ALANA

101

ARES

I'm taking Alana to a Villa just outside of city. Not just any villa, a villa that I built for her.

It's close to the Estates so I can have one of my brothers drive Ace here when I have had sufficient alone time with my wife.

I know, it is selfish of me but we need this time alone and I made sure Mama and Ace were both okay with it 100% before I planned anything. I am surprised that my son managed to keep this in for 2 days and did not tell his mom.

He is Don material by blood after all.

It is mine and Alana's 3 year anniversary tomorrow. I think she has forgotten or is just pretending to have forgotten. She did that the first year so I would not feel pressured to do anything special.

We had a newborn then, so I managed to deck out the room in flowers and balloons and we had a nice dinner. For our 2 year, Alana was still having her doubts about mothering a child and leaving Ace was probably the last thing on her mind, so I had arranged a picnic outside with Ace.

This year I sensed that we were finally ready for a small vacation away from our baby. I love my son but I know that it is important for married people to have alone time without their kids. And I know Alana agrees we had this conversation a few weeks ago.

And if she feels uncomfortable spending the night then we can go back.

"Where are we going." My wife sings from the passenger seat beside me. I shake my head with a smile. That is the voice she uses when she wants her way.

"That's not gonna work today baby." I tell her, smirking.

"Whyy." she whines, twisting her body so she's facing me as I drive. "I don't understand why you're surprising me either.." she starts to mumble to herself as I pull into the driveway.

Alana gasps.

"It's our Anniversary!" she squeals in realization, looking at me, her eyes sparkling as she quickly opens her door, jumping out of the car and running towards the villa. "Are we staying here?!" she asks excitement etched in her tone.

My wife loves how we live. In a big house, with so many wings and rooms I don't care to count. Surrounded by family, following tradition and keeping it alive. It is how we were both raised. But I wouldn't be a very good husband if I did not know her love for the modern way of living.

She loves a smaller home, something secluded but still near civilization. She loves big windows instead of bricks for walls. She loves the serenity of being in charge of her own small space instead of a large mansion like home. I do not know if she knows this, but I am sure it is because it makes her forget we are part of something bigger.

It feels like we are normal.

I could not think of a gift better than this after it was in my head.

"Ares I love it!" She squeals, laughing in disbelief as she continues to walk, but backwards, now facing me.

"It's yours." I state. Alana stops walking, her face looking confused.

"What?" She asks, her head tilting in confusion in that adorable way.

"It's your place. I made it for you." I tell her. She does not say anything. Her face looks perplexed. "It's not fully decorated. I thought you would want to do that." I say, feeling like I should explain.

I will never be able to explain how her silence is the only thing in the world that can wrack me with this nervous tension.

"And if you dont like something we can change it. It's yours as in I got it built for you, in your name, with you in mind and," I pause. She's still just silently staring at me. "I thought you would like the windows." I am rambling at this point.

"Do you?" I ask weakly. She suddenly runs into my body, successfully making me take a step back at the impact, as I wrap my arms around her small body. I smile into her hair.

"I love them. I love it." She sighs, clutching onto my neck. I know my height makes it hard for her to hug me for too long at once. So I lift her off her feet, making her hug me tighter. "I love you. So much." She laughs in disbelief.

We remain in an embrace for several minutes before my wife starts to wiggle in my arms. That means she wants to be let down.

"Why. I dont understand why this," she trials off looking at it again, as if lost for words.

"It's your Anniversary present." I inform her. "I have been working on it since our last one." She turns to face me, her face softens.

"Really?" She pouts. "I don't deserve this." She shakes her head, looking back up at the house infront of us.

"You deserve the whole world. I will put everything your heart desires at your feet. For the rest of our lives. Everything in my control and beyond. You deserve it all." I say, my voice deep and serious. She reaches up to pull me down into a mind blowing kiss.

We pull apart when she giggles against my lips.

"What?" I laugh at her gleeful expression.

"I just cannot believe how perfect it is. I did not even know I wanted something that looked like this." She talks as I begin to lead her inside. "I mean I had ideas, scattered ones, just a few pieces, the image was hazy. It never came together into something so.." she trails off in astonishment when I open the front door into the well lit foyer.

This place has so much natural light.

"Oh my gosh." She whispers, craning her neck to look at the ceiling. Made entirely of glass. But that is just the foyer, the suns glare would be annoying from the top everywhere else.

"Well you always say those ideas out loud. So I started remembering them. Hired an architect and he made it into, well this." I tell her.

"Oh wow Ares look at these windows." she almost whines. I smile. "The windows are the walls, just like that place on our honeymoon." She smiles.

"Not just like that, this place is more secure than the Estates if possible. The glass is all bullet proof theres systems in place that no one gets in or out without my men in charge finding out." I hold her from behind, wrapping my arms around her, resting my hands on her stomach.

"This is your safe haven if you will." I whisper in her ear. "Have you seen the bedroom yet? It's also sound proof in here, no one outside can hear however loud I make you scream." I growl picking and carrying her up, making her squeal and laugh in delight.