"Hey, be careful guys! Don't go too deep into the water and take care of Vera!" I shout towards Miles and Julia who apparently already got bored of playing sand castles and are currently running towards the sea with Vera right behind them.
"I got it, Dad!" Julia shouts back at me and instantly stops her running to go back to get Vera. She takes her hand in hers and then continues her path to the water.
"What do you think buddy? She got it yes or no?" I ask my nephew, Carlos, who's sitting down over the towel next to mine under the beach umbrella, playing with the toy excavator I bought him down at the village yesterday morning.
"Yes." He replies, confidently nodding his head and making his soft dark curls fall over his blue eyes. I have to tell Danielle that it might be time for a haircut, as cute as he may look with his long hair.
"I'm sure you haven't paid attention to a thing I said but I'm going to choose to trust you." Making sure I don't have any sand on my hand I carefully comb his hair back.
We have been in Spain for a week now, we try to come every summer even if I have work. Julia loves being around her cousins so I take care of the business remotely. It's pretty chaotic and for the last few days I have practically been hiding inside my room doing meetings so today I decided to turn off my laptop and go down to the beach with the kids while the rest of the adults have a nice peaceful day down at the village. They have been taking care of four little monsters alone they deserved a break and I really wanted some time with the kids. Some people might think is going from one type of chaos to another but to me this is heaven.
"They are having the time of their lives out there," I tell Carlos as I watch Miles, Vera, and Julia jumping over the waves.
They asked if they could take him too but he is only two years old so even if they are pretty responsible I told them that would prefer it if he stayed here with me. I would go in with him but going into the sea with a prosthetic and a little kid isn't the best idea. But it's fine, this way I can have some alone time with him. I miss being around a toddler more than anything in this world.
"They sure are," Mia mutters from behind me, her arms wrapping around my neck as she kisses my cheek softly. She smells like a mixture of sea breeze and vanilla, a mix that might have just become my favorite scent. "Hey, handsome."
"Hey, amor. I didn't even hear you coming. You all back from town already?" I move to the right so she can sit beside me. (Love)
"No, just me. I wanted to spend some time with you, you have been working a lot lately." She sits down but doesn't let go of me, her left hand resting over my thigh. The gold wedding band that matches mine except for the incrusted little diamonds glinting in the rays of the sun.
I asked her to marry me five years ago, and we have been married for two. Everything changed the night we all went to have dinner as a family and I mentioned that I would love for us to go out sometime, just the two of us. I remember I only waited a few days to ask her if she would want to go on a date with me the same way I remember where we went and what she was wearing. It was one of the best days of my life because that's when I realized I had been given another chance and this time I was going to do it right.
I did it right.
"I know, I'm sorry, I promise I'm done for a little while." This time I'm the one to kiss her, but on the forehead.
"Don't worry, I know how important it is to you." Resting her head over my shoulder she looks at Carlos who hasn't moved his attention from the toy. "He really loves that thing, you are a master at buying toys for kids." I feel her smile against my body and I instantly smile too.
"What can I say, I was made to be a father and an uncle," I say proudly.
Many years ago I would have said I wasn't made to be a family man by any means, but now I know this is exactly what I was made for. This is all I have ever wanted.
"You really were." Mia's voice gets quieter all of a sudden. Her eyes still focused on little Carlos.
"Mia..." I know exactly what she is thinking.
"I'm sorry I'm not able to give you another kid." She whispers, her voice breaking a little.
When we started to get serious again she told me that she probably would never be able to have a kid again. And the way she said it was heartbreaking, not only because I knew she wanted to be a mother again but because for a second it almost looked as if she were scared I would stop wanting her because of that when in reality I couldn't want her more. She had already given me the best gift of my life, she had given me Julia, and that's all I needed. But for her, it wasn't that easy, and from time to time this topic resurfaced, especially when around Carlos.
And don't think we didn't try, we did, for years, we tried everything but it never happened, she never got pregnant again. It was difficult, she suffered a lot, we both did, but it also brought us closer. We thought about adoption but with my background, it wasn't easy.
"Don't you dare apologize, it's not your fault and I don't need another kid, Mia, I have everything I need right here, I have you, Julia, and everybody else. I feel more than complete." I move back a little, taking her face between my hands. "I love you and Julia more than anything, you two are all I need." I remind her the way I always do because even if I would love to have another kid I don't need it, not when I have her and my perfect little girl.
"I know, it's just that I wished I could do this for us, for Julia, give her a little sibling." A single tear runs through her cheek, one that I quickly sweep away.
"I think she looks pretty happy already with all her cousins don't you think?" I smile making her look in Julia's direction.
We can hear her laughing even from here, and her laugh still holds first place in the top three of my favorite sounds, Mia's is right after... and the third thing may or may not be Mia moaning my name in the bedroom.
"Yeah, she does." She smiles her gaze not moving away from our daughter who as if on cue looks back from the water towards her mother. The beautiful smile they share also on her face. She waves in our direction before moving her attention back to Vera and Miles.
Watching her grow up around family, around a good family is everything I could have asked for. Is everything I wanted to be able to give her and I made it. She is surrounded by people who love her, her cousins, her uncle, her aunt, and her grandfathers. She has everything a kid as amazing as she deserves.
"Hey, lovebirds! We brought food, Rick and Danielle are getting everything ready, can you tell the kids to go dry themselves!" Matteo shouts from the house's backyard.
Having the beach just behind your house is like a dream. If I could I would move here in a heartbeat, buy a house somewhere nearby, and leave New York but I can't do that, we just bought a house in the city, and Julia has a life there, so does Mia.
"Of course!" Mia stands up from the towel. "I will go get them, you take Carlitos."
"Yes, ma'am." I nod standing too and picking up Carlos. He quickly settles on my arms, the toy excavator still in his tiny little hand.
There's no need to take our stuff since it's basically a private beach so I just wait for Mia and the kids to come back. I watch her as she walks to the water, her flowery summer dress flowing in the wind accompanied by her stunning long hair. I swear with every year that goes by she looks even more beautiful.
"Kids! Come on, lunch is almost ready." She shouts trying to get their attention.
"Cinco minutos más!" Miles shouts back. (Five more minutes)
"No, venga, el agua va a seguir ahí luego, ya volveremos vale?" She changes to Spanish too. (No, come on, the water will be here later, we will come back, okay?.)
Miles and Vera both speak mostly Spanish with each other and Matteo, with Danielle sometimes too. And both Julia and Mia are pretty good at it too but we tend to speak in English, maybe because we live in the US. Here we jump from one to another but stick mostly to English, also because of Rick, he tried to learn but he is not that great.
"Okayyy, Mom!" Julia says taking Vera's hand as she gets out of the water. Miles follows right behind them.
Carlos lets go of the excavator and moves his attention towards his siblings and Julia. When Miles notices he starts to run in our direction, making weird faces and making Carlos laugh out loud.
Oh, there's nothing like hearing a baby laugh.
"Hola monito, la próxima vez vienes con nosotros." Miles stands on his tippy toes and kisses his baby brother's cheek. (Hi little monkey, next time you will come in with us.)
Carlos even at two also knows both Spanish and English since Danielle uses mainly English with him and Matteo Spanish.
"Wanna carry him? It's getting a little difficult for me." I motion to my prosthetic. He is a big kid and so far I manage but in the sand, it isn't easy.
"Of course." Miles nods as he takes Carlos in his arms.
"You okay, Daddy?" Julia comes my way. She is always aware of my leg, making sure I'm doing okay.
"I'm okay princess, don't worry." I bring her closer to me to give her a side hug and then I take her hand in mind. "Ready?" I turn to Mia who's helping Vera dry her hair with a towel.
"Ready." She nods. "I will braid it after lunch okay?"
"Okay." Vera nods a big smile on her face.
___
"That's not how I remember it." Matteo shakes his head as everyone at the table laughs. Kids included.
"You liar, that's exactly how it happened. Mom told you that it was my turn and since you weren't used to not getting your way you bit me. On the ass." I point at him accusingly. There's no way I will forget something like that.
"You were too tall, is what I had the closest." The mother fucker smirks, looking towards the kids that are almost crying with laughter.
"Now you remember? Huh." Matteo turns to me and simply shrugs his shoulders.
"God, I wish I had grown up with siblings, sounds like so much fun." Mia laughs her hand resting on my upper arm.
"Oh, trust me, not with one like him. He was a pain in the ass."
"Quite literally," Miles says, making the table burst into laughter once again.
"Good one, kid." Rick high-fives Miles.
"God, he is the mini version of you, Matteo. I'm so sorry for you, Danni." My gaze falls onto Danielle who's currently feeding Carlos some strawberries.
"Don't worry, he is a sweetheart with me." She smiles adoringly looking at her son.
"You don't look at me like that anymore." Matteo jokes, staring at his wife. He is as in love with her as the first day he saw her.
"Because you are indeed a pain in the ass." She jokes looking at him and you can also easily tell how much she loves him too.
"Ouch." He puts his hand against his chest, acting wounded. "That hurts."
"You will get through it." She ignores him making the kids laugh for the hundredth time today.
Putting my hand over Mia's that's still resting on my arm I turn my head to meet her eyes to find her already looking at me. A big smile adorning her face. Seeing her like this, so carefree and happy feels like a dream but it isn't, it's our real life. We actually made it, it wasn't easy but we did it. I was able to become a man worthy of her love, as I promised all those years back.
"I love you," I whisper only for her to hear, my hand slowly making its way to the side of her face.
"I love you, too." Her smile grows bigger as she moves towards me, softly kissing my lips.
I deepen the kiss as I always do because every kiss she gives me is like a gift. One I have to take full advantage of.
"Ew! Dad!" Julia shouts disgustedly.
If there's something she hated -and hates- about us being back together is all the affection. But keeping my hands away from her mother had always been impossible and it will probably never change.
"My bad." This time I do reluctantly let go of Mia but not before whispering in her ear a soft "later" and making her chuckle lightly.
Author's note
As always if you are here ty for reading and don't forget to vote and comment your thoughts!
You all better be grateful for this, I gave them the happy ending they deserved. Though to be honest they are soulmates, they were meant to be.
Had to add a little info over Mia's situation, with how bad her first pregnancy was I believe this was previsible. It's sad and very difficult but also a situation a lot of women go through.
Seeing the Russo's as a big happy family feels like the biggest "we made it" moment. Hope you all enjoyed and thank you for everything <3
Thoughts? Also if u all want I will do more bonus chapters.
Love you all,
Maria