Alessio noticed that the days were turning into weeks and soon those were disappearing into months, and he was not sure where the time was going but he was going to be a father soon.
Cheri was eight and a half months pregnant and they were having a little girl. His little princepessa. Cheri was right all those months ago, about the baby, she was going to be a daddy's girl and he couldn't wait to spoil her rotten.
His limp was all but gone now. Every now and again when the weather would change it would ache a bit but other than the scars, there was no evidence of what his body had endured.
They were at the point in her pregnancy where they went to the doctor every week now. This week's appointment was yesterday and they had opted to do a 3D sonogram.
That's what got to Alessio. When he could clearly see what their daughter looked like. He couldn't put the pictures down. There was such a contrast and difference between these and the black and white images.
His wife was so completely sexy, pregnant with their baby. She loved wearing anything that showed off her baby bump and allowed him to put his hands on her at anytime.
When Cheri was about six months along, Alessio moved them back to New Jersey as there was no reason to stay in New York at the safe house, plus he wanted to be in the master bedroom at his home so she wouldn't have to walk up and down the stairs.
They'd had a beautiful first Christmas together. Tommaso proposed to Cassidy in front of all of them and of course she said yes. She had come to Cheri some months earlier thinking that Mas was going to propose and she asked Cheri right then to be her matron of honor and Cheri gladly accepted.
Alessio was on the phone talking to Angelo Silveri, while sitting at his desk, when he noticed Cheri bundled up in jeans, a sweater and boots, just walking around outside in the garden. The flowers were gone, of course, but it was still a nice back yard to just roam around in.
"Angelo, we just re-upped our deal with the Irish and the Russians" Alessio told his Don. The Mansion was doing well and business had doubled since it was getting close to November and the politicians were in town.
His restaurants were thriving and he was looking at property in Philly to open another one, so life was good. He was happy, truly happy. He had a wife whom he loved and adored and a baby daughter on the way.
Willow Valentina Castellano. It was a name fit for a princess and that's exactly what she was going to be, a princess. He was already so in love with her and he hadn't even met her yet.
Once off the phone, he knocked on the window letting Cheri know to come in. He didn't want her overexposing herself to the cold. She'd done very well staying healthy and her fatigue was at a minimum.
Waddling into his office, he couldn't help but stare at the beautiful creature walking into his office. She was wearing soft, brown boots that came up to her knee, maternity skinny jeans and a pale pink sweater. That color looked amazing with her hair and skin tone.
"Come here, baby" he said sticking his hand out to her. He pulled her around to where she was sitting on his desk, so he scooted his chair up to her and placed himself between her legs.
Laying both hands on her belly, he began rubbing it and placing kisses all over. Then he pulled up Cheri's sweater and moved the waistband of her jeans to right below her belly.
He couldn't get over how magnificently beautiful her belly was. Just clear, soft beautiful skin. Even when he was injured, he insisted on continuing with their ritual of oiling her belly down in the mornings and evenings. It paid off. Cheri was gorgeous.
He sat mesmerized by the activity going on inside her belly as soon as he started to talking to his daughter. "Wow" Cheri gasped as she got kicked again. "She is really loving on you today" she smirked as she rubbed her side.
Alessio just smiled as Cheri's belly rolled like a wave. It made him laugh and at the same time, he was in awe at the wonderment of it all. Such a miracle, giving birth. He hadn't told Cheri yet, but he wanted to have at least one more with her and maybe they'd get blessed with a son.
"Good morning my little princepessa. This is your daddy. I.love.you" Alessio said as he placed three kisses around Cheri's belly. Cheri loved watching him interact with their daughter. It filled her with so much love and joy.
"Baby stand up" Alessio instructed. Cheri slid from the desk and stood in front of her husband. "Is it just me or does it look like she's dropped again?" he asked her. Cheri walked over to the study door and closed it.
Alessio had a mirror that hung from the back of the door so she turned sideways, looking at her belly. God, he was right. Willow had dropped even more. Not wanting to panic her husband but Cheri had suspected that she would probably give birth soon. Not in two weeks, maybe one week, she just knew it was coming faster than they had anticipated.
"You're right baby" Cheri told him as she walked back to his desk. She'd started really getting prepared two months ago by having a 'go' bag ready and by the garage door. They could grab it on the way out to the hospital.
She'd put a phone number list together because she didn't know if Alessio would be calm and in control or if he would just lose his mind but she put Dr. Tovar's number on there, the hospital, Cassidy's number and Tommaso's.
"Feel like scrubbing my back?" Cheri asked, giving him that look. "I would love to baby" he said kissing her belly one more time. "Go get it started and I'll be right there" he told her.
She stood in front of her handsome husband, leaned down and gave him a very nice kiss. "Hmm, not that I'm complaining but where did that come from?" he asked. "Because I love you and because you deserve it" she said smiling.
Once she got the bath water going, Cheri pulled off her boots, then jeans and lastly her sweater. Since she'd gotten further along in her pregnancy, she couldn't get away with going bra less like early on.
Studying her figure in the mirror, she could still see the faint scar from when she was shot. Cheri would never tell Alessio this, but she still thought of baby Castellano all the time.
Time hadn't healed all wounds, but it was getting there and as long as he was in her memory and heart, he would never be forgotten.
"Come on Willow" Cheri said. "Time for a nice relaxing bath and then bed for a little nap" she said rubbing her belly.
She sat cross legged in the tub, keeping her belly straight and her shoulders, she let her head fall to where her chin rested on her chest. Taking deep breaths, she felt her entire body relax as she caressed her belly.
"You settling down in there sweetie?" she asked her tummy sweetly, aware that Alessio had entered the room. He just took it all in, his wife's words, how she spoke to their daughter. She was going to be a fantastic mom.
"Alessio, are you just going to stand there stalking me or are you going to get in?" she asked jokingly. He just smirked and shook his head. She never ceased to amaze him.