“Smart nurses,” I remark, wrapping my arm around his waist. “How did you happen to come with Felisa and Lorenzo? I thought Lorenzo was afraid of water.”
He nods. “He was. Still is, I think. But he did it for Felisa, much like I did it for you.”
“You did that for yourself. To get back your life.”
“And you are my life, Amber. Please don’t ever forget that.”
I pull away and look up at him. He’s gazing down at me with so much love and sincerity, it breaks my heart in the most beautiful way possible.
“Things are going to change now,” he says, clearing his throat. “For the better. Felisa and Lorenzo are here, not only to help me but to help you and the twins.”
“What?” I ask, confused.
“Lorenzo was in a bad situation in Umbria. He lost the house he was renting and didn’t have enough money to support the two of them. Felisa came back, asking if she could be a nanny again. She said that Lorenzo can cook very well and would help out as the chef. I told them of course they can work here. She is my family, always has been. They will live in your old room now that you are with me.”
“They seriously want to work here?” I ask, feeling another weight rise off my shoulders.
He nods. “Yes. Is that okay with you?”
I rub my lips together. “Of course.”
He reaches out and brushes my hair off my face. “Good. I know it will be a full house, but think of what the time will give you. Now you can follow your dreams and passion . . . and hopefully they won’t lead you away from me.”
“I don’t really know my dreams,” I tell him. “But I know you’re in them.”
“Bene,” he says, smiling softly at me. “Then you are halfway there.”
“And have you thought about your dreams?” I ask him carefully. “Have you decided to race again?”
He shrugs, looking pained. “I do not know. I want to, perhaps even in a lower division, more as a hobby than a career. But I still worry about another accident.”
“But at least now you don’t have to worry about the twins being alone. I’m here. And so are Felisa and Lorenzo.”
“What do you want for me?” he asks quietly.
I give him a soft smile. “I want you to be happy.”
“I already am.” He kisses me again and then we join Felisa and Lorenzo in the living room.
“He told me your good news,” I say to them.
“You don’t mind?” Felisa asks, but there is a twinkle in her eye that tells me they would stay even if I did mind, bossy old thing that she is.
“Not at all,” I say. I won’t have to leave the kids or Derio or Capri, but I’m no longer held back from discovering myself. I look at Derio and smile, big and bright. “I promise I’ll get a job right away.”
He lets out a small laugh. “It’s okay, Amber. Take your time finding out what you want to do. You deserve it and I will support you through it. If you want to show off that green thumb of yours, maybe we can get you on board with one of the local nurseries. If you want to cook, well, maybe you’ll have to fight Lorenzo for that.”
Lorenzo looks over when he hears his name mentioned, but of course he doesn’t understand what was said. Derio quickly translates for him and Lorenzo makes fighting fists. I make the fists back, laughing.
“I don’t know,” Felisa says as she gazes around her. “I’m not even sure if I can measure up to you now. This place is spotless.” She picks up a white couch cushion and turns it over. There is a huge red wine stain there from the other night. I thought I was being clever. How did she know? She must have some super sixth sense for dirt and disorder.
I feel myself flush. “Well, we can’t all be perfect.”
“Ah, but you are perfect for me,” Derio says, circling his free arm around me. He eyes Felisa and Lorenzo and tells them, “If you don’t mind, I’m letting Amber take me to our room.”
Felisa waves at us dismissively, turning her back to us.
Derio pats me on the butt. “Come on, let’s go. I really need to lie down.” I help him up the stairs to our bedroom and he says to me, “By the way, I have more good news for you.”
“What? What could be better than you coming back home?”
“I spoke to someone who works in immigration. They are still going over our case and reviewing the files, but my contact, Federico, seems to think you have a very good chance at having your visa extended indefinitely.”
“Really?” I cry out. I don’t want to get my hopes up over this—it feels like I’m on the verge of winning the lottery—so I keep my squeals inside.
“We won’t know for a few weeks,” he says, “and of course this is just his feeling. But now I have a good feeling about it as well.”
We go inside the room and he shuts the door behind us. I immediately throw myself at him, kissing him hard and deep, on his lips, his beard, his neck, his collarbone. My hands roam up and down his body, softer and thinner now thanks to weeks of being confined to bed and missing his daily workouts, but still strong. Still mine.
“Am I hurting you?” I murmur against his skin as my lips skirt the V-neck of his T-shirt and he lets out a gasp.
“No,” he moans. “You feel like an angel. Don’t stop.”
I pull back and eye his cast on his leg below his long shorts. “Can you stand for this or do you need to lie down?” I start to undo his pants, my hands firmly gripping his erection. I’ve fucking missed him, missed this.