I'll Always Choose You #Watty's2023

27. Nico

A lot has happened since I escaped Patrick and came to New York. It's crazy that it's only been 10 months since that day and yet it feels as if a lot more time has passed. In ten months my life was flipped upside down in the most amazing of ways. I didn't know that the man that I saw at the café that day all those months ago would be the man that I would be raising two equally amazing and beautiful boys. Life sure has a mysterious way of making things happen doesn't it?

I never imagined that this would be my life. Not in a million years. I always pictured myself touring the world dancing and making new friends along the way but I suppose god had other plans for me when he brought Gio in my life. I never really gave it much thought back then when I first saw him that he'd be the one saving me from my past and giving me a new chance at a different future than the one I had pictured before meeting him.

I always asked myself what if I didn't run away from home? What if when Patrick found me he escaped to a new country and I was forced to do the one thing I never wanted? What if Gio never found me when he did? So many what if questions have crossed my mind but each time I just look up at the sound of loud giggles and a belly laugh to know that I don't need to think of those things anymore because I was free and happy and safe. I'm reminded every day that life is full of unexpected moments and that I need to focus on that because every little moment is special especially when two little boys are in the mix.

Tanner and Aros have been such a blessing in disguises to not only me but for Gio as well. I see the love and affection he has for them and I see the protectiveness in him I've grown to love so much. I know that he feels extra protective of them not just because of their past but because of what had happened to his baby sister several years ago. I can the fear in his eyes when the boys are not in his sight. He panics when he thinks no one notices. But I do.

I don't blame him though. I'm just as protective of them because I went through the same thing that Tanner did. Aros and Gio have similar background with both losing their parents and siblings but unlike Gio, Aros lost his parents and brother in a car crash when he was only two months old. He has been in the system ever since. When I first saw him at the children's home when we went to adopt Tanner, he had stole my heart much like he had down with Gio. Both him an le Tanner have made our lives fuller and happier and perfect. They competed us.

"MAMA!" I blinked and looked up when I heard Tanner calling me and smiled, he was waving me over, "here!"

I chuckled as I stood from under the beach umbrella and made my way towards him, Aros and Gio.

"What is it, babes?" I asked as I reached them and Tanner's eyes were bright and filled with life unlike when we first met. They had been dull and empty.

"Papa catched fishies," he said with a beaming smile as he pointed to the small makeshift pond that Gio had built and inside it were three small fish.

"Oh wow," I gasped with wide eyes and he beamed making me smiled leaning down to kiss him on the top of his shaggy brown hair that was covered in sand and salt water. "You need a good bath."

"No!" He dramatically whined as he threw his arms in the air making his father and brother laugh at his antics, "no baths, mama."

"Yes, love, or else you're going to get a rush and then we have to take you to see Doctor Kenzie ,and she'll give you medicine." I said and he frowned, "you don't want that do you?" He quickly shook his head.

"Bubbles?" He asked and I hummed and he grinned showing off his pearly whites.

"What time is it?" He asked as he stood up from his crouched position on the sand where he'd been digging in the muddy sand. He and Aros are both fond of searching the muddy sand for shells or anything that remotely piques their interest.

"Nearly 4 which means we need to start packing up and head home." I replied and he nodded while the boys whined about not wanting to go home, "we can come back again another time, you still need to eat dinner and bath."

They pouted but said nothing because they knew if I said we would come back again, then we would. I don't make idle promises like other parents do. Even if we don't, I always have an explanation as to why we couldn't do what we had planned for that day and though they get upset, they understand.

We packed our things before Arrow and Jonah came over from their post a few feet away and took them to the car while we carried the boys.

"Alright, wash your hands and feet," Gio instructed the boys who obeyed and did as told by washing their feet and hands on the shower that was installed at the beach near the parking lot.

"Papa can we gets a fishy?" Tanner asked as he strapped him in while I did the same with Aros,

"Sure, bud," Gio replied pressing a kiss to his forehead before he closed the door and climbed onto the driver's seat.

********

"This one?" Aros asked his little brother for what felt like the hundredth time since we came to the pet store looking for a pet fish for him. And as always, Tanner shook his head to them all. We've been here for only 15 minutes and he's rejected 20 types of fish already. Yes, 20.

I was about to say we can come back again another day when I heard a soft gasp and looked at Gio, who held Tanner, as the small boy stared at the tank in front of us.

"Fishy!" He squealed clapping his hands with a beaming smile. I looked at the tank and saw that it was seawater fish. I pursed my lips as I knew they required a different type of water then the other fish in the store. "Nemo!"

I chuckled at his excitement as he stared in awe at the clown fish swimming about in its tank.

"This one?" I asked and he nodded his head.

"Alright," Gio said before he called one of the employees telling them that we'd like one clown fish and one Royal Blue Tang. When both fish had been put in a plastic bag, we walked around and found a tank and everything that was necessary for saltwater fish before heading home and setting the tank up in the kids' playroom.

"You gotta be careful," Gio was saying as he helped Tanner and Aros put the fish into their new home once it had been set up and the necessary procedures had been done, "Gently."

I snapped a few photos of the three of them as they placed the fish into the tank. I never thought I'd see the day where Gio would be setting up a fish tank with the help of two little boys but here I was witnessing this man covered from head to toe in tattoos being ever so gentle with two fish. Fish. Can you believe that? That ruthless man was being gentle with fish and two small humans.

"Are you quite finished?" I raised a brow and he rolled his eyes, "take a picture it'll last longer."

I rolled my eyes at his cheesy reply make him grin.

Like I said before, I never pictured this being my life and yet here I was living it and I couldn't wait to see what the future holds for us all.