LOST INTO THE VINE (BWWM)

CHAPTER 53

It was just food, right? Right? Then why the hell was she crying? Maybe because she'd missed having African food? Or was it because Matteo's family planned a surprise dinner for her and accepted her back with both arms wide open. Mama Maria had rubbed her thumb across the scar on her head, her eyebrows pinched together, and then said, "about time you came back to us, bambina! We would have come to bring you back home. Let's go. Vamos a comer." Nala had squeezed the older woman, basking in the warmth of a mother. Pulling away, she led her into the dining area where the rest had already seated. Nala didn't sit. Not just yet. She looked through all the dishes presented, and her eyes started stinging again. All her favorite East African dishes were lined up on the table. "Is that-?" she choked, once more. Irina smiled wide and pointed to one dish, "I helped abbi make these fries, I forgot what they're called." "Bhajia," Nala chuckled, amidst her strangled breath. "Well, come eat and tell us if Irina did well. Right, mariposa?" Matteo smiled at her in encouragement and she walked towards him, where the empty sit was situated. Matteo stood and helped her to her sit then sat back down. 

Nala looked each one of them in their eyes and said thank you. Matteo placed his hand on her thigh, and goosebumps rose on her skin. She was wearing pants for Pete's sake, but the way her body reacted to this man was unmatched. Irina turned to her right, with her plate in her small hands, "serve me, por favor, mama!" her smile was wide, as her words came to her easily. Ignoring the stares from the rest of the Alvarez clan, Nala took Irina's plate and asked her what she wanted to eat. Irina pointed to certain dishes and Nala easily served them, still not looking at anyone, and placed the plate in front of Irina. "Scoot closer to the table, we don't want to spill stew on your pretty shirt, do we?" The girl shook her head and did as was told, "gracias!" Matteo then took her plate and asked what she would like to eat. Trying to hide her smile, she told him what to serve. "What do you think?" Irina asked, watching as Nala ate the food she helped cook. Nala chewed, but raised her thumb up, "so good! Me gusta!" Irina turned to her grandmother, "See, I told you it was good, abuela!" The older woman smiled back at her grandchild, "ah alright. I'll trust you from now on!" Conversation flowed easily as they ate. 

Yawning a third time, Nala raised her brow, "I thought you weren't sleepy." Irina shook her head no, even as her eyes drooped. "Princess-" Matteo was watching her, already on his feet, walking to where his two girls were. Nala smiled up at him, "I've got her!" then she took the little girl in her arms and carried her, raising her to her bosom. Matteo smiled back and nodded, he faced his siblings, "Nosotros vamos a regresar. Good night." Nala said her good night and started walking to the door. Matteo's long footsteps went past hers and he opened the door for them, leading them outside. He closed the door behind them and put his arm around her, instantly lighting her up in the cold weather. "It's getting colder!" she said. He hummed in response as they walked back to his place. 
They went together to lay Irina on her bed, and the little girl's eyes opened, instantly found Nalas, she rubbed the sleep off her tired eyes, "mama, can I sleep with you and papa?"
"Let's go," Nala smiled, "but first we have to brush our teeth and wear pajamas."
"Can you help me, por favor?" the little minx has her the doe eyes. Matteo sighed, raising a questioning brow at her, even though his voice was soft as he spoke to her, "Mariposa, aren't you old enough to do that on your own?" The little girl looked down at her hands. Nala glared at him, and mouthed, "we'll talk about this later!" then turning to the girl she said, "which pajamas do you want to wear?" pulling her off the bed towards her closet where her clothes were.
Irina pointed to the princess Tiana top and matching pajama pants, and watched as Nala picked them from the pile. She did nothing as she watched the woman undress her, and dress her back, complaining about the cold weather and how she would get a cold if she didn't dress warmly. With socks on the girl's feet, Nala stood straight and put her hand out, "let's go, we'll brush our teeth in papa's bathroom!" Matteo sighed, as they both passed him hand in hand, evidently ignoring him, leaving him to switch off the lights and follow them.

"0h yeah me too, we'll make them tomorrow!" He heard Nala tell the little girl, who smiled back at the taller woman with toothpaste all over her mouth. "Make what?" he asked, leaning by the door, raising an eyebrow again.
His daughter turned to him with the same big smile that made her eyes sparkle, "Papa, we're making hashbrowns tomorrow with mama!" Matteo's heart could not take it anymore, all the pressure exerted on it made it wsnt to burst. Everytime his daughter refered to Nala as 'mama' had his gut clenching. He now realised what happened in the little girl's room. He realised what Nala did. He wanted to kick himself. His daughter has grown up around his sister and mother, but none of them were hers to call 'mama' as they were 'tia' and 'abuela'. She craved motherly affection that her mother did not give her. And Nala had given it to her whole heartedly, even without realising it.
Without realizing it, he'd stepped to where Nala was, and kissed her on the forehead, "I love you!"
"I love you too. Are you okay?" Nala responded, her eyebrows up to her forehead, her thumb on his furrowed eyebrows, relaxing them on his face. He smiled, "never better!" stepped on his daughters side, and brushed his teeth with them.
Matteo then pulled his daughter out to the bedside, winking at Nala before closing her in the bathroom, "let mama get ready for bed."
He knocked again on the bathroom door before letting himself in and closing the door slightly. He pulled her damp, naked body towards him, and kissed her exposed neck "as much as I like you in my bed like this, you'll need these." Grabbing her ass, he grinds her into him, Nala pulled him down for a kiss, even as she reminded him that his daughter was in the bedroom. "Our daughter!" he corrected her. Nala pulled away, smiling, "wrong wording, my mistake." Matteo fixed himself, muttering about her giving him a boner, then went back out smiling. She wore his shirt and shorts that he'd brought and walked back out. Matteo eyed her as she did.
"That's papa's shirt," Irina pointed out. Face flushed, she nodded, getting in bed with her, "it is." "And you look good in it," Matteo added his two cents. Nala flushed even harder when he saw him raising a suggestive eyebrow with a wide grin. "Shut up and go take a shower," Nala told him, making the little girl giggle.
Playfully rolling his eyes, he left as the two cuddled in bed, watching some videos on Nala's phone, giggling. When he came back a few minutes later, Irina had her eyes involuntarily shutting as she told Nala something, the woman's hand in her hair as she listened.
Nala looked up at him, noticed his bare chest, stared down to the line leading to his pants, then looked back up into his eyes, "put a shirt on or you'll get a cold."
Chuckling, he did and joined them in bed, changing his daughters' position to a more comfortable position barely away from Nala, and the girl protested in mumbles that were barely audible.
"She loves you," he said, out of the blues. Nala still had her hair in the little girl's hair, she smiled at him, "and I love her just as much."
"Thank you!"
"For loving her?" she asked with furrowed brows.
"For being an extraordinary woman," he answered. She rolled her eyes with a smile, "gracias." 

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HEY BESTIES, SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE!!! SCHOOL IS TAKING MOST OF MY TIME AND DRAINING! HOPE Y'ALL ARE WELL! THANK YOU FOR READING UP TO THIS FAR!

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