18+ Private We Could Live Off of Magic and Maybes

[Wisp]

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The world seemed so vivid now. Colors and moments she never thought to consider or cherish drew in her attention so much closer now. The room filled with laughter as the twins played at the coffee table in the living room. The sweet smell of frosting from the birthday cakes on the counter. One chocolate and one strawberry but both decorated to reflect the party's theme of Peter Pan, pirates and fairies....how she pulled this off in the middle of Fall, she had no clue. The shopping for supplies had been a massive pain, but the twins seemed excited.

Lunch was bubbling on the stove as Rina continued to prep the themed snack trays by chopping up the cheeses and veggies. While the house as a whole was decorated there was still a great deal of food prep to finish up. Guests would be arriving in just a few hours, but one....well he was told to come early. Perhaps it was her nerves that had her so hyperfixated on everything happening for today's event....it was more than just a birthday party....it was a meeting that was long overdue.

"Mama! Quando dovrebbe venire papà?"

She turned towards the doorway where her son stood. His short snow colored strands were covered by a pirate hat and his shirt was decorated with an image of Captain Hook. Even though she tried her hardest, Ori insisted on being the villain of the story. His lavender eyes sparkling with excitement at the idea of meeting his father in the flesh. There were many times she redirected conversations in the past when it came to the topic of Rosario, but today....it would finally happen.

Selena peeked into the room behind her brother. Her matching gaze closer to a violet hue. She was nervous, but her expression was one of equal joy. Her wild blonde strands were tied up in a bun with a green ribbon. Her dress was leafy green and on her back were iridescent wings. They were ready for the party and just as excited to show off their outfits to every guest that arrived.

"He is coming right?"

Seli asked her mother the question. The younger of the twins clearly still skeptical of the idea that her father was real. She wasn't sure how to handle things, but she wanted to be excited.

The look of apprehension on her daughter's face broke Rina's heart. To know the level of pain that she'd caused Rosario was one thing...but to see how much Selena and Orion had missed out on...she'd never forgive herself. Rina put the knife that she was using down on the cutting board and knelt down to her children's level with a soft smile.

"Anytime now. He'll be here and when he gets here you're all going to feel a lot of things..."

She pulled the twins towards her and gave them both a big hug.

"But...when you hug him like that....it will make all the nerves go away okay? He's just as excited to meet you as you are him."

She let the twins go and looked at Selena's face. The anxiety on her little features seemed to melt away once the birthday girl looked at her mother.

"And I will be there the whole time, okay?"

Seli nodded her head and smiled softly. Rina kissed her daughter's forehead and looked at Ori. The birthday boy seemed completely unphased by the situation as he held up his hand with a fake hook. He was clearly more excited about being a villain for the day...

"Mama, where is your costume?"

Rina blinked and tilted her head to the side. Was she supposed to dress up? That was a thought that hadn't crossed her mind while planning the party though.

"What do you mean Ori?"

"We told Daddy to be Peter Pan, member? Nonno is 'sposed to be Mr. Smee and be a pirate with me!"

Rina's expression changed to one of panic. Oh no, they had discussed that idea. But...it was fine. This was just a small family party for tonight and a few of the twin's friends from their kindergarten class.

"Yeah mama, you're supposed to be Wendy. You gotta wear a blue dress!"

Her children looked at her with excited expressions. There was no way she would get out of this, was there?

"Well, if Daddy dressed up. I will go change to match him."

@Ansaldo

 

[Ansaldo]

Rosario's fingers were wrapped around the steering wheel of his car in a white knuckle grip. Despite that, the car wasn't moving. At all. In fact, the car parked on the side of the street outside of Caterina's apartment. The man stared straight ahead, the corded muscles in his arms straining with how tightly he gripped the steering wheel.

Rosario wasn't the type to succumb to nerves. Calm, cool, collected. Always. Now though? It was the first time he'd be meeting his children. The first time in six years. They've already grown up so much. What if they don't like him? Or think he looks funny, or he smells or a thousand and one other things.

Sitting in here wasn't going to help though, and backing out had never been an option. Rosario forced his fingers to relax, flexed them, relax again before he opened the car door and stepped out. Walking across the street proved to be a slight challenge. His legs shook, and his knees felt weak, just moments from collapsing.

But somehow, he made it to the otherside, up to the door, and standing there in a green button up shirt, adorned with a gold leaf pattern, Rosario knocked on the door.

@Wisp

 

[Wisp]

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Rina looked at her children for a few moments. It was nearing the time Rosario promised to arrive. The clock was ticking forward now. The weight of the moment sat heavily on her shoulders. This was going to be it....

They were no longer just her children. Though, she understood now that they never should've been. He should've been there. She should've fought the anxiety and fear and just confessed it all at the beginning. It would've gave him the time he would never get back now.

She looked at their faces so closely. Memorizing every messy hair peeking out from Ori's hat. The little smudge of chocolate on Seli's cheek. The vibrant matching violet of their gazes. Ori had her hair, her smile, and her chin. Seli had her smile, her forehead, and her slim frame. The rest of them was a mixture of their father. Those little teeth might have been hers too, but...she'd carried them for seven months to have them come out looking like their father. A cute joke at the time, but...fate was cruel and kind.

She'd see the face of the man she loved everyday in them.

The sound of a car door shutting drew her attention to the window. Rina stood up slowly and brushed some of the flour off of her apron. Selena rushed over and peeked out the glass. Her excitement shining on her face as she laid eyes on the tall man with blonde hair just like her own.

"MAMA! HE CAME!!!"

Her excited squeal echoed through the living room as Orion rushed to the door once the first shallow knock hit the surface. He didn't hesitate to pull the door open for him. His small frame looking up at Rosario with a matching nervous and yet excited gaze.

The little boy seemed lost for words as he looked up at his father. Though it was Seli that decided to take command of the situation. She pulled the door open further and wedged herself around her brother. She looked up at Rosario with a bright grin.

"You did dress like Peter Pan!"

She clapped her hands together excitedly before reaching up and taking her father's hand. Orion seemed to snap out of his daze as his sister spurred him to replicate her actions. Both twins were now pulling on their father's arm to get him to come inside the house.

"Vieni papà, fa freddo qui fuori!"

Rina approached the door and slowly pulled it open the rest of the way. Her hands shook as she looked at Rosario. Her concerned expression quickly turned into a hesitant smile. Gently she knelt down and put her hands on the twin's shoulders.

"Sistemare gli amori. Papà ha bisogno di tutte e quattro le appendici."

Her voice was soft, but firm as the twins went from tugging on his arm to gently guiding their father into the house far enough for Rina to shut the door behind him. She turned to watch them in the moment. This was something precious she couldn't miss...

Selena was the first to release her father's hand and rush in to hug him. Though Ori followed her lead just moments later.

@Ansaldo

 

[Ansaldo]

The sound of children's shouting reached his ears before Rosario's knuckles touched the door, their excited squeals growing louder as the door swung open. A little boy stared up at him, the snow white hair atop his head looked just like his mother's, albeit chopped short and more than a little messy. His eyes were familiar though, the same as Rosario's father's, an ever-shifting lavender.

A second body jammed itself between the boy and the doorframe, grinning up at him with her mother's smile. "You did dress like Peter Pan!" The blonde haired girl said, practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

"I...did?" the man said, confusion all over his face before some piece or another finally clicked into place. "Ah, that's right! I did!" He looked nothing like Peter Pan, but for them he'd pretend.

Though they weren't identical, the twins shared a kind of symmetry between them as they pulled Rosario through the entryway. Caterina's voice drew Rosario's attention, but even her presence couldn't diminish Rosario's own glee.

The twins finally let go of Rosario's arms, before spinning around and wrapping their arms around his waist, barely tall enough to even reach that. There was little to be said about the way Rosario smiled down at the, his hands seeming even larger as it rested against their backs. The man knelt down slowly, drawing them into to return their hugs. He squeezed them tightly, despite his fear of hurting such little things.

A few moments passed before Rosario separated from them both and placed them side by side before him, a broad grin as he looked at his children for the first time. "You," he said, gently holding the girl's shoulders. "Must be Selena." She had his hair, but her face was shaped like her mother's. "And that makes you Orion, huh?" Rosario said, shifting his attention to the boy and mussing with his hair. "I...guess you know who I am then?"

@Wisp

 

[Wisp]

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The twins looked up at their father with expressions of pure excitement. They smiled brightly as his hands wrapped around them. They snuggled in close and clung tightly to his shirt at they took in the moment for the first time. Hugging their father and seeing how warm he was....Seli closed her eyes and just enjoyed it. Ori on the other hand peeked around his father towards where his mother was standing by the door. His lavender gaze brightening as he looked at her with a questioning expression.

Rina smiled softly at her son. The simple action seemed to calm him as his attention returned to his father. Slowly she stepped away from the door and walked towards the entry to the kitchen. She assumed it would be best to let them have this moment. Though she hadn't missed the cold barrier that seemed to divide her from Rosario. Once she was away from the children her expression dropped from the soft smile to one of defeat.

What could be done? She couldn't return six years of time. Nor, could she fully answer his questions lest he be dragged into everything. Though, Rosario's father made it clear that he would be explaining everything to him tonight. All of it needed to be out on the table.

"Don't you know your own name Daddy?"

Orion looked up at his father with a curious expression. The title that he spoke seemed to come out so naturally to the ear. It was as if no time had passed between father and son. Though Seli still seemed to be taking in the situation with an inquisitive look on her face.

"Your name is Rosario Amantea. You're 28 and Nonno says you act like a brat sometimes, but Mama says you're....you're....cocky? No....PRISMATIC!"

Ori rolled his eyes as he put his hands on his little hips.

"It's not prismatic Seli! It charactersmatic! Mama explained it as 'a person that can draw you in or catch your attention with the way they carry themshelfs.' Remember?"

Seli stuck her tongue out at her brother before turning back to Rosario.

"Do you know why Mama calls your name during her alone time in her room? Cuz she says its something only grown ups should do and I wanna learn how to play that game. It sounds fun."

"Yeah! Mama makes a noise like-"

Ori opened his mouth and gasped for air loudly. The sound causing his mother to turn on her heel and quickly go into the kitchen with her face beat red to resume chopping the veggies on the cutting board and check on the soup boiling on the stove. She didn't want to hear her children air her dirty laundry.

"It sounds like a jump scare game. Mama said we're too little to play it but that's wrong. I'm the protector of the family, so I'm old enough right?! I'm six now!"


"Why don't you two show your father the game you were playing on the table?"

Rina called from the kitchen as she stirred the soup and gave it a little taste before adding some additional spices to the pot. She needed to change the subject so that the twins wouldn't spill everything about her private life. The twins seemed to be full of energy now at the idea of teaching their father a new game.

"Daddy! Will you play You know (UNO) with us?!"

"Yeah! It's lots of fun! We can teach you if you dunno how to play it! Ms. Amelia and Uncle Tonio always say we're the best players though. So you might not win...."

@Ansaldo

 

[Ansaldo]

"Don't you know your own name Daddy?"
"Your name is Rosario Amantea. You're 28 and Nonno says you act like a brat sometimes, but Mama says you're....you're....cocky? No....PRISMATIC!"

Rosario couldn't help but chuckle at Orion and Selena's antics. Life was so simple for a child, and they were so unfazed by anything. Neither of the twins seemed in the slightest bit upset or unsettled by his sudden appearance in their lives. It seemed less like he was suddenly filling a gap in their lives, but more like he was something tucked away in the attic being discovered for the first time. Rosario supposed Caterina was to thank for that. Whatever it was that she'd told them, it at least meant that they knew of him.

"Do you know why Mama calls your name during her alone time in her room? Cuz she says its something only grown ups should do and I wanna learn how to play that game. It sounds fun."

"Yeah! Mama makes a noise like-"

The sweet little reflection was quite suddenly (and humorously) interrupted by the sound of Orion making some inappropriate sounds. Rosario's eyes went wide and he slowly turned to look at Rina as she shuffled away into the kitchen. Rosario caught a glimpse of bright red cheeks as she turned towards the cutting board.

"Uhm...That's a secret only adults know," Rosario said, turning back to the twins with an awkward chuckle. Blessedly, Rina interjected as Orion asserted he was old enough to know anyways, and Rosario gratefully let the children drag him towards the little coffee table. Rosario sat down on the floor with the children as they pulled out the game. He was comically large compared to the low, squat table, but none the less he nodded. "Sure thing. I think I've played before, but be warned. I'm pretty good too. So you'll have to play really well to beat me," he said with a wink.

@Wisp

 

[Wisp]

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"I can beat you Daddy!"

Ori declared his words confidently as he shoved the pile of cards towards his father. A sweet look on his face as he smiled brightly. He was so certain that this game would go in his favor. Seli on the other hand nodded her head quietly and helped her father to arrange the pile of cards into a neat stack to be shuffled.

This was going to be a fun game.

~~~~~~~~~

Rina brought the pot of soup out of the kitchen and sat the large ceramic container onto the center of the dining table. The space was filled with fresh focaccia bread, minestrone soup, a fresh salad, and trays of horderves for the guests that would be arriving soon. She was expecting three for certain, though this was just a small family celebration for the twins...it was still a celebration nonetheless.

A variety of delicious smells filled the apartment.

"Ori thats cheating!"

Seli's voice boomed from the area by the coffee table. Her face red with frustration as she looked at the older child. She put her hand down on the table with a smack. She was clearly frustrated by her brother's antics.

"It's gotta be a yellow card! That one is blue!"

She huffed before turning and looking her father for support in the matter. This was now their third game in a row, but Ori had won twice. She wasn't about to let him cheat and win a third round.

"It is! Its the same number, Seli! See!"

He pointed at the two cards. They were clearly the same number cards, just in two seperate colors. Still, just like his sister he looked to his father to back him up in the situation.

"Okay everyone! Dinner is about done."

Rina called to them with a smile and walked back into the kitchen to finish prepping the main course of the meal. A rich alfredo pasta with crispy chicken. It was a dish personally requested by the birthday children for their meal of the evening.

Ori sat his cards down and came running into the kitchen excitedly.

"Mama! Can I help set the table?"

He looked up at her with his iridescent gaze and a wide grin. Rina looked down at him with a calm smiles as she flipped the food in pan to evenly coat the noodles and chicken in the sauce.

"Of course mia amore. Will you get the forks and spoons onto the table for me? We need to set for five people."

Ori nodded confidently as he pulled open the top drawer and got out the silver forks and spoons. Carefully he counted out a few of the required utensils and took them to the table where he began setting them down around the plates that were already there.

Rina looked over towards the table where Seli sat with her father. Her hand from the game on full display as she enjoyed herself chatting her father's ear off about her favorite mermaid, Princess Ariel.

"Daddy! Did you know Ariel liked to use forks to comb her hair? I tried that once, Mama said it wasn't good for my hair though cuz a dinglehopper is for food..."

Rina waited for her daughter to finish her statement before she looked towards Rosario for the first time in a while.

"Ro-" She paused a moment and cleared her throat nervously. "Rosario....would you mind texting your dad? My phone is currently dead, so I'm not sure if he will be here in time to join us for dinner..."

@Ansaldo

 

[Ansaldo]

As Rosario sat down and began to play the first few hands, Rosario had a very important revelation. He had no idea how to play fucking Uno. Even though Rosario played his best, but his best was somehow worse than the two six year olds. Although he certainly exaggerated his moans and groans of disappointment, they were certainly real. Still, everytime Orion won, Rosario congratulated the child. His child.

Despite Orion's success though, Selena had yet to find any, and it was beginning to frustrate the six year old. When accusation of cheating started to get thrown around, Rosario looked at the twins blank faced, and wide eyes. He had no idea if Orion was cheating. "Uhm...well..."
"Okay everyone! Dinner is about done." Thankfully Caterina interrupted and saved Rosario from the children.

Somehow he managed a smile at her in thanks.

"Alright kiddos, vai a prepararti per la cena."
Orion got up to help his mother set the table while Selena decided to sit with her father at the table, chattering away. "Oh really? Well, tua mamma is right. Dovresti ascoltarla."

"Rosario....would you mind texting your dad?" Rina interrupted. This time there was no smile to offer her as he nodded. "I'm gonna step out for a second."

@Wisp

 

[Wisp]

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Watching the game of Uno had been quite entertaining, well when Rina was able to look up from the food. It was quite cute watching the twins try to show their father the rules. Though Rosario was certainly a quick learner, it was very clear that their conflicts were making it quite challenging for him. She wondered if maybe reintroducing the game to him would be a good idea....if he would let her.

Though she did notice the blank and surprised expression that crossed his features when the twins began to fight. It was a normal part of their day. Learning how to play fairly was an area of challenge for most children their age, but it seemed the change in topic was a good opportunity for Rosie to get his bearings back. She couldn't help but to smile in return when he did finally give her some level of attention.

"Si Papa. I will listen to Mama."

Seli looked up at her father with a cute smile before getting up and going over to assist with setting the table. This time she picked up several cups from the counter that Rina had put out. One a simple glass for drinks. The other a very nice set of crystal wine glasses for the adults. She was careful about where she placed them as her mother followed her with the plates and bowls. Once it was all said and done, a delicious meal was set out upon the dining table for five individuals...

Two of which she wasn't sure would actually stick around to cut the birthday cake....

When she asked Rosario to speak to his father it brought with it a pregnant pause that made her hesitant again. She knew that there were a number of hard topics that they needed to cover and once the kids were in bed it would probably take place, but....she didn't want to blindside him with things that his father would bring up.

Rina placed an ipad in Orion's hands. A tool for the kids to play on while they were snacking. She placed some of the lighter snack food on the children's plates and kissed their cheeks before approaching Rosario. Ori and Seli quickly started happily munching away on their selections and talking about what they would play together.

She glanced over her shoulder at them before looking up at Rosie with a nervous expression.

"Come talk with me in my room...before you call your Dad. I want to explain things to you....really clear the air...."

He nodded his head before she turned to lead him to her room. Each step towards the space felt like cement was wrapped around her foot. The ever growing sensation of fear was bubbling up in her gut. She didn't think he would react in a way that would spoil the time he had with the kids, but it would be wrong for her to hold much more back from him.

It was wrong...

As she crossed through the doorway to the carpeted space. She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Rina turned to the left and opened the door to her small and very cramped walk in closet. Two objectives stuck out to her, one the safe sitting on the upper shelf and two the flowy off the shoulder powder blue dress that she'd set aside for this occasion. She would keep her promise to her children and play the part of Wendy today.

"Shut the door please...and lock it. The kids tend to run in here without knocking."

She glanced at the mirror on her door and reached up to pull the elastic from her hair. Letting the snowy strands fall she glanced at Rosie's reflection in the mirror. The moment felt surreal. They'd been in a similar situation doing things....very different with their minds in a state of pure desire for each other.

Now....it just felt like an arctic storm was just waiting to happen.

She ran her hand through her hair before pulling it over her shoulder and braiding it quickly. She then stepped into the closet and reached above her head to pull down the small safe. It wasn't very large or deep, but it was secure enough to keep the twins out of the private documents there. She sat the black container onto her dresser and pressed a few buttons.

BEEP

The door of the safe popped open to reveal a mix of papers, yellow folders, two stacks of cash, a leather book, a loaded handgun, and a small yellowed envelope. Rina reached inside the safe and pulled out the gun. Carefully she sat it down on the dresser before picking up the yellowed envelope and the black leather bound booklet.

Silently she brought the two items over to Rosario. She placed the booklet in his hand with a calm expression.

"The saving account information for the Twins' trust. Your father has contributed the starting amount of 250k from the time they were born. Its listed under Orion and Selena Amantea-De Ricci and your father's name. I don't touch it without his permission and it's usually to buy gifts for the kids. I've logged every bit of spending from the account. They have separate trusts as well, but they can't get into those until they're twenty-one. Those both equal millions from what he's told me, but I didn't ask more than that."

She looked at Rosie for a moment as she digested everything that she'd explained to him and considered what to say next...

Slowly she opened the aged yellow envelope and pulled out a piece of paper with the same amount of color. The paper was marked with pen, his father's handwriting. She placed the paper in his hands.

A check for $100,000 addressed to her.

The back of the paper showed no markings of her signature. The date on it reading the day she left him. The check with that value showed no signs of having been tampered with. Proof that she'd never taken the money from his father even though she had the paper in her possession all this time.

"I'm sorry..."

She sat the envelope on her dresser and walked back towards her closet. Carefully she picked up the hanger that held the blue dress and laid it on the bed. She kept her back to Rosario as she considered what to say from there and while he observed the paperwork she put in his hands.

All of it was a clear sign that if she'd wanted money, she very well had the means to take it from her children or his father. Yet, she didn't. She worked to support them with her own hands. Even going so far as to sacrifice her body to meet their needs and to clean up her brother's mess.

"I left you because having your child meant ruining your life then just as much as it has now. You would've given up everything you worked for to support me...us. The goals of going for your Master's. Travel. Outdoing your father and his wealth. You would've lost all of it....it's one thing to support yourself, Rosario...but to support four lives without your father or the family's support?"

She looked up at him then.

"I know you would've done everything for us and still achieved your goals eventually, but it left you in a vulnerable position. Not only would your hard work have gone to waste, but...I was scared you would do what you had to in order to give us a secure future...and that would've been to join the family. I know you...."

Slowly she leaned her bottom against the base of her bed. Tears burned at the corner of her eyes, but she kept her composure.

"I had to choose losing you to a life of bloodshed or to break your heart and know you were living happily in a safe environment. Yes, what I did is unforgivable. I should've told you and let you decide for yourself what you wanted, but at the time....I just wanted to protect you in what little ways I could...."

She wrapped her arms around herself as she waited for him. Silently she let the tears fall as she let everything out into the open. She fully expected him to blow up at her. She certainly knew she deserved every bit of the anger that he would give her....she'd lied to him. She kept his children a secret. She even managed to blow his whole life apart. All with the explanation of she was trying to protect him? At least the idea of pursuing money...chump change even....well it would've been something tangible to hate her for.

Rina was good at her core. She never cheated. She almost never lied. She never stole from anyone, except him....and the time he lost with his kids.

"....take this in, but you're going to need to sit down....there's a lot more...."

@Ansaldo

 

[Ansaldo]

Rosario and his father never texted. Although Rosie had grown up in a time where smartphones had been prevalent, his father came from a decade when instant messaging was just making its appearance. And so, they talked on the phone.

Before Rosario had even made it out of the door though, Caterina stopped him with a face riddled with worry. When she asked him to come speak with her in her room, he cocked a skeptical brow, but nodded anyways, and followed her.

As Rosario shut the door behind them, he became very aware of how very parental it was of them, to hide away in Rina's room to have what he could only imagine to be a serious conversation. What though, Rosario was uncertain of as Rina disappeared into her walk-in closet. Rosario followed after her, pausing at the entrance, and leaning against the doorframe. She pulled down a safe, and Rosario had moved to help her bring it down, but paused when he realized she did not need him for that, and so returned to deceptively lax pose in the doorframe.

The safe beeped, swung open, and Rosario raised his brows again when he saw Katerina set aside a handgun. Loaded, judging from the sound of it. He made no comment though, and waited until she brought over the yellowed envelope and leather bound booklet.

The sound of pages rasping against his fingers quietly accompanied Caterina's words as Rosario thumbed through its pages, giving them only a cursory glance as he listened. Silent, he looked up at Katerina as she then handed a small rectangular piece of paper, not much larger than a dollar bill. He recognized the handwriting instantly, and his eyes drifted up to Caterina's.

Caterina brushed past him with a barely audible apology as he looked at the paper in his hands, flipping it over, then back.

Her voice reached him again, and Rosario turned towards her, the little room and its bed with the blue dress. His lips drew themselves into a thin line as she explained away her decisions, their ruined relationship, his absence in their children's lives. But still he said nothing. At her bidding, he moved towards her, the bed, and sat down.

His hand, warm, surprisingly gentle, took her hand and lightly tugged, a signal for her to sit next to him.

@Wisp

 

[Wisp]

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She didn't notice his expression as she pulled out the gun, however she listen closely for him to say something. Honestly, there was nothing that he could say which would bother her about this. She was putting all her cards on the table. Sharing her shame in all of this made her the most vulnerable she could be, but she did everything she could to steady her heart and brace for anything that would come towards her.

Rina watched him silently. Her nerves were getting the better of her. The way his lips drew into a tight line...she was sure he would-

She froze when he took her hand. It wasn't harsh like when he grabbed her at the club. She didn't jump or want to run away. It was just a soft grasp to guide her to sit with him.

Without a word she took a seat next to him. She could feel herself shaking even as she held his hand. Her anxiety about the entire thing and the trauma that started it all.

"I...uh....I guess...."

She took in a slow breath to regain her composure. His choice to just listen to her and hold her hand had been one she didn't anticipate. Still, even if he was seething with rage....she was grateful for his patience.

"I guess....it would be best to explain that my pregnancy didn't exactly go to plan..."

She looked up at him and paused for a moment. Looking him in the eye and talking about these things...explaining why... Her legs felt like jello as she tried to shift them. She looked down at her feet for a moment.

"It was something that...uh....."

She closed her eyes and took in a deeper breath this time. Slowly she raised her head and looked at Rosario with a calm resolve. She squeezed his hand gently.

"When I left I went to stay with my mom while I tried to figure out my next move. My brother being the overprotective idiot that he is was heavily involved in every aspect of my pregnancy since I wouldn't tell them why you weren't there."

Rina paused before glancing towards the door. She could still hear the giggles of the twins as they played their game. It seemed like they were having a lot of fun and it brought a small smile to her lips.

"I suffered from a condition that messed with my blood pressure to the point that I was essentially on bed rest from the time I was about four months pregnant to when the twins were born. They were eight weeks early..."

Her gaze turned back to the door as the tears started to fall faster. She struggled to catch her breath and gasped for air. Reliving the moment of their birth wasn't easy.

"The stress of just....everything got so bad. My mom was working so much more to support our household and my brother was so anxious about everything. My blood pressure just went through the roof and I had to be admitted to the hospital.....and when it didn't go down they just....wheeled me into a room and gave me a shot before they cut them out...."

She pulled her hand from his grasp then and just let out a sob. This was so hard to explain....she doubled over like she was in pain.

"Ori was blue....I just saw his little hand....then....they said he wasn't breathing and I started to freak out....then the beeping got so loud..."

Rina could vividly hear the sounds of the machines and the voices of the doctors...it was like she was reliving the day all over again.

"Then suddenly my chest hurt....and.....then I just remember blackness and a weird dream where I was walking in a field...."

She took some time to get out her sobs before continuing.

"When I woke up....I was in a room....my mom was sitting at my bedside praying...."

Rina stopped and looked up at him.

"When she realized I was awake she freaked out and called for the doctors....they came in and....once everything was checked....they told me that I had died on the table....I'd been out of it for two days...."

She hesitated before continuing.

"When I got to see the twins....I was informed about Ori and Seli's conditions. Selena was healthy and perfect...ten fingers and ten toes....Orion though....he'd come out struggling to breathe due to the cord getting wrapped around his little neck."

Her hands shook, but she continued on.

"Uh.....he was.....healthy though beyond that complication....it was just an extremely scary thing....but we were all able to leave the hospital within a week....

She looked at the door again before turning back to him...

"This all....applies to the part in this that involves your dad....you see...because of the sudden debt...and stress I would like to assume....my brother....went to a loan shark for the financial help....and he put it under my name......and borrowed maybe $300k at the time? But....he didn't make the payments....and well....."

"Essentially, your Dad will....probably bring up some things about my situation. That....there's a substantial debt to the Family with my name on it. Your cousin.....Giovani I think? He's the guy that holds my debt...."

She stood up and grabbed a tissue from her side table. Carefully she wiped her eyes and looked in the mirror in an attempt to clean up her makeup a bit.

".....your dad got involved because I found out my brother wasn't making the payments and the debt had grown an insane amount....like by six million within three months between the interest, additional charges, and late payment fees. I had no idea about it and was cornered in a back alley while I was on my way home from work....only to be dragged into a meeting with Giovani and your Dad....."

Rina finished cleaning up her makeup and turned to fully look at him again.

"I don't understand everything about what happened in that meeting....but....I know Giovani tried using me as a bargaining chip to persuade your dad into something....but at the end of the day.....your dad paid him something to get me out of there and back to the twins....where he met them....and just.....took us under his direct protection....he's been in our lives since...."

She bit her lip softly as she stood up and untied the apron around her waist. She pulled it off and tossed it into a basket by her dresser. The she hooked her fingers into the waist of her pants and unbuttoned them.

"I started working at the club to cover the debt payments since then....the extra goes towards bills or whatever I need it for.....my brother said he took the money because of my medical debts....but I don't talk to him much now because of it..."

She slid her pants down over her hips and turned to look back at him. Rina wasn't exactly sure what to make out of this situation with Rosario. Nor did she understand what was going on in his brain. He'd been so quiet....

She stepped out of her pants then and bent over the bed to grab her dress.

@Ansaldo

 

[Ansaldo]

Even though the bed was soft, Rosario could still feel Caterina's shaking. He didn't need to be holding her hand to do so, the bed did little to dampen the vibrations. Even as she spoke, Caterina's voice hitched, and she needed to pause every once in while, as if she were reliving those experiences all over again. Through it all, Rosario was quiet and calm, waiting for Caterina to get through her story before letting out a long exhale.

She'd almost lost Orion, she had died. It was only a miracle and modern medicine that kept the children from becoming orphans. And on top of all that, of course her idiot brother had done something so unbelievably stupid, it made Rosario impressed that the man hadn't forgotten to breathe. All without any repercussion to himself. And of course it was Gio who was holding all the cards. The little wretch would never pass up an opportunity to get at Rosario.

Rosario ground his teeth at the thought of it all, but as Caterina stood and began to undress herself, Rosario breathed in deeply, letting go of his rage for a moment. There were more important things to worry about for now. "I'll take care of Gio." And figure out something with my father. The words were there, despite being unspoken as Rosario stood from the bed. He turned to look at the woman just in time to watch her bend over in front of him, and it took a moment for Rosario to find his thoughts again.

A strong hand gently gripped Caterina's waist, before the arm wound around her waist as she straightened. Rosario pulled Caterina against himself, Caterina's back pressed to his chest as he dipped his head down to gently kiss her shoulder, her neck. His breath was warm on against her ear as he said, "You gave them my name."

@Wisp

 

[Wisp]

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Rina had noticed the burning rage in his eyes as she explained the situation behind the debt. Though she was too nervous to bring it up with him. What if that was her fault too? She bit her lip softly. No, Rosie would've voiced his displeasure to her sooner if that were the case. Though she could tell that there was an intense fire filled rage burning underneath his seemingly calm exterior....

She just hoped she wasn't going to be facing the wrath of it all...

As she reached for her dress though he stood up. The way he looked at her seemed to be much different from how it had gone at the mention of his cousin. A simple phrase caught her attention enough to make her pause.

"I'll take care of Gio."

She looked at him with a worried expression, though it quickly faded. There was more things implied with that statement. He would handle the situation and work on things with his dad. What that would mean for her and the children....for him was simple...and scary. Rosario may end up doing what she'd tried to keep him from having to do since the beginning.

"Rosario.....please....."

She lost her voice as his hand took hold of her waist. She stood up slowly and his arm wrapped around her. Rina could feel the warmth of his chest even under the silky texture of his shirt. Her cheeks were flushed as she let out a little gasp as he kissed her skin. The embrace was enough to calm her nerves and yet excite her at the same time...

"You gave them my name."

His breath was warm and it made her shiver as she leaned back and welcomed his touch. Her expression softened from worry to something far more gentle, perhaps a mixture of love and desire. She arched her back slightly and looked up at him.

"It's the name they're meant to have....they're our babies."

She slid her hand back and up his thigh slowly. Rina was choosing to test the waters to see where this embrace may go.

"I will not give any other man a child.....all of me belongs to you...."

@Ansaldo

 

[Ansaldo]

There was a sharp inhale of breath as Rosario's lips touched Caterina's skin the first time. He would've smiled if he wasn't distracted by other things, her voice, her hand gliding across his thigh. "I will not give any other man a child.....all of me belongs to you...."
The words ignited something primal in Rosario, and the low rumbling sound that issued from his throat was caught somewhere between possessive and tender. Rosario nipped at the hollow of her neck, his lips pressed to Caterina's skin before his teeth grazed across her flesh.

"I never stopped loving you, you know?" he whispered, reverent-toned in the presence of his affection's subject. "I always wondered what happened to you. If I'd done something wrong. I missed you." Desperately. But now, maybe they could pick up the broken pieces and put something resembling what they had back together. And together, they could figure out how to handle the debts, Gio, and everything that would come after. So long as they were together, the rest didn't matter.

@Wisp

 

[Wisp]

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A soft moan left her throat as she closed her eyes and savored the feeling of his teeth on her skin. The way he nibbled on her neck and the sound that left his throat as she spoke coaxed her hand higher. She stopped at his hip though as he spoke to her.

"I never stopped loving you, you know?"

Rina opened her eyes slowly. She took a few moments to digest his words. How deep and intimate their relationship had been. Sure, almost seven years had passed between them. Their twins were six on this special day in fact....but it was like the chemistry and passion were just so.....natural. She couldn't stop thinking about him....it had been the same for her, but she hesitated.

"I always wondered what happened to you. If I'd done something wrong. I missed you."

Caterina stopped herself for a moment. She slowly turned and looked up at Rosario. Her cheeks were flushed, but her expression was calm. She wanted him. She needed him. There was no going back from this though....he couldn't walk away if he decided to dive into her problems. She didn't want him to get hurt....

"I've missed you...so desperately...I've missed you Rosie...but..."

She looked down for just a moment. Her lips quivered as she reached up and pressed her palm to his cheek. Slowly she leaned in and pressed her lips against his. It was the lightest and softest kiss she could manage as she broke away from him just a moment later. This time it was nothing like the teasing she'd coaxed him with in the dressing room.

"You don't understand what you would be giving up for me. Right now....if you wanted you could take our children and run to the other side of the world. I couldn't stop you, nor would I....because I know they would be safer....you would still be safe and free..."

Rina placed her other hand on his chest and let it slide up to carefully unlatch the first few buttons of his shirt.

"I would never survive if I lost you because of something like this...I can't live without you but I also...I don't want you to go.....I need you...."

She couldn't live without him and yet she also feared losing him. It was the kind of anxiety that existed on the same side of the coin, so it was a situation where she would have to lose something no matter what. Still she couldn't stop herself from wanting to have her cake and eat it too.

She loved him. Greedy or not, those emotions were at the very core of her being.

"I love you so much....I always have..."

@Ansaldo

 

[Ansaldo]

Caterina turned in Rosario's arms, a graceful pirouette contained by Rosario's tender embrace. As she cupped his face, he gently turned into the warmth of her palm. When she kissed him, his lips chased after hers after they'd broken apart. Everything had changed after Caterina had left him. She'd taken a part of him with her, and Rosario had never stopped looking for it. Now, as she stood there in his arms, her fingers undoing the buttons of his shirt, he was certain he'd found it again. Even if it would never be quite the same again, whatever that missing part was, it was his again.

His hand caught hers as she undid the buttons, stopping her halfway. "There is nothing I wouldn't give for those kids. For you." He brought her hand up to his lips, eyes closing as he kissed her palm with tender affection. When his eyes opened again, they found Caterina's holding them in their gaze with a soft warmth. "No cost is too great. As long as I have you three, I can handle anything. We can handle anything. Don't worry about the rest, il mio cuore."

@Wisp

 

[Wisp]

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She didn't resist him as he took her hand and kissed the palm. The gentle action made her ache for more contact between them. If she could, well she would already be naked on the bed...but....

"There is nothing I wouldn't give for those kids. For you."

His words brought her a moment of comfort. Rina knew that the twins and she would be safe, their little family of four would be in a much more secure position with Rosario beside them. Her heart urged her to trust him and to take the pressure off herself, but she was still scared to let it go. Certainly if they were together, just like he promised....it would all be okay. They would work things out somehow.

She believed in that...

"Okay....we'll do it together...."

She moved her hands down his neck, his chest, and let them return to undoing the remaining exposed buttons of his shirt. Rina leaned in closer. Her hands traveled lower and slowly unhooked his belt before stopping at the button of his pants.

"But I want you to make love to me first, Amore..."

@Ansaldo

 

[Ansaldo]

Her fingers running down his body, nimble fingers undoing each of the buttons as they traveled downwards. The sound of his belt jingling drew out an amused chuckle as the lusty woman in his arms undid his belt and paused before undoing the button of his pants.

"But I want you to make love to me first, Amore..." Caterina's voice hung in the air, laced with seductive intent.
"Amante," he warned with a mischievous grin, knowing if she kept going, he wouldn't be able to resist. "Don't forget we have-"

"Mama! Siamo affamati! Are you and Papa almost done?" Selena's voice came through the door.
"Quello," Rosario said with another chuckle. Taking Rina's hands in his, Rosario kissed both before looking at Rina through half-lidded eyes. "Let me go call my father, and we can pick this up later," he said, promising that there was fun to be had in the evening.

"Mama! Papa! Siamo affamati!" Selena's voice called again.

@Wisp

 

[Wisp]

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Rina listened with a soft smirk on her lips. His smile telling her everything she wanted to hear even without the words as she looked up at him. All she needed to do was press a couple more buttons and he would be putty in her hands. She could hear the familiar tone of desire as he spoke with the intent to remind her of their current situation. They were supposed to be having a day with their children to celebrate their birth. She knew that and she certainly understood, but she still wanted to enjoy a present all her own.

"Don't forget we have-"

She took advantage of the moment and brought her mouth to his neck. She parted her lips and-

"Mama! Siamo affamati! Are you and Papa almost done?"

Rina visibly jumped at the sudden knocking on the door. The voice of their youngest child coming through in a heavy Italian imitated accent. She let out a little breath, her own disappointment showing for just a split second. Of course this was something that would have to wait, Seli and Ori were their main focus today.

"She's very much my child, persistent and motivated....but impatient."

She giggled softly.

"Seli! Stiamo arrivando. Non morirai di fame, tesoro mio. Papa will be out soon to get you some more snacks."

Her fingers wrapped around the leather of Rosie's belt and the cool metal clasp as she drew the accessory back into a closed position. A little smile on her lips as she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"I will be out after I finish dressing....but you might end up regretting the choice to wait."

@Ansaldo

 

[Ansaldo]

The tickling sensation of Rina's soft lips against the skin of his lips drew out a low rumbling noise from Rosario's throat, which only grew into a full, hearty chuckle as the children began to complain about being hungry. Especially given that Rina jumped nearly a foot in the air at the sound of their voices outside her door.

Rina let out a nearly imperceptible sigh of disappointment to which Rosario responded with a sympathetic kiss on the forehead. "She's very much my child, persistent and motivated....but impatient." Rina explained as Rosario pressed his lips to her forehead. "Like mother, like daughter," Rosario chuckled again, a calm, happy look on his face.

Perhaps begrudgingly so, Caterina had buckled Rosario's belt again before informing him he might regret making her wait. "Hey, it's not my fault," he said with a laugh. "Besides, its always worth the wait when it comes to you." He flashed a confident smile.

"I'll go call my father and tell him we're almost ready," Rosario added through gritted teeth. Despite all the new revelations, Rosario couldn't imagine this being a pleasant conversation. For either of them.

The door shut quietly behind him, and of course, the two children were practically bouncing up and down at the prospect of food being ready soon. "Ah, you'll have to wait just a little longer. I'm gonna call Nonno and tell him we're ready so we can eat soon." A chorus of 'awws' followed, leaving Rosario to chuckle once more as he stepped out into the backyard. "I'll just be a moment," he told the children.

@Wisp