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River smiled as she watched her little girls play with the tea table in the room set up for the kids, complete with probably every single toy that exist in the world for their age range.
They were lost in their own world.
She sighed as she sat back on the recliner.
Everything was so normal.
Everything was so normal even after someone was found dead in Mateo's property.
Was that normal?
Shouldn't they at least be nervous if not shocked or disturbed?
But then again, Alfredo was killed by them and the authorities did not know about it yet nor did she think they ever will.
River found it hard to believe that she was acting normal and am completely fine with living with murderers. Mafia people!
Ugh.
Everything is so fucking messed up!
"Mommy, can we have some cookies?"
River looked up at her sweet sweet daughter.
"Of course precious." She smiled at the two of them, who were perched on the stools of tea party set, holding the cups like proper ladies.
She got off the chair and walked out only to have a bundle of springs collide onto her legs.
"Careful babe!" She threw her hands out, steadying him.
"I am not a baby, Mommy." He pouted as she knelt down to his level.
"I know. I called you babe, not baby." River returned his pout with her own. Of course her little boy was not convinced but he shook it off, diving right into his question.
"Mommy, when are we having another baby?" He asked shocking her. "Mia is all grown up now."
River was flustered, flabbergast, mortified - all the synonyms in the book!
"Where did you get this idea from?" She stammered out, completely conscious of the heat on her cheeks. She was so sure she looked like a tomato right now but she just took a deep breath to calm her racing heart and looked at her son, waiting for him to drop the name she was so sure he was going to drop.
"Papa told me to ask you." He shrugged.
"Hmm.." She nodded, pursing her lips. "Of course he did."
River ruffled her baby boy's hair. "Why don't you go ask Papa to come find me?"
He nodded and ran off without another word. That Mafia man was getting his ass kicked as soon as she got his hands on him!
River made her way to the kitchen where Alessia, Alison and Jacqueline had been joined by her mother and grandmother.
"Come sit with us baby." Susan Johnson called her over as soon as she saw her kid walk in.
"Yeah dude, all you do is run around." Jacqueline commented, though they were sitting and gossiping just a few minutes ago.
"I will I will." River laughed as she found a pack of choco chip cookies and transferred them to a plate. "After I go serve these cookies to the princesses having a tea party." She held the plate up.
"I will do it." Alessia got up. "I need to get back to helping that useless man anyway." She huffed, referring to poor old Adam. Those two were so complicated.. No, difficult. Sometimes they were best of friends and at other times they were at each other's throats. As entertaining as that was, she wished they would settle down just a bit, because River shipped them so hard and she wanted to be able to say that out loud. But the dynamics they had at the moment just stopped her from doing it.
'I really need to get a life!' River thought to herself, shaking her head.
"Yeah, thanks Sia." She handed her the plate and turned to the other women. "I will have a talk with Mateo and be right back."
She walked out with Alessia.
"Is it something serious?" Alessia asked as they walked.
"No, just Mateo being a pain in the ass."
Alessia burst out laughing. "You do realize you are talking about the Capo of the Sicilian Mafia right?" She was using the words that her older brother had told the ladies a moment ago.
River rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Nope, I am talking about the father of my children."
She laughed again. "Fair enough."
River gave her smile and looked over to the garden where Mateo and Lucas were animatedly talking.
"See ya." Alessia said and walked away while River climbed down the stairs and strode over to where they were.
"Hey boys!" She greeted as she reached them, gaining their attention.
They looked over at her with opposite expressions - Lucas was grinning ear to ear while Mateo looked like he had seen a ghost.
"Mommy, Papa wouldn't come see you." Lucas pointed at Mateo who looked at their son like he had ratted him out. Well, he kinda did...
"It's okay honey, Mommy's here. You go find Uncle Sebby."
"Okay!" He exclaimed and ran off again.
River slowly turned to the stupid Capo, her eyes narrowed.
"What?" He whined, his Italian accent making it three times cuter.
"You know what!" She retorted. This man-child dumbass was going to get it from her today!
"I was flabbergasted. It just came out!" He confessed sheepishly while she stood there, her eyes narrowed at him. He looked up and his soft sheepish smile suddenly morphed into a stupid smirk. "Though I am down for it if you consent to it."
My jaw hit the ground as she gaped at him, wide eyed.
"MATEO!!" She shrieked while the dumb-ass laughed his head off.
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Mateo paced around the room as River tried to tame her little girl's long curls. They were equally wild as hers. It was around five in the evening and Mateo's parents and grandmother were going to be home any minute. And Mateo was a nervous wreck.
Adam had been sent to Wyoming to help out Ricardo and Mateo's cousin, Leonardo with the situation. They were flying back to New York the next morning and Mateo planned to fly to Wyoming from there. Alessia had decided to stay with them and even Michelia and baby Lorenzo were going to move in with them. Leonardo, Michelia and Lorenzo were supposed to come over to Amalfi but that plan had gone down the drain.
Things were apparently bad in Chicago and so Leonardo had decided Michelia and the child would stay with them in Mateo's New York house from where Michelia will work.
"Done!" River exclaimed as she sat back and stared at the neat bun she had tied Kiara's gorgeous curls into, with small butterfly clips on them.
"Wow Mommy.. So pretty!" She grinned as she turned side to side, checking her hair in the mirror.
"That you are!" Mateo picked her up and tossed her in the air, kissing her cheek once he caught her.
"Mommy, look!" Lucas was at the balcony and River walked over to where he was and looked over at what he was pointing. Three black SUVs entered the gates, the guards bowing down as if a king had arrived. The Boss was probably considered their king.
"They are here." Mateo sighed as he joined them with Kiara in his arms. He looked between Lucas and Kiara who were watching him as he spoke. "Your grandparents and great grandmother are here!"
Suddenly, she felt a bit nervous, a bit scared, a bit hesitant and a lot conscious.
What if they didn't like her?
Why do you even care?
'Ugh, why are you back?'
You think it's the time to worry about that?
'But-'
You like Mr. Dumbass!
'No I don't.'
So you don't like Mr. Dumbass?
'That's not what I said. I said I don't love him.'
Who said anything about love? Oh wait, you did!
'UGH!!!'
"Let's go River!" She was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts by Mateo's hand on the small of her back, pushing her forward. She grabbed Lucas' hand as she walked next to Mateo, who still had their baby girl perched on his hip.
"Papa, will they like us?" Kiara murmured as they reached the stairs where they met Alessia, who looked drunk, with wrinkled clothes and messy hair.
"Ladies, gentlemen." She bowed dramatically. River frowned and looked up at Mateo who had his lips pursed. He turned to her. "Do you think you can help her look presentable?"
She nodded, still confused as to what happened in the two hours she hadn't seen Alessia that made her look like this!
"Baby, go with Papa." River turned to her son who frowned up at her. "I am not a baby, Mommy!" She rolled her eyes and nodded as she let go of him and walked over to Alessia who threw her arms around River and shrieked, "Cognata!"
(Cognata – Sister in law)
"Is that what you were drinking?" River rolled her eyes as she balanced her weight on her. She heard Mateo chuckle behind him and turned to glare at him before dragging Alessia back to her room.
"RIVER!!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as soon as she dumped her on her bed. River flinched and hurried over to the door to close it, lest someone think this was the scene of a brutal murder. She took in the condition of the room. She had gotten quite physical with the place.
"What happened here?" River asked calmly. Her eyes landed on the broken photo frames sprinkled with the green glass of the liquor bottle.
Seems like she did some target practice with alcohol bottles and photo frames!
"Care to tell me what's going on?" River asked her as she walked cautiously through the room to where her walk-in closet was.
"Mmmhmmm.." Alessia hummed as she hopped off the bed and followed her, stepping on pieces of glass and crushing them with her boots as she did.
"Careful!" River exclaimed as she made her way into her bathroom, running hot water on the Jacuzzi.
"Yes Mommy!" She imitated the babies to which she turned to face her and narrowed her eyes.
"What?" She shrugged. "My niece and nephew are the only good things that came out of this stupid family!" She exclaimed and then stopped, thinking for a moment before grinning again. "And you of course!"
River rolled her eyes yet again. She thought she should keep count of how many times she roll her eyes in a day.
"Anyway, get in!" She pointed at the now full tub. Alessia put her one leg in and River had to stop her. "Strip woman!" She groaned.
"Ooooh.. You want a strip show baby?" She purred as she wrapped her arms around River who let out an unlady –like snort as she laughed out loud. And that had Alessia laughing as well.
"Come on Sia.." River coaxed, all the previous light-heartedness leaving her voice. She sighed and nodded, taking off her clothes quickly and getting into the bath while River turned around to go lay out her clothes.
"Wait!"
River turned around. Alessia gestured her to come closer to her.
"Lemme tell you a story."
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