Curiosity Didn't Kill This Cat

~Part 19: Forever?~

Alyssa was seven months pregnant trying to tie up all the loose ends. She was finally going to be out on maternity leave for six months. Six long months. Renzo insisted that she take the time off. He was also going to take three months' paternity leave after the baby was born. He would only be at work on a need be basis. He wanted to spend time with his little Prince before he was born. At their last appointment they found out they were having a little boy: Nicolai Kwame Eli DeSouza was due in two months and everyone was overly excited.

"Alyssa Cacique Matthew!" Sandra shouted. "I have it under control. If I need help I will bug the shit out of you. Now get out of here and enjoy your pregnancy please. But can you please go to the conference room. Lorenzo's meeting is finishing up and you know he wants to see you before you exit the building." Sandra said as she shook her head and left the work area.

Did Aly listen? Nope. She stayed there another fifteen minutes before she waddled to the conference room all the way across the floor.

She walked into the conference room without even paying any attention. "Lorenzo, I'm hot, I'm hungry, I'm fat, I'm hormonal. I just want a coconut donut, my bed, my pregnancy pillow and Netflix. Can I-"

"Surprise!" Everyone shouted as she turned around in the middle of her rant. There was everyone who was important to her. Her parents, Lorenzo's parents, his brother, Abena, Amanda, Sandra, the few employees who she had grown close to and even Jason and his boyfriend.

Aly burst into tears. "You bitches!"

Everyone couldn't help but laugh. They planned a baby shower for her. She was so taken up with making sure she left Renzo is a good position at work that she forgot about planning her own baby shower.

They girls came up and gave her a big hug. It was time for the party to begin. Renzo was a bit distant but she didn't want to pay too much attention to him. The past two weeks he's been standoffish. She really didn't want to read too much into it. But the secretive calls and texts were making her curious nature rise to the surface again.

She looked at him near the corner as everyone was trying to see tear off the right amount of toilet paper to wrap around her belly. When everyone was cheering because Jason's boyfriend Tyler won – what else do you expect he's a construction worker, he measures for a living – she saw Renzo slip out the room with Sasha.

She wanted to go behind of them but she got sucked into another game. She had to stop over thinking it. There was nothing going on. Yes, Sasha was a cute pretty girl, but she was happily married. She didn't want Renzo. She was the happiest person, next to Sandra of course, who were team Aly and Renzo. She would never betray her – right? And Renzo would never betray his new family – right?

She was taken out of her thoughts when Abena said it was time to open the gifts and play baby shower bingo. If the gift she opened was on the bingo card the person would cross it off. She was half way through her gifts when she saw Sasha and Renzo sneak back in. Both of them with smiles on their faces. She swore she got every baby gift she could think of. A diaper genie, bottle warmer, baby wipes warmer, breast pump... Did they think she was going to put frozen baby wipes on Nico's ass? A onsie with the Italian flag on the front that said "I cry loud cuz it's in my blood."

The afternoon begun to wind down and Aly was slowly beginning to forgot that she saw Renzo and Sasha leave before she heard Sasha's voice. "Um... thank you everyone for coming but Mr. D has something he wants to say to Alyssa before everyone leaves." She said shoving him to her.

He held Aly's hand and motioned for her to sit back down. He cleared his throat and he seemed very nervous. "Aly, you came here to do a job, and you did an excellent job at that. We really met under unconventional circumstances thanks to a certain person in this room."

"Your welcome!" Jason shouted

Everyone started to laugh and so then Aly and Renzo.

"You were a woman who wanted to be in total control. You thought that you had to be in control of everything. As we started to discover each other, we learned to trust and love each other. The word control became obsolete in or world.

"Amen!" Jason shouted again, but Tyler elbowed and shushed him.

Renzo shook his head at Jason's outbursts. "What I'm trying to say is, I've seen just how much you're changed and so have I. I love that now realized the importance of friends and family to my life. I missed out on that when I was dead set and focused on running the company. You made me love and feel again and I want that for the rest of my life – with you. So will you," Renzo said getting down on one knee, "Dr. Alyssa Cacique Matthew, do me the honors of becoming Dr. Mrs. Alyssa Cacique Matthew-DeSouza? I know you always said you had to hyphenate your name because you worked damn hard to get where you are." He said laughing at the last part.

Alyssa was a ball of emotions. She not tearing up or crying, she was bawling. She threw herself on him and he toppled over. "YES!" She shouted as he put the ring on her finger.

The girls came to help them up and were jumping up and down squealing. "I'm gonna be Mrs. Lorenzo DeSouzea!" She said shouting and looking at the ring,

Sasha looked at Renzo smiling. Aly cocked an eyebrow at the two of them. Pointing a finger between then both. She had a question to ask, but she didn't know how.

Sasha surrendered and spoke first. "My father was an exclusive jeweler. But he retired years ago when he let my brother take over. When Lorenzo told he was thinking of prosing I told him about my brother. Sadly, my brother couldn't quite grasp the concept that Lorenzo wanted. So my dad decided to come out of retirement to create your engagement and wedding rings." Sasha said with a smile.

Aly was dumbstruck. "So are aren't cheating on me?" She asked without thinking.

"Do you think I'm trying to meet an early grave?" Renzo asked laughing. "Sasha is like a bratty sister that I can call on when I'm having Aly problems. How else do you think I knew half of these pregnant woman tricks?"

"Guilty," Sasha said cheesing. "Your curiosity really got the best of you this time Aly, but all is forgiven."

Renzo held Aly and kissed with a huge grin on his face. "I love you Mrs. DeSouza."

"And I love you too Mr. DeSouze." Just as she said they, Nico kicked.

"I guess he feels left out," Renzo said laughing. "Mummy and Daddy love you too Nicolai."

~☆~
Author's Note:
And there you have it folks. We have reached the end. I really didn't expect it to have this many parts but it is what it is. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Final Song of Choice: Lip Service by Machel Montano.
~Thank You Lovies~