That One Night

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Adele was right.He got on top of my desk."Sit.Or I'll leave."Demanding,he really is like me.I kept standing though."Armani,I am the older version of you.Literally."

"Then you should know better than hurting my mommy!Why would you hurt her?!""I didn't want to.It happened.Things happen!"He crossed his arms.So did I.

"My mommy is smart and she's stunning.I saw him fight some guys once,I didn't tell her I saw her but...I think that's called badass."I snickered."Your mommy is a badass."

"Well,my mommy is kind.She planned a funeral for our neighbor's broken garden gnome at the town square.It was pretty lovely and I cried thinking the gnome was alive to begin with."

He's actually really cute.

"What do you want from me?Let's cut to the chase,huh?"He scoffed."Ok,'faTHeR' we'll cut to the chase."Did he just air quote me?!That's not me.That is all Adele!

"I want her happy,cheerful and loved at all times!Other than that?We're going to have a problem.Because out of the two of us,we know who she'll believe.I have no limit when it comes to my mommy's happiness."

"Deal!You should know though,protecting her is not always the solution.Sometimes you need to let her feel the pain.You can be there for her through all of that and that's sometimes for the better."

"That actually sounds...insightful.I'm assuming you have been there and done that?"I nodded."When you grow up,mommy will probably tell you what happened."

"She will.She treats me as her equal and never crushes anything I believe in.She's reasonable and when she explains and reasons with me,I accept or we argue and she accepts."

"She lost an agruement?"He sat down at the desk."Sometimes?"I kept staring at him."Twice?"I kept staring."Once?"I leaned to his eye level."OK!NEVER!YOU HAPPY?!"

I sat down."Kid,it's not even slightly believable that your mommy lost an arguement."He sighed."I don't know how she does it,daddy.I don't.It's...I forgot the word."

"Does your mommy tell you the word or do you figure it out?"He gestured one minute."Emotions.Happiness,joy,love,fear,anger,madness,sadness,rage,fru-Found it!"

He sighed."It's frustrating."She raised him so well,I'm almost going to cry!Me!A grown ass mafia leader who is known as the Don and is respected around the globe!

"After I went through that baby stage,I only cried a few times and it was all for your mother.She left me far too many times,you know?"

He nodded."But,the first two was when she was a child.It wasn't anyone's fault.8th grade,leaving the sleepover early?Not a cool move either.I have this friend and she is always there when I wake up the next morning of a sleepover."

I snickered as I knew it didn't happen as he thought it did.

"And the next time she left,you lied to her and kept things from her.She couldn't forgive you but she also couldn't forgive herself for breaking her promise to you.Did you know that?"

I shook my head."I figured she would but...I didn't."He climbed off of the desk and came over to me."Sit on the ground with me."I got down and he sighed.

"Maybe you noticed but we mostly talk on the ground with my mommy."I nodded."It's because that's when I could get the most real.Or,that's how mommy puts it."

"Well,your mommy makes sense.""She does and...I'll be honest.All I want is for you to love us both.Because mommy and I are one.If one of us is happy or sad,so is the other one."

"Your mommy and I are one too.And I already love you both.I always imagined your mommy as the mother of my children and here you are."

"Children is...plural?More than one?But I'm one.You want me to have a little sibling?"I nodded."More than one little sibling.Don't you want that?"

"I want a little sister.Can that happen?""It can happen the same way you happened.So it is possible."He sighed."But mommy said it was really tiring to create another life in you."

"What do you suggest?""When she was creating me,she was alone.Maybe you can help her through it this time."I smiled."I'm not leaving her side again,little guy.Ever again."

"Then we can both be there for her?"I nodded."Daddy?""Yeah?"He sighed."Are you mad at mommy for keeping me a secret from you?"I shook my head.

"I'm sure she had her reasons and I know I won't win that arguement.So,no,I'm not mad at mommy.I'm over the moon that your mommy is back."

"Uncle Damien was really happy to have her back too.He even said he accepted her love for someone named Roman."I raised my hand."I'm Roman,little guy."

"Oh...We never formally met,did we,daddy?"He extended his hand."Armani Luca Moretti,your son."I shook his hand."Roman Ajax Moretti,your father."He laughed.

"I thought I could keep it togather.I couldn't."I sighed."Armani,do you mind if I hug you like mommy does?"He came over and hugged me.

I never got to hug with my father,my older brothers were like him too.Gio is not so keen on physical affection either.And I'm not really used to it either so Enzo finds it weird.

I don't want my son to go through what I did.Besides,Adele got me all addicted to physical affection.

Armani backed away."Call me Luca.I'm going to use Armani when I'm older because it'll fit me better."I nodded."Deal,little guy."

"Don't give me any pet names.That's mommy's thing."I nodded."Deal.Question.Do you want to leave with me?Because I impulsively bought a whole manor for your mommy,you and I to live in."

"What does impulsively mean?"I sighed."Uh...You can say that I bought that house without thinking it through."He nodded."I understand daddy.Can we go back to mommy?I missed her."

"I missed her too.Come on."I got him over my shoulders."We need to duck,daddy."We walked through the door step and then found Adele cooking with my mother.

Best part is,she's wearing my shirt as a dress and her heels are on.Her mess bun would be great to pull-My son is here!I need to get my head out of the gutter!

* * *

I saw them walk through the door and I was pleased with my view."Baby boy!"I got him off of Roman's shoulders."How did it go with daddy?""We came to an understatement."

"Really?""Yes.And I also want a baby sister."I turned to Roman."You are using our son to ask for another kid?!Roman!Why would you do that?!"

"I said children once in a sentence and he said he wanted a little sister!Don't get mad at me now!"I turned to Luca."Armani Luca Moretti,no lying to mommy."

"He wanted more but I want a baby sister first."He hugged me like a koala.Then he whispered."He gives nice hugsies mommy."

"He does,doesn't he?"He nodded but then Roman asked me something."What?""I asked Luca but he didn't answer.I impulsively bought a manor.We should all move in there."

"When the-"I sighed."When did you buy a manor?!""Oh,and it'll be on you.You will be the legal owner of that manor.After you,it'll be going down to Luca."

I turned to Nora and then to Luca."Sweetie?""Daddy is nice.I think he'll make you happy too."I turned back to Roman."Make the manor on Armani.I don't want it."