All the Little Things

Chapter Nineteen: Luca

"She's right on track, Luca," his coworker, Chanel says. "And from what you've told me, she is hitting all of her milestones."

That information has Luca smiling, despite the dread that had been building in his stomach for the past week. "Thanks, Chanel."

She just smiles, sliding back in her chair. "No problem, Luca. We'll see you tomorrow." She crouches down, smiling at Noelle. "And we'll see you in a month, little lady."

Noelle just gurgles, fingers in her mouth as she gums at them. She has been doing that a lot lately, but Luca just knows that she is teething. It won't be too long before her first tooth pops through. And that thought leaves him a little unsettled. He can't believe that his daughter is already five months, but it is hard to ignore. Jamie insisted on having a family get together for when she turns six months, and Luca wasn't able to say no. He didn't really see the point, but it made Jamie happy, so he could just let the other man do as he pleases.

Noelle looks back at him, smiling around her fingers when he meets her eyes. She has been doing that more and more lately. It was nearly impossible for her not to smile, and it didn't take much to send her into a fit of giggles. She went from such a colicky baby to a happy, giggly one, and Luca sometimes finds it hard to believe that she is the same baby.

But he knows she is. Standing, he walks over to her car seat to strap her in. She whines a little, but he just pulls a goofy face, which makes her giggle. "Come on," he says, picking up the car seat once she is safely buckled. "Let's go home and see Jamie. He probably raced home after work and is working himself into a fuss worrying about you."

Noelle just smiles, babbling something at him, and he nods his head as if he was able to understand what she just said. "Too true, Noelle. Let's get back to him as soon as possible."

Not too surprisingly, it is pouring down rain. It is only mid-March, but Luca is already anticipating summer. He and Jamie booked a beach-side cabin for a week towards the end of July, and he is counting the days until then.

The drive back to the house is fast enough, Noelle babbling to herself in the back and Luca is replying in kind.

Just as he suspected, Jamie is waiting for the two of them when they walk into the house. He swoops down immediately, pulling Luca into a warm kiss before taking Noelle out of her car seat. She immediately burrows into his chest, hands clenched tightly in his shirt so that he cannot even think about putting her down.

"Hey, love," Jamie says, smiling up at Luca. "How was the appointment? Everything okay?"

Luca smiles, leaning down to give Jamie another kiss. "She is perfectly healthy. Nothing to worry about."

Jamie visibly relaxes, his shoulders slumping in relief. "Oh good. I'm still upset that I couldn't be there, but with Matilda out sick with the flu, I had to take some of her clients for the day. I was barely even able to get out of there on time."

Luca pulls Jamie to his side and leads the other man further into the house. Delicious smells are coming from the kitchen, but Luca restrains himself from checking to see what it is. Instead, he guides Jamie into the living room and over to the couch. "We understand, Jamie. No need to be upset. You'll be there next time."

He nods. "Damn right I will. If Matilda tries to call in sick again, I'll just drag her into the office myself, the health of everyone else be damned." Luca raises an eyebrow at him, and Jamie just shrugs his shoulders. "Okay, maybe I won't do that, but I will make it work. I'm going to be there next time, I promise."

Luca can't help but smile, warmth spreading through him. "I know you will." He stands back up and heads towards the kitchen. "You two relax. I'll get a bottle for her and some wine for us?"

"You read my mind," Jamie says, a smile on his face.

Luca turns back around and walks into the delicious smelling kitchen. Once he has Noelle's bottle mixed and heating, he checks out the pot that is sitting on the stove. Picking up the lid, he gets a faceful of fragrant steam, and it only takes a second for him to realize that Jamie is making chili. His stomach rumbles at the smell, and he feels a little more of his tension melt away.

Being home always makes him feel better, especially now that Jamie is here more often than not. He barely even stays at his apartment anymore. Hell, he even moved Arry and Dragon over here, and it just added another piece that he had not realized was missing.

The house feels like a home now, and Jamie is the one who made that shift for Luca. He knows that it might be too soon, but he wants Jamie to move in. Well, officially. He doesn't want Jamie to still have an apartment across town. Something about it just makes this relationship feel not as solid. Like Jamie might pick up one moment and leave. So, maybe it is a bit selfish of Luca, but he wants Jamie here in this house with him, making this place a perfect home for their daughter.

He stills at that thought. But it isn't wrong. It's right. He hadn't even realized that he had started to think of Noelle as theirs but it is another thing that just feels right. Jamie has been helping Luca raise Noelle practically since the day she was born. She loves him, and Jamie loves her just as fiercely. And with how upset Jamie was about not being able to make it to Noelle's appointment today, Luca thinks that Jamie feels the same.

Placing the lid back on the pot, Luca grabs the now perfectly warm bottle and walks into the living room. He smiles at the sight in front of him. Jamie is on the ground, a squriming Noelle on the changing pad as Jamie attempts to get her into a clean diaper. She has never been a fan of diaper changes, though. With her added skill of rolling, she has been making the task a lot more difficult. Jamie has one leg resting on her chest, and Noelle is squeezing it with her tiny hands, face twisted in displeasure as she attempts to wiggle free.

"Just hold still, peanut, and we can both be done with this." Jamie's hands move quickly as Noelle stills to listen to him, enraptured by his voice. "That's a good peanut. One more snap."

With the clean diaper and onesie back in place, Jamie slides his leg off the baby and picks her up. She smiles down at him from where he is holding her in the air, clearly forgiving him for changing her diaper.

"Everything alright in here?" Luca asks, moving over to the two of them. Jamie leans back on the couch, and Noelle and him look up at Luca as he approaches.

"We avoided a catastrophe, but not for lack of trying on Noelle's part." He takes the bottle from Luca, situates Noelle more comfortably in his arms, and then gives her the bottle. She is an old pro at this by now and likes to 'help' hold the bottle. She isn't quite able to hold it on her own, but she tries. It's cute, nonetheless.

"Hm, that's my girl," Luca says, bending down to kiss her foot that she is waving around. She doesn't bother to smile at him, too intent on eating at the moment.

Luca looks up at Jamie, seeing that he is watching Noelle with a small smile on his face. The sight of Jamie holding Noelle, the both of them looking completely content, pushes Luca to say the words he has been fighting back for weeks now.

"Move in with me."

Jamie starts at Luca's words, and Noelle whines at being jostled. Jamies shushes her, getting the baby to focus once more on her bottle before turning to look at Luca. His eyes are wide, so round and brown, that they capture Luca's own eyes. He is unable to look away, seeing all the emotions flicker across Jamie's face.

"Really? You want me to?"

Luca doesn't hesitate to nod. "You practically live here anyway, and it feels weird when you aren't here. It isn't a home when you're gone. And-And Noelle and I both love you. It just feels right for you to live here with us in a more permanent way."

Jamie is listening to every word that Luca says, before biting his lip and giving a small nod of his head. "Yes. Yeah, of course I'll move in with you. I've hated going back to my apartment. It's too empty and quiet, and I just miss you guys the entire time I'm there."

Both of them are smiling, so wide that it makes the kiss they share awkward, but Luca doesn't mind. He is the happiest man alive. Even the looming meeting with his ex-in-laws can't bring him down at the moment.

No, he has his family here, everyone he needs, and he intends to keep it that way, no matter what those petty, too-rich snobs throw at him. And for the first time in a long time, he feels hope.