Nico (The Rossi Mafia)

Epilogue

"Come here, sit with me," I asked and a grin started spreading on Nico's face.

"I want to, but I think you're ready for your surprise now," he said and I crossed my brows.

"You have a surprise for me?"

Nico held the door open and Ava walked in.

My jaw dropped and I squealed. Ava squealed too and she came running to me. Avery giggled in my arms and Ava lifted her up, kissing the baby's cheeks and cuddling her.

"Oh my God, Kenni, she's absolutely adorable! She looks so much like you," Ava said. Nico came over to take his daughter, so that Ava could sit with me.

We were both crying. This was the longest we'd been apart since we first became friends. I'd missed her every day and now she was finally here.

"What are you doing here? What's going on?" I asked, gasping for breath. I watched as Ava and Nico exchanged pleased looks.

"It was Nico's idea. He wanted me to be here for Avery's birth but I missed the flight. I took the next one, no worries," she explained and threw her arms around me. We were hugging and laughing and wiping the tears off each other's cheeks.

"I can't believe you're here...I didn't think it would be safe?" I looked at Nico now, while he rocked Avery in his arms.

"Things are getting better, besides Ava said you and the baby were worth the risk," Nico replied.

I shook my head in disbelief while Ava sat on the bed beside me.

"How long are you here?" I asked and Ava smiled.

"A few weeks. I wanted to help out with the baby. But I have to go back for work of course," she said and I nodded my head.

"I would have been just as happy even if you came for a few hours," I told her and we were hugging again.

Over Ava's shoulder, I smiled at the man...the father of my child...who had stuck to his word. He was fixing this. He was going to make sure that I was always happy.

***

One Year Later

It was our wedding day, and I was blessed to be surrounded by all the people I most loved. My friends, Carly, Sarah, Silvia and Mona were there with their husbands and their respective kids. My parents were flown in by Nico too and Ava was of course, fussing around me as she helped me with my veil.

I hadn't seen Nico for an entire day, according to custom and our baby girl was now beginning to wonder where her daddy was.

"Where is Avery?" I asked Ava as she touched up my makeup. I was sitting in front of the mirror.

Nico and I had selected a beautiful Tuscan villa for the wedding. Ava and Carly had helped with the decorations and the food. This day was turning out to be perfect.

"She's with your mom outside," Ava told me.

Once she was satisfied with my makeup, she stood behind me and we looked at each other in the mirror.

"You look beautiful, Kenni," she said and kissed the top of my head. As I held her hand, I saw the diamond glitter on my ring finger.

Nico had fallen on his knee one night, only four months ago. It had seemed like a regular night-in for us. Avery was there, we'd ordered pizza and we were just about to settle in for a movie. Instead, Nico had turned off the TV, put Avery in her cradle and got down on his knee.

When he asked me to marry him, I'd burst into tears.

I'd pictured myself spending the rest of my life with this man...but marriage hadn't crossed my mind. I wasn't one of those girls who dreamed about her wedding. And yet, I was the one having one of the dreamiest weddings!