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"You could move back because you stink." River blurted out as she scrunched up her nose.
He threw his head back, laughing aloud.
But he still didn't move a step back.
Dumbass.
"Why?" He cocked his head. "Is my proximity affecting you?"
"By affecting, if you mean in a nauseating way then yes." She cocked her head, imitating him.
He chuckled some more.
"Let me make you some coffee." He stood up straight. "Or maybe you should go sleep. I am free till the evening. I will take care of the children."
River was ready to decline but she realized that he shouldn't be having to look for such excuses to spend time with his own blood and flesh.
Who was she kidding? She wanted to keep them apart because she didn't want the kids to have to lose their Papa but she was taking their precious time together from them.
Her resolve strengthened yet again, for now.
She realized that this was a perfect opportunity for the father and children to spend some time together before she told their babies the truth.
"Yeah. That sounds like a good idea." River finally said.
Mateo gave a single nod and lifted her off the counter and placed her back on the floor, as if she was the most fragile thing on earth.
Of course, he never felt that she was weak. To him, she was one of the strongest, fearless and amazing women he knew. She was like a tree that thrived in the middle of a drought.
He turned off the coffee maker and the couple made their way back upstairs.
River turned to the side of the stairs where Alessia and the kids' rooms were.
"The kids slept in their room?" Mateo asked.
"No, they are so comfortable I didn't want to disturb them." She said, deciding to sleep on one of the twins' bed.
"Wait, you should use my room." Mateo said.
She turned around and gave him a confused look. "Why?"
"Because the kids are going to be running in and out of their room the whole day so you won't be able to get much sleep." He explained. That was a fair point but why his room? As if he could read my thoughts, he continued, "And it would arise suspicion if you slept in a guest room. We are married, remember?" He quirked a brow, a smirk lining his lips.
River rolled her eyes. This dumbass was incorrigible. But she was also confused. "So they don't get suspicious if we sleep in different rooms? "
"Are you suggesting we sleep together?" He teased, cocking his head again.
River did a three-sixty degree jump in annoyance, groaning. All the while, Mateo was laughing at her.
She poked at the inside of her cheek with her tongue to calm herself, and then smirked. "Not that I mind.." She took a step forward and Mateo abruptly stopped laughing. "But.."
"But?"
She really had no idea what to say.
"But.. "
Think River, think!
"But?"
She just gave him a playful grin. "Never mind."
He looked disappointed and worked up. Men!
"So back to the question..." She spoke.
"Janet knows and she cleans the four bedrooms here so..."
River nodded. "I will be using your bedroom then."
She didn't wait for his reply as she made her way over and in to his room. She didn't even bother turning on the light as she bee-lined for the bed, knowing where it was from the peak, she had at the room last day.
And somehow, she managed to fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
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"Found it!" Kiara ran into the kitchen with a book in her hand. "It should be in here!"
Mateo picked her up and placed her on the stool as she started to flip through the pages, trying to find the recipe for the lemon cookies in their great-grandmother's recipe book that she had packed along with River's belongings because Lilith Johnson knew that her orthopedic surgeon of a grand daughter would want to brush up on her culinary skills now that she had all the time in the world.
Kiara was initially not into the idea of spending the day with Mateo. But he had given all of the staff a day off and kicked the two other idiots – his sister and best friend – out. So, she had no choice. He knew that it was quite mean of him but he couldn't help it – after all, all was fair in war and love and he was doing this for the love of his little girl. And luckily, Kiara had warmed up sooner than he thought when he asked her to help him bake cookies for her Mommy.
His little girl loved her Mommy a lot and he couldn't wait for her to love him just the same. A little less was also fine with him.
So, the whole point of River staying in his room turned out to be for nothing because both their children were glued to his side and not planning to go upstairs to play. But he wasn't complaining.
"Mommy's phone has it all." Lucas said as he watched his sister turn the pages. "You could have gotten her phone."
"Mommy doesn't have her phone with her Lukey." Kiara said as she scanned through the pages of the fat diary. "She left it at our home."
Mateo realized that he still hadn't gotten her a phone or a laptop, neither had she asked for them – well, she didn't exactly have the time to even think about it since she was busy settling in. Even though she couldn't contact her friends or family, she could use it for the internet and for other entertainment.
And he also needed to get them a new home back in New York. Their children thought this place was a vacation spot. He needed to get a new home for all of them, for River and him to raise their beautiful children in.
"There!" She tapped at the page, grinning up at her father.
"Alright!" He took the book. "Soldiers, are you ready?"
"Yes, captain!" They chorused, saluting him.
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It was a quarter past four when River finally came down, fully rested and after a bath.
"Good morning sleeping beauty." Mateo winked at her as she lifted their son off the couch and sat down, placing him on her lap and placing a kiss to the side of his head while he paid no attention to whatsoever happening around him as he and Kiara watched their favorite cartoon, Paw Patrol.
"Good evening." She rolled her eyes as she too glued her eyes to the screen.
Mateo was amused by her interest in kids' cartoon and stayed quiet till the end of the episode after which Kiara stood up on the couch, "Mommy we made cookies for you!"
"You did?"
"Yes!" Lucas exclaimed as he hoped off her lap and pulled her by the hand. She was about to pick Kiara but he beat her to it. And she smiled so brightly when she saw Kiara at ease in her Papa's arms.
River was amazed at how easily Kiara warmed up to him in her absence. Maybe she was worrying about the father-daughter dynamics for nothing.
Mateo wondered if River had decided to sleep through the day to give him time with the kids. And if so, he was so grateful to her.
"Yum!" River moaned as she dug into the first cookie. She was perched upon the kitchen stool while Mateo stood opposite to her, the kids sitting on the counter on either side.
"Yay!!" The kids cheered clapping.
"Mr. Adesso did the cooking." Lucas said.
"We were his assistants." Kiara said.
"But it was so much fun!!" Lucas clapped.
The kids blabbered some more to her, narrating what all they did that day and Mateo was so happy that he was in every single sentence.
"So you really like Mr. Adesso now right?" She asked.
They nodded excitedly.
"So can Mommy tell you something about him?"
Mateo's breath hitched in his throat as she said it. The twins looked at each other confused but nodded at their Mommy.
"Well, Mr. Adesso-"
"WE ARE HOME!!"
The biggest, most important moment of Mateo's life was ruined by Amanda Core.
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