Anaheim wasn't Florence. It was now very obvious to both Vanessa and Reid.
After spending two weeks exploring, eating, teaching and learning Italian, and freely loving in the beautiful city of Florence, they were back to fast-paced Anaheim.
"Are you excited to see Lailah?" Reid asked as he drove to Vanessa's parent's house.
Vanessa nodded and squeezed his hand. "Very. I loved spending time with you, but my sweet little girl." She took a deep breath to calm her emotions. "I really miss her." She prayed that Lailah wasn't upset with her for being gone for so long. It was their first time being apart for such a long time.
Reid looked at his lovely wife from the corner of his eye and saw that she was tearing up. He sighed and rubbed the back of her hand. "Tesoro, why are you crying?" He asked sympathetically. He didn't want her to be upset.
Vanessa tried to blink away her tears. She was just being overly emotional. "I-i just miss my baby," She shrugged and tears ran down her face. "I'm okay," She giggled passively. She didn't want Reid to worry.
"Oh, amore mio. I'm sorry for keeping you away from her for so long. I didn't think of how it would affect you," He felt like crap for making his beloved sad.
Vanessa wiped her tears away and kissed his hand. "No, I enjoyed our time together. It's just that I've never been away from her for so long. I'm fine now," She said sincerely and leaned back in her seat. They would be at her parent's house soon, but she still wanted to try and fit a nap in.
"If you say so, my love. What do you think about taking Lailah for ice cream before we get home?" Reid asked, but he was met with silence.
He looked at Vanessa and saw that she was asleep. "Bene, Dio. È così adorabile." (Good, God. She's so adorable.) He laughed lightly and continued driving to the Grace household.
Fifteen minutes passed and Reid was now trying to wake Vanessa.
"We're at your parent's house." He whispered in her ear and shook her softly. He didn't want to scare her awake.
When she didn't stir, he tried again. "Tesoro, we are picking up Lailah. Wake up," He said a little louder than before.
He moved away from her and sighed. She was gone.
Since she wouldn't wake, he decided to just leave her in the car while he got Lailah.
He kissed her forehead and got out of the car.
As he walked to the door, it opened and Jenna was standing in the doorway.
"Hey! Where's your other half?" She asked with a smile and her hands on her hip. "Come in," She stepped aside and Reid walked into the house.
"She's sleeping in the car. I couldn't get her awake," He explained and Jenna smirked.
Jenna eyed him and started to laugh.
She was a confusing woman.
"Seems like you enjoyed the honeymoon," She said slyly and walked down the hall. "I'm going to get Lailah!" She called out and Reid took a seat in the living room.
Vanessa was nothing like her mother. It was funny to see how different they were. Her mother was wise, yet a sarcastic joker. Vanessa was wise but reserved in almost everything that she did.
Almost being the keyword. She was feisty and bold when she wanted to be.
"Ahh! It's you!" He heard Lailah's squeal before seeing her run into his legs.
She screamed and held onto his legs. "I miss you! Where mommy? I miss her!" She babbled and rested her head on his knee.
Reid didn't know how much he missed little Lailah until now. He picked her up and kissed her cheeks. "Hello, my sweet. I missed you so much and your mommy is sleeping in the car."
Lailah grabbed his lips and squeezed them. "Daddy is like a fish. Mommy likes fishies. Can we go now?" She let go of his lips and hugged his neck.
Jenna walked over to the couch and placed Lailah's bag next to Reid. "Hmm." She laughed and walked to the kitchen.
Reid stood up with Lailah in his arms and picked up her bag. "We're going home now, Jenna. Thank you so much for keeping her, I'm sure that Vanessa will call you when she wakes." He walked to the kitchen and hugged her.
"You take good care of my daughter. Not that you haven't been, but now it's different. She's your wife and you'll be with her every day." Jenna advised him. "Please remember to choose to cherish her every day." She murmured with a hint of sadness.
Reid understood what she was saying. She saw her daughter fall in love with a manipulative abuser and she saw her daughter crumble. He wasn't going to take Vanessa for granted, he loved her more than anything.
"You have my word, Jenna. And if my word isn't enough, I charge you to watch my actions. I love Vanessa." He was serious. He didn't feel like Jenna was doubting him, she just wanted to be sure.
Lailah kissed his cheek and he smiled at her. "You're so sweet," He hummed and walked to the door. "Ciao, Jenna!"
-
"Why is she sleep, daddy? It's not nap time!" Lailah asked a little frustrated.
Reid chuckled and kissed her head. "Mommy is sleeping because she's tired. When she wakes up you can play with her," He wanted Vanessa to wake up as well, but it seemed like she was exhausted.
Lailah huffed and ran out of their bedroom and into hers.
Three-year-olds had temper tantrums, it was natural, and Reid couldn't fix everything. Vanessa needed rest and though Lailah missed her, she would have to wait. She was learning the art of patience at a young age.
He walked to their dresser and pulled out her bonnet. She always wore one to sleep, she told him that it kept her hair healthy and neat, so since she couldn't put it on, he was going to do it for her.
He walked to the bed and carefully placed her hair into the bonnet. It amazed him how all of her hair could fit in such a small silky cap.
Vanessa stirred a little and took hold of a pillow. She leaned on the pillow and a small smile grew on her face.
She was a vision and she was all his. That was his favorite part. He had a wife, a darling wife. After three decades of searching, he finally had someone well worth waiting for.
He kissed her and walked out of the room to see Lailah. The emotional little angel.
Her door was opened and she was sitting on her bed with two dolls.
"You want to buy stuff, Poca?" She shook one doll. "No! I just want food!" She giggled and kicked her feet in the air.
She was adorable.
"Angioletto, will you watch a movie with me? A princess movie?" Reid asked already knowing the answer.
Lailah stopped laughing and threw her dolls off her bed. "Yes, daddy! And we can eat candy and pizzie!" She slid down the slide from her bed and ran to him. "Can we please, daddy?" She pushed out her bottom lip and swayed her shoulders.
He picked her up and spun her around, making her squeal. "Of course we can!" He kissed her cheek and walked out of her room and down the stairs.
The doorbell rang and Reid sat Lailah on the couch. "Daddy will be right back. Could you please pick a movie out?" He asked her and she nodded.
"Yes! I use the mote!" She cheered and waved the remote control around.
He smiled at her cuteness and walked to the door. He looked at the surveillance camera and saw Cabbrieli.
He opened the door and engulfed his son in a tight hug. "Ciao, my son!" He kissed Cabbrieli's cheek and walked into the house. "Come, sit down and tell me about your travels!" He was over the moon to see his son.
"Cabbi!" Lailah screamed and ran to him. "Hi!" She smiled and hugged his leg
Cabbreili leaned over and picked Lailah up. "Hello, little lady."
He walked to the couch and sat down, Lailah moved away from him and picked up the remote again.
"We watch a movie!" She told him. "You want to?"
The way they interacted was adorable to Reid. His son and now little girl got along very well.
"I sure do." Cabbrieli responded and relaxed in his seat.
Reid sat next to Lailah and got on his phone to order pizza.
"So, where's my new stepmother?" Cabbrieli asked curiously.
Reid nodded towards the staircase. "She's asleep. The time change and jetlag knocked her out," He explained and Lailah gasped.
"Mommy got knocked?" She asked horrified and gripped Reid's arm.
Cabbrieli and Reid chuckled at her reaction.
"No, angioletto. It just means that she's tired. Like you get during naptime," Reid explained, hoping that she understood.
She blew raspberries and huffed dramatically. "Oh! I pick Cindy!" She went ahead and clicked the Cinderella with Whitney Houston on the cover.
He'd never seen that before, he'd never actually seen any rendition of Cinderella before. It could've been a crappy movie, but he'd watch anything with Lailah.
Cabbrieli cleared his throat and had a mischievous look in his eyes.
"Mi aspetto un nuovo-passo in nove mesi, caro padre?" (Should I expect a new sibling in nine months, dear father?)
Reid laughed heartily. Cabbrieli was a good son, but he said whatever he thought at times. "Che bello, figlio mio." (So brash, my son.) He didn't disagree with Cabbrieli, he wanted a child with Vanessa.
Cabbrieli shrugged and looked at the movie.
"I have an apartment in the city, I've decided to let you and Vanessa have your privacy. I will still be close," He said lowly, not to disrupt Lailah's movie.
Reid had an idea that Cabbrieli would change his mind, but he didn't have a problem with it. His son needed space, it was normal.
"I understand. You must've moved in while we were in Florence, have you figured out where you'll work?"
"Two days after we talked, I moved. I used my savings to buy a shop downtown, I want to open a bakery." Cabbrieli said with a pensive look. "I spent a lot of time thinking and it's what I want to do. My favorite part of working in your restaurant was making desserts," The joy in his voice made Reid happy.
"If that's what you want, I am in full support of your decision. I want to help with any expenses that your bakery may bring," That was why Reid came to America in the first place. His dream was to be successful and to take care of his family, and now he was going to do whatever he needed to help Cabbrieli.
Cabbrieli shook his head. "I can't let you do that. You've already done so much for me,"
Reid finished ordering the pizza and then opened his bank app. "Don't worry, my son. Let's quiet down for Lailah." He made a transfer to Cabbrieli's bank account and put away his phone.
His attention was grabbed by the instrumental track of the movie. He was a music man, so if the movie had a good suite, he would enjoy watching it.
"The sweetest sounds I'll ever hear are still inside my head. The kindness words I'll ever know are waiting to be said,"
The young woman sang.
Lailah giggled and tugged on his shirt.
He looked down at her and her dimples were showing due to her humongous smile.
"What is it, miele?" He cooed at the smiling angel.
She pointed at Cinderella and back at herself. "She beautiful like me and mommy! So pretty!" She gushed as her cheeks turned rosy. "She brown like mommy!" She whispered in awe.
"That's right, Lailah. Princess Lailah," He kissed her cheek and she giggled.
Now he had an appreciation for this Cinderella movie. His daughter saw herself and her mother in the black young woman. She was a princess and it showed Lailah that she could be one as well.
The movie went on and soon enough it was another musical sequence. He was shocked at the diversity of the movie. A black queen, a white king, an Asian prince, it didn't make sense, but the movie flowed well enough for it not to be odd.
Lailah jumped off the couch and pulled Cabbrieli off as well.
"Dance with me!" She demanded happily and twirled around the living room.
Cabbrieli twirled around following her moves.
Times like these were priceless. Seeing his loved ones being carefree and living.
Sometimes he wished that things were a little different. He prayed that his parents and grandparents were still alive just so he could have some time with them.
Wishing and praying for impossible things weren't a waste of time, but instead of wanting those he didn't have, he chose to live in the moment with the people he did have.
There was no date over anyone's head saying when they would pass away. There was no time to waste doing things that weren't going to be beneficial.
The day he met Vanessa was the day that he decided to just do. There was no time to waste and in his heart, he knew.
"Daddy! Come dance too!" Lailah yelled, pulling him out of his head.
He jumped up and twirled both Lailah and Cabbrieli.
There was no time to waste. He had two beautiful children and a flawless wife. God blessed him, so with all the time he had left, he was going to cherish them.
-
Authors Note
That ending😪 that beginning 😪
Hey y'all!
The newlyweds are back in Anaheim! I loved their honeymoon, but we all know that we have to get back to action
Anywho, I'm not even gonna play with y'all. Our fave is preggers now, like I know y'all are gonna say something about her being tired. I spoiled it for y'all
She didn't even wake up y'all, that's pregnant woman tendencies ☺️
We got to have a little more Reid and Lailah action, I love them.
How about Cabbrieli? He's finally in Anaheim and he's starting a bakery! I love that for him.
The whole Cinderella scene, YALL! Lailah saw her mother in Cinderella because they're both beautiful black women, that's beautiful to me🥲 Cinderella 1997 is the only Cinderella that matters to me, like I can watch it every day because it's so cute and diverse!
Back to the story notes, Reid got a little serious towards the end of the chapter. I never touched on his parents, but they passed away as the chapter stated. He loves family and he's focused on living in the present with the family he was blessed with. Just amazing.
What about the whole bonnet part? I loved writing it. It just showed us how much Reid pays attention to Vanessa and how much he loves her. He's so thoughtful *swoons*
Well, as usual, let me know what you thought of the chapter! I love reading comments
Ciao for now and see y'all on Wednesday!
Side note: be prepared. 😈