I’m not resisting anymore though, so he’s relaxing. I’m not trying to fly away, so I’m allowed to have my wings.
God help me if I felt differently, but since I know that, I’ll do everything in my power to avoid that ever happening.
Mateo needn’t worry that I’d try to fix myself; whatever misfires in my brain, it serves me well for the lifestyle I committed to. I don’t want to be fixed. That would be terrible.
If everyone else wants to think I’m a hapless idiot, more power to them. All my needs are being met—and then some. Nothing unfortunate about my life.
I gasp, remembering I forgot to tell Francesca, “We’re going on vacation. We’re going to take a family trip to Paris, and then Mateo’s going to take me to Italy for a few days before we come home. We looked through those pictures you sent me and I told him I wanted to go.”
“And your wish is his command?” she asks lightly.
“Sexiest genie ever,” I confirm with a nod.
She wrinkles up her nose. “Hi; I’m his sister.”
“But you also have eyes, correct?”
Francesca shakes her head at me as we approach the dining room. “So, this sharing thing—you’re really cool with it?”
“I am, actually. It works for us. Meg runs the day-to-day motherly, wifely duties. I get all the fun stuff. The only thing I don’t get is my own baby, but we’re working on it.”
“Do you want a baby already?”
“Well, no.” Given she is his sister, I don’t share Mateo’s disdain for condoms. “After college I’d like one. I want a little girl. But by then Meg will probably change her mind. She said she’s going to try to work herself up to the idea, so I’m sure it’ll work out.”
“I don’t know how you manage it,” she tells me. “I’d stab someone before I’d let them sleep with Salvatore.”
I grin in response as we make our way to the kitchen counter. I forgot to warn her the girls were helping us cook tonight, but Ju is taking them to have dinner with her once they’re done, so it won’t be too much of a shake-up.
Francesca walks over to Isabella, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. “Hey, squirt.”
“Hi, Aunt Francesca.”
“Look at you girls, helping with dinner. You’re such little ladies.”
Lily nods her head. “We’re naming the baby. I think Neelah or Kitchen.”
Francesca blinks. “What?”
Meg pats her tummy, flashing Francesca a smile. “This one. We found out we’re having a girl, so we’re going over names. I think we’ve settled on anything other than Kitchen; we’re open to suggestions.”
Inexplicably, Francesca glances back at me, like this is crucial news. “A girl?”
I nod my head. “Yep.”
I don’t know why that makes her smile. Then I think about it for another few seconds—she probably thinks now I can have Mateo’s heir. She’s so competitive for me, I have to smile.
“That’s wonderful,” Francesca says, offering a pleasant smile. “Congratulations. Girls are great.”
“Are you and Salvatore having any honeymoon babies?” Meg asks, leaning against the counter and cocking her head curiously.
Francesca shakes her head. “Nope, we’re gonna start with a puppy and work our way up to a baby.”
“Start small—smart.”
It’s the most civil conversation they’ve managed, so even though it dissolves now, I call it a win. Once Francesca sees that we’re honestly happy with our arrangement the way it is, I think she’ll warm up to Meg. Her main problems with Meg were not believing she loved Mateo enough to stick it out with him when things got tough, and thinking I was a much better fit. Now Meg has stuck it out through him wanting me, and she isn’t in my way at all, so Francesca should be able to see that Meg is totally harmless.
Well, maybe harmless isn’t the right word. Meg has bared her teeth just to let me know she has them a couple of times, but that’s all in the past now. We’re on the same side again. Now all is well, and we’re making meatballs, planning family vacations, and come Christmas, we will establish the new Morelli family tradition of making Christmas cookies with the little ones.
And since Mateo clearly didn’t get enough love as a child, or growing up, or at any point during his adult life, we’re going to double team it and fill his cup extra full now to make up for the deficiency. That’s surely how that works, right?
Chapter Thirty Two
Meg
“I bet you and Mia have really hot sex.”
Mateo raises his eyebrows, tugging his tie off over his head and going to work on his cuffs. God, I love watching him undress for bed. Or, really, undress for anything. He’s just really good at undressing. There should be an award given, speeches made, a ceremony with servers circulating, passing out champagne.