available for any questions you might have along with your follow-up visits."

"What are the risks?"

"As with any surgery or medical procedure, there are risks, but I promise to take care of you to the best of my ability."

For the first time during the visit, Zach spoke up. "Is this the safest option for not only the babies but for Tabby too? I want to make sure we're not sacrificing one for the other."

In that moment, I saw the side of Zach that Brett had told me about - the serious guy beneath the easygoing exterior I'd witnessed last night and then this morning before the appointment. Brett must have sensed that I'd had a revelation because she squeezed my hand and smiled at me before she put her hand over Zach's where it rested on her shoulder.

"This is the safest bet for all three, Mr. Campana. If anything, this is the only direction we can go to protect all of them from harm."

"Tabby? What are your thoughts?" Luca asked.

"What time do I need to be here?"

◆◆◆

LUCA

"Ciao, docezza," I whispered when Tabby's eyes fluttered open. She blinked a few times and then lifted her head to look around with panic in her eyes. "It's okay, Lou. Do you need something? A drink? A . . . I can't think of what else, but whatever you need, I'll get it for you."

"The babies?" Tabby croaked. I held a cup of water for her while she sucked from the straw, and after a few long sips, she asked, "Are they still okay?"

"They're in the NICU, but they're getting glowing reports," I assured her. "The doctor said that she's only got them in there as a precaution for the first twenty-four hours, and after that, they'll be brought into your room so we can all be together."

"What did they weigh?"

"Paolo is five pounds eight ounces, and Degano is five pounds six ounces. No wonder your belly was sticking out so far." When I heard a hiss from the corner of the room at the same time Tabby narrowed her eyes at me, I winced and backtracked, "Sorry. That was obviously the wrong thing to say. You looked like a work of art then just like you do now."

"Good save," I heard Papà whisper.

Tabby turned her head and saw that we weren't alone, and her eyes got wide before they shot back over to me. "Lou, this is Mamma and Papà, Carlo and Marla Robono."

"Hello, daughter. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Luca has told me wonderful things about you."

Tears welled in Tabby's eyes at Mamma's greeting, and I was sure she was comparing the differences between my mother and her own. From the little she'd told me about her family dynamic, I knew her mother had lacked compassion, but just from the look on her face, I could tell that she understood my mother had an abundance of it.

"We're excited to have a new daughter and our first grandchild," Papà said as he put his arm over Mamma's shoulders. "When we met her, she was not at her best, so we can't wait to talk to her when she's feeling better."

"Do you need anything, figlia?" Mamma asked as she fidgeted with the blanket near Tabby's arm. She tucked it around her legs and then glanced up at her and asked, "What can I do? Are you hungry? Do you need another drink?"

"She's so sweet," Tabby wailed as she looked over at me. When I smiled at her, she burst into tears and then looked back at my mom as she said, "I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I can't stop, Mrs. Robono."

"That's perfectly normal. Let it all out, figlia," Mamma said as she ran her hand over Tabby's hair. "Call me ‘Mamma,' sweetheart. ‘Mrs. Robono' makes me sound old."

"Yes, ma'am," Tabby whispered as she closed her eyes, relishing the soft touch of a mother even if it wasn't her own. "Thank you for giving me a mom, Luca. That's the greatest gift anyone has ever blessed me with."

"Oh, figlia," Mamma murmured as she rubbed her thumb over Tabby's cheek. Tabby was so tired and relieved that the twins were doing well that it seemed she couldn't resist sleep. Mamma's soft touch on her face was so relaxing that she couldn't keep from going under.

When Mamma smiled up at me with tears in her eyes, I said, "I knew you'd love her as much as I do."