CHASING ARIEON

56

Enzo sat in his study going through the paperwork on his desk when Antonio walked in. "Daddy?", he called. "Hmm?", Enzo looked up. "I'm hungry", the boy pouted. His father rolled his eyes but stood up nevertheless. "And what would you like to eat?", he asked. Antonio's eyes widened to the size of saucers as he happily approached his father.

"Cookies", he said. "You kids need to reduce your sugar intake", Enzo said as they walked out of his study. "Why?", his son asked. "You'll get fat". Antonio scrunched his nose in disgust. "I'll never be fat", he said and Enzo chuckled. "Really?". Antonio nodded, "I want to be like you".

Enzo laughed and ruffled his head, "You'll be better than me". The happily followed his father down the stairs to the kitchen. "How much cookies do you want to make?", Enzo asked him as he went to get the pans and pots from the cupboards. "A hundred!", his son exclaimed. Enzo rolled his eyes, "No problem". Alessa ran into the kitchen and saw the two of them preparing the ingredients. "What are you doing?", she asked. "Making cookies", her brother answered.

She gasped and approached them. "I want to make cookies too!", she exclaimed. "Go and play with mommy and Andrea", Antonio said. She pouted and crossed her arms across her chest. She turned to face her father. "Daddy, Tony is being a meanie", she said. Enzo turned to face his son who looked at the floor. "Be nice to your sister", he said. Antonio sighed, "I'm sorry".

"Now, let's get back to work", Enzo said and the kids exclaimed happily.

It's been two weeks since Arieon was discharged from the hospital. Enzo decided that she'd stay in his room while he sleeps in one of the guest rooms to provide her the privacy she needed. Since they were no longer married, they couldn't stay together.

Arieon sat in the garden with Andrea as she taught him one of her favorite songs. "I can be anything I dream!", he finally sang and she giggled happily. "How did I sound?", he asked excitedly. "Wonderfully", Arieon said. Andrea squealed happily as he hugged his mother. "Mommy, you're the best", he said. She smiled, "Thank you". They pulled away and he looked at her. "Why do you look so much like Alessa?", he asked. "Because, I gave birth to all of you. You have to look like your daddy or your mommy", she answered. "Who do I look like?", he asked curiously with wide eyes. "Like your daddy", she said.

"That means I'm a prince!", he said happily. Arieon raised a brow, "A prince?". Andrea nodded. "Daddy looked like the prince in all those movies", he said and Arieon felt heat coming up to her cheeks. "Yes, you're correct. Your daddy does look like a prince", she said as she felt her cheeks getting hotter. I can't believe I'm blushing in front of my son because of his father!, Arieon thought as she felt her face getting hotter.

Andrea noticed his mother's face getting redder. "Mommy, your face is looking like a tomato", he said with a frown. Arieon coughed a little and waved him off. "Mommy is fine, it's just hot. That's all", she said and he nodded. Andrea laid down again and placed his head on her lap so he could face her stomach. Arieon smiled as he place his hands on her stomach. "Hey little pea", he whispered to her stomach. Arieon chuckled as he buried her fingers in his hair.

She and Enzo had delivered the news about the pregnancy to the kids three days ago. The three children were ecstatic to hear about the baby on the way.

"Do you think it's a boy or a girl?", Arieon asked him. Andrea shrugged and then scrunched up his nose as he thought about it. "If it's a girl, I'll protect her and treat her like a princess. I'm sure she'll look like you and Alessa and be very cute", he said and she giggled. "You think Alessa and I are cute?", she asked. Andrea sat up and looked at his mother. He shook his head and smiled cheekily. "I think that you are very beautiful while Alessa is very cute. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, followed by aunt Agatha and then aunt Veneza and nonna", he said and she laughed.

"Thank you, sweetie", she said. "Are we interrupting something?". Arieon and Andrea turned to see Enzo and the other two kids standing at the entrance of the garden. "No, daddy!", Andrea replied. "We made cookies!", Alessa said as she ran towards her mother and brother with a small basket of warm cookies in her hands.

Arieon wrapped her arms around her daughter making her laugh. "What were you guys doing?", Enzo asked Arieon as he approached them. Antonio sat down beside his father. "We were talking about the new baby", Andrea said. "And how mommy is beautiful while Alessa is cute", he added. Arieon blinked several times as she felt heat rush to her cheeks. Enzo, on the other hand was surprised by his bluntness.

"I'm beautiful like mommy too!", Alessa argued. Andrea raised a brow at his sister, "You're only cute sometimes". Arieon almost choked on her spit while Enzo coughed. He was thinking Antonio was the one with a blunt tongue but he was wrong. Andrea was the boss of bluntness.

"That's not nice, son. Say sorry to your sister now. non farmi ripetere", Enzo said. Andrea sighed, "Mi dispiace cara sorella". Enzo and Arieon both knew that he was not sorry at all. He inherited this from his mother, Enzo thought as he looked at Arieon. Arieon narrowed her eyes him, Don't blame me for his attitude, he got it from you!

"I'm hungry", Antonio said breaking the tension. "You're always hungry", Alessa said. "Somebody needs to eat the cookies if no one will", he shrugged and grabbed the basket from her hands.

"Mommy, the baby is a girl, right?", Alessa asked Arieon. "We don't know yet", Arieon answered. "The baby is a boy", Antonio said. "No! The baby is a girl", Alessa retorted. Andrea watched his siblings fight with little interest as he mumbled on his cookie. "Why do you want the baby to be a girl?", Enzo asked his daughter. "Because I need someone like me to play with. We can both play dress up and tea parties", she answered and Arieon giggled. "That's what you want?", she asked and Alessa nodded.

"We'll see about that", Enzo said and Arieon smiled. They spent the rest of the afternoon in the garden playing games with the kids until they were all tired.