Under Her Wing

Chapter 51

Danielle POV

"Dani come here," I heard Stephanie shout from across the garden.

I got up and left Stefania and Mali around the table.

"You screamed for me sister dearest?" I laughed when I reached her.

"Yes get your ass in here," she whispered, grabbing my arm and pulling me into the house.

"Whoaaa," I said, steadying myself.

She stood with her arms folded looking incredibly serious.

"What?" I asked.

"We talk every Sunday on the phone and you haven't told me once that you've adopted a teenager or have a new relationship," she said, play slapping my arm.

"I know I know I'm sorry," I said genuinely.

"And I haven't adopted Amalia," I added.

"You basically have, you took her in legally when her mom died," she replied, raising her eyebrow.

"Okay that's a technicality, I wanted to tell you the moment it happened but Steph it was awful. The way it all happened was awful and it's taken us time to get used to. I had to put Amalia first and make sure she was ready," I explained, leaning back on the edge of the sofa.

"I get that but Stefania?" She retorted.

"We've been keeping a very low profile, we've been taking things slow," I told her, smiling to myself at the thought of Stefania.

"She moved in, that's not very slow," Stephanie laughed.

"Well everything else has been slow. It's had to be, we've been living through a pandemic," I sighed, taking another sip of my drink.

"You're happy though right?" She asked seriously.

I couldn't help but smile, I felt the corners of my mouth almost reach my ears.

"Steph I've never been this happy, never. I'm madly in love with Stefania, she's beautiful and funny and kind hearted," I said earnestly.

"And the kid?" She checked.

"I feel like she's mine. I feel like her mom, her sister her friend all in one," I admitted, my fingers coming to touch the necklace she gave me.

"From now on you keep me in the loop," she warned.

"Definitely," I agreed.

"Then we definitely need to go make cocktails to celebrate," she smiled, taking my arm and pulling me back through the house.

"There's my two girls, here I made margaritas," my mom said, handing us both one each.

"Perfect timing mom," Stephanie winked as we both made out way back outside.

Stefania and Mali, like everyone else, had moved away from the table in the middle of the lawn. I stood and watched Stefania talking away with my mom's best friend Lydia while Mali stood close by, her hand hooked around Stefania's arm.

The fresh air hit me and I felt the amount of alcohol I'd consumed begin to take effect.

"Danielle here," Stephanie shouted, patting the seat beside her on the outdoor sofa.

I moved to sit down and joined in the conversation with our family friends.

"I can't believe you're a mommy," Sophie slurred, now a little drunk as well.

"I'm not a mommy," I laughed, rolling my eyes.

"Oh come on, we can see how that girl looks at you, she loves you," she said making me feel emotional.