Cris' POV
We had a great time supporting Layla in Milan. But, boy did we come back to a lot of drama. And, I mean a lot.
First, Bliss made her debut as a model in a photoshoot with Marco on September 21st. She did a fabulous job. Her billboards with Marco are everywhere. I hear the sexual comments guys make about her and it infuriates me. Bliss is my friend and of course, I am going to look out for her. The one person who should have been at the photo shoot wasn't. Shane didn't show up at all. Not even a phone call.
Julian and Ryan went to his house and he nonchalantly replied, "That was today? It slipped my mind." I don't know what happened to Shane while Bliss was away, but he needed to fix it.
But, he didn't because, on September 23rd, he fired her, and to add insult to injury, he snatched the engagement ring off Bliss' finger and called off the wedding.
I sent my jet to get her away from New York for a bit. Granted, none of us want to see Shane anymore. Right now, Bliss is outside by the pool relaxing.
"Hey Bliss, when you are ready to look for the space for the center, just let me know."
"Thank you, Cris. How about Friday? And, you know what? I want to look for a vacation home. That way I can stay as long as I like. I don't want to burden you guys."
"Listen, it is not a burden at all. You're my friend, Bliss. Kamea loves you. And, so do the kids. We love having you stay with us. And, Kalani loves you like a daughter. He wouldn't mind either. But, I can help you look for a place too. Do you want a condo or house?"
"A house. I love to have parties and definitely want a pool and a big backyard. I love having my family and friends over."
"I understand."
As I was turning around to go back inside, I just happened to look and see Cade looking out the window. He waved, so I did the same thing. Then, went back inside.
*************
Chase's POV
Shane was stupid to let her go. He made it easier for me to get to her. Boy am I slick. They have no idea that I am living right next door to them. I am right under their noses.
Hmm, time to send a message, to play with Cris and Shane. People say I am a jerk, crazy or obsessed, but I know this already. I just love seeing people flustered and panicky.
Hmm, what should I say in the message? Oooh, I got it.
***********
Cris' POV
Unknown number: "Did you forget me? You thought I was gone, didn't you? lol. You crack me up. I certainly couldn't forget you or your beautiful wife, and her best friend from New York. You never know where I could be lurking. Tell Shane that Bliss Sanders was safer with him. She could go missing in a flash."
Why in the world did I keep this phone number?!! I ran to where the guys were sitting in the living room.
"Yo fellas, we got problems. Look at this message that I just got. Take one guess as to who it is from. I knew that little weasel would show his face again."
Each one read the message and passed the phone to the next one. Kamea's dad came into the room. "Pass it to Kalani also." I will have to buy a new phone because he dropped it on the floor and crushed it with one stomp.
"I would like to see that piece of crap get past me. Bliss is staying with me. And, you guys have to tell her. I am sick and tired of seeing her get hurt. First, it was that Mahoney fella. Then it was Landes. Now, it is the same piece of crap after Kamea and Layla?!!"
I have never seen Kamea's dad this angry. Speaking of Bliss, she came inside. This is going to be hard but needs to be done.
"I'll tell her," Julian says to everyone.
"Tell her what?" Bliss then asked.
Julian's POV
"Bliss, remember that Chase character you told me about?"
"Yes, I do. What about him?"
I took a big gulp first. "Chase sent a message to Cris. Basically, he said that Shane was stupid for breaking up with you because you were safer with him. So, you are back in his sights. I'm sorry, sis."
"Why can't I be happy just once? Alexander choked me, Shane dumps me, and Chase wants to sexually violate me." She ran upstairs crying.
"Hasn't she been through enough? I feel like I am failing my sisters. First, it was Jessica being used by Alexander. Now, Shane breaks up with Bliss, and this Chase character wants to violate her. I wish I could punch and beat up all three of them."
"I think we all want to do that. But Julian, you are not failing your sisters. Chase and Alexander are absolutely crazy and Shane is just plain stupid. She is going to need someone with her at all times. I'll stay at her house when we go back. I'm going to tell Andrea."
"Thanks, Mase."
I went upstairs to find Bliss. She was in her room, sitting on the floor, with her face buried in her knees. When I walked over to her, I saw Devin sitting with her quietly. He is a friendly, little fellow.
When he saw me, he said "Crying."
"Yeah, she is. Bliss, while in Florida Kalani wants you to stay with him. When we go back to New York, Mason is going to stay with you. Just because Shane is not with you does not make you an easier target. He has to go through quite a few people - me, Ryan, Mason, Cris, Marco, Austin, and especially Kalani. Guess what? When he saw that message, he crushed Cris' phone because he was so angry."
"He did?" When Bliss looked up, she noticed Devin.
"Hi, Devin. I didn't know you were here."
He waved to her. "Devin is just as concerned as I am. Chase will not lay a finger on you. Count on it."
We heard Rocco calling Devin's name. Bliss got up off the floor, picked Devin up, and started tickling him. He started giggling. Rocco must have heard the giggles because he came in.
"Aunt Bliss, are you okay?"
Bliss' POV
Braelyn and Día came in too. "I'm fine now that you all came. How about we all watch a movie in the TV room?"
"Yay!!" They all ran downstairs, so I guess that means yes. I carried Devin with me downstairs and I heard an unfamiliar voice.
Cris introduced us. "Hey Bliss, this is Cade. He is our next-door neighbor."
"It's nice to meet you, Cade."
"It is nice to meet you too. You're the beautiful woman from the ad with Marco Fiore. I thought I recognized you. I sincerely apologize for staring."
"Thank you for the compliment. I have been getting stared at quite a bit lately. It's okay. Excuse us, Devin and I are going to make popcorn for our movie."
As we walked away, I could feel eyes watching us. That is the same guy I caught staring out the window during Marco and Noeli's wedding.
I sat Devin down in one of the chairs. Then, I searched the cabinets for popcorn. I found it and popped some on the stove.
Once it was done, I grabbed a bowl and put the popcorn in it. After that, I grabbed Devin's hand and we made our way downstairs.
"You took too long, Aunt Bliss," Rocco says and I just chuckled.
"But look what I got."
"Popcorn!!" They all screamed at the same time. "What do you guys want to watch?"
"Nemo, Aunt Bliss."
"Okay. Nemo it is." I found the copy and put it in the Blu-ray player. We suddenly heard footsteps coming our way.
"We brought more popcorn down so everyone can have a movie day," Marco says while carrying a huge bowl of popcorn.
Sure enough, everybody joined us, even that Cade fellow.
****************
Narrator's POV
Chase felt like a giddy school kid, being surrounded by so many beautiful women. But, inside he was laughing because they didn't know it was him in disguise.
They watched movies all day and had fun.
Kalani told Bliss that she, along with her sisters, was staying at his home for the duration of their stay.
Julian, Jessica, Andrea, and Carly stayed until the weekend. Layla, Ryan, Logan, and Braelyn stayed until the weekend too. Then, they went back to New York.
Austin and Mason stayed with Bliss in Florida.
Cris and the guys drove Bliss around town, so she could look for a plot of land. They found the perfect spot. Bliss jotted down the number to give them a call.
Also, Cris' real estate agent picked several houses for her to look at. She instantly loved the third one they looked at, so she put in an offer for it. Later the same day, the owners of the house accepted the offer, so Bliss is now the proud owner of a Florida home. She wants to redesign the kitchen, so the agent gave her the number to an interior designer.
Bliss enjoyed her time in Florida that she stayed until almost the end of October. Austin, Mason, and Bliss flew back safely to New York.
Now, Kamea and Cris were preparing for the first visit by the caseworker from California.
*********
Monday, October 21st, 2019
Kam's POV
Today is the first visit from the adoption caseworker. I'm very nervous, as well as excited. He has been with us for two months so far, and we love it. Devin has adapted very well to being surrounded by the kids and our family.
We heard a knock on the door, so Cris went to open it.
Cris and a different person from the agency came. "Mr. and Mrs. Fiore, my name is Mr. Joshua Lewis from the Adoption Agency. May I look around the house for a few minutes?"
"Sure. We'll show you upstairs first."
Cris carried Devin with him. Fortunately, the two little terrors, meaning Isabella and Kekoa are asleep. They are standing on their own very well now. And, with either me or Cris' help, they are walking. They will be one in a little less than two months. My babies are growing up so fast.
We showed Mr. Lewis Devin's room. We even showed him Día, Rocco, Kekoa, and Isabella's room. Looks like she is waking up.
Cris continued the tour with Mr. Lewis, while I picked up Isabella. I went to check on Kekoa, but he was still asleep.
"Come on, little girl. It's bath time."
That is always an adventure. Each of our kids has their own bathroom. For the baby kids, we have a kiddie tub within the tub. So, I filled Isabella's tub with warm water just right for her to sit in. I grab her baby wash and put a little on the loofa sponge I have for her.
She kept throwing it at me and laughing. "Mommy," she says as she giggles.
"Yeah, mommy is going to tickle you if you don't stop it." So, the next time Bella threw the sponge, I took it and showed her how to use it. Surprisingly, she did exactly as I showed her.
"Yay, mommy is so proud of you." I grabbed one of Isabella's bath towels and wrapped her in it and lifted her out of the tub. "There, all dry now. Let's get you dressed."
By the time I was finished with Isabella, it was Kekoa's turn now. So, I went through the same routine. He likes to throw stuff too. The both of them always laugh when they do that.
"Yeah, yeah, throw stuff at mommy. Time for you to get out too." He hasn't said his first word yet, but it is coming soon. I definitely believe it. As I did with Isabella, I grabbed a towel for my baby boy to get him out of the tub.
Once he was dressed, somehow I carried both babies on my hips and we went downstairs. Cris was in the living room with Mr. Lewis and Devin, so that is where I walked.
"Mr. and Mrs. Fiore, you have a lovely home that is the perfect environment for Devin. We also received a letter from Devin's grandmother in California, strongly requesting that we let you adopt Devin. Normally the process takes up to six months, but the head of the agency considered the letter and wanted me to tour the house for our records. Congratulations, Devin is officially yours. I brought the adoption papers with me for you both to sign. Will you also be changing his last name?"
I looked at Cris first and he nodded to say yes. "Yes, we will."
"I also have that document with me too. Please sign where I placed an x on the documents."
Cris grabbed the twins to let me sign the documents first. It took about 15 minutes to sign the documents. Then, we traded - I took the twins while Cris signed them.
After signing the documents, "Congratulations. Devin is officially your son. We at the agency do not doubt that you will love Devin."
"You are right, Mr. Lewis. My family adores Devin so much. He deserves to have a mommy and daddy. Thank you so much for coming to Florida. If it is okay, we would love to have you join us for a celebration dinner."
"It is okay. I leave for California tomorrow. I'll give you the hotel I am staying at."
Cris jotted the hotel down and told Mr. Lewis the restaurant we will be going to. Mr. Lewis then got up and Cris walked him to the front door.
"Devin Joshua Fiore. I love it."
I picked him up and twirled him around. Then, gave him kisses on his cheeks. "You are officially ours, sweetie. Let's go get my babies something to eat."
Cris came back into the room and we took the kids to the kitchen.
**********************
After Cris and I fed the kids we called everyone and told them that Devin was officially our son. I also called Mrs. Lauren to tell her thank you so much for the recommendation letter and told her we would bring Devin for a visit in November when the kids are out for school break.
A few days later, Layla called and said Bliss's grandma in Barbados passed away. My heart broke for her. First, she is humiliated by Shane, and now this. Cris was near me and heard the news. He told Layla and her crew to fly down to Florida and we would fly to Barbados together.
We stayed with Bliss for a week. And, of course, drama ensued. The day we arrived, Bliss and Julian took us to get something to eat. We were going to walk to a Starbucks that wasn't far. We saw Shane sitting with Mikayla. Bliss went off on Shane and Mikayla. I have no clue what was wrong with Shane, but his behavior was puzzling. My father went ballistic! He warned Shane to stay away from Bliss or else.
But, the trip ended on a happy note. Bliss and Austin started dating. I know for sure Austin will never hurt Bliss. And, Bliss and Braelyn love each other like mother and daughter.
Then, we found out that while Bliss and Austin flew back to New York, that Mahoney fool escaped from prison. So, Bliss and Austin are going to Hawaii. After our trip to California, we are going to Hawaii. I haven't been in a while, so I am looking forward to seeing my grandma.
*************
Monday, November 18th, 2019
"Cris, we are going to need another plane. Your poor pilot I'm sure is tired from all of the flights he had recently."
"I'm way ahead of you, Kamea. Marco, my father, and your dad discussed it. We all put together and bought a new jet. We are taking it to California today. Plus, Marco got one for himself for when he travels to locations for his modeling."
"You guys are awesome." We reached the airport. An airport employee loaded our things onto a tram. Then, Cris and I got the kids out of their car seats and locked the truck.
The ride to the plane was short. And, sure enough, waiting for us was a brand new private jet. The new pilot was waiting for us at the plane's steps. And, the pilot was a woman. Yes! Girl power is in full force. While our luggage and car seats were being loaded, we introduced ourselves to the pilot.
The first thing I did was give her a high-five. She smiled. "Good morning, Mr. & Mrs. Fiore. I am the pilot for your plane. My name is Malinda McDonald. Once everyone is strapped in their seats, we are cleared for takeoff."
"Thank you, Malinda. Please, you can call us Cris and Kamea."
"Malinda, you and I are going to be friends."
"I'm sure we will." We then boarded the plane with the kids. After everyone was strapped in their seats, we took off to California.
***************
We touched down in California safely. Salvatore and Tone came to meet us at the airport. "Thank you, Malinda, for flying."
"You're welcome, Kamea. And, thank you Cris for selecting me and giving me a chance."
"You're welcome, Malinda. You were the obvious choice because of your flight record and credentials. Enjoy your visit with your family this week."
"Thank you."
Salvatore and Tony loaded up the kids and luggage. Then, we made our way home. Alessandra will also get to spend time with us. She is meeting us at the house. Today will be her first time meeting the twins since they were born.
*************************************************
Alessandra pulled up to the house at the same time as we did. She had Stefano and Lucia with her. Cris and I got out first. We hugged them all.
"Hey Stefano and Lucia, how are you guys? And, how are you, Alessandra?" Cris started unbuckling the kids' seat belts.
"We are fine, Aunt Kam." Once they saw Día and Rocco, they took off towards the house.
"I'm fine, Kamea. Look at how big Isabella and Kekoa are. And, they getting ready to turn one, right? And, who is this little one? Isn't he adorable?"
"They sure are. December 22nd my babies will be one. They are terrors already. This little fella is Devin. He officially became our son in October. I'll tell you the story."
*************
Narrator's POV
Kamea told Alessandra how they came to adopt Devin. She was sad, happy, and proud at the same time. Sad that Devin lost both of his parents, happy that Cris and Kamea adopted him, and proud because Cris adopted the child of the man who broke Kamea's heart and almost killed her.
Tony stopped by later to meet the twins and Devin. They ate dinner together and enjoyed spending time with the kids. They promised to make a trip down to Florida to see everyone. The family spent the night with Cris and Kamea and would leave in the morning.
The next, day was spent with Mrs. Lauren.
**************
Kamea's POV
"Mrs. Lauren, thank you so much for the recommendation letter. That meant so much to me and Cris."
"Honey, the words in the letter are from both me and Patrick. Kamea, we have always known you to be a sweet, caring, and loving person. We have no doubt you will be that way towards' Devin. We thank you for taking care of him and bringing him out for a visit."
"That is the only way I know how to be. That is the way my parents raised us. Día and Rocco love him just as much. And, I have always loved children."
"And, we appreciate it, sweetie."
************
We spent the next few days with Mrs. Lauren and we also took the kids to Disney. Devin loved it. He even got to take a picture with Mickey Mouse.
There was a photoshop on the premises, so we took a family picture. Cris and I bought pictures for all of the kids, so when they grow up they will cherish it.
We had a great time in California. We even got to see Tamia. We promised to keep in touch more often than we have.
The time flew by fast for now we are all packed and ready to travel to Hawaii. Grandma Luana will meet the twins and Devin for the first time. Everyone is excited to meet them.
************
Sunday, December 1st, 2019
"Thank you Alessandra and Tony for driving us to the airport. We will miss you guys."
"You're welcome. Not as much as we will miss you guys. We will make a trip to Florida soon. We promise. You have a safe flight to Hawaii. Tell Marco and Noeli I said hello."
"I sure will. We will call you when we land in Hawaii." We already strapped the kids in their seats on the plane. Cris and I walked up the steps to join them. Tony and Alessandra both drove back enough. Then, we were able to take off - to the Aloha State.
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Thank you for reading chapter 59.
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