#lucca bartolini

*raises eyebrows, laughing nervously* “At first it did bother me, but for different reasons. She’s my little girl. My Milliepede,” *clears his throat, frowning* “She is my daughter, just as Mila is my daughter and Max is my son. And it was hard for me to see her get excited about seeing him. It was hard to watch Nova and Millie walk out our front door to see him. Bentley.” *sighs, clasping his hands together* “But, he is her biological Father. I trust Nova and her instincts, if she felt like this wasn’t a good idea then she wouldn’t go through with it and if she’s okay with this then I had to learn to accept that and to support Nova with those decisions. As for his intentions,” *whistles* “So many things ran through my head in the beginning. Was he really here for Amelia? Or is it because Nova’s moved on, happy and glowing and thriving that drew him back in? Or was it just the thought that she’d moved on that got his attention? But I don’t think it’s that. I think that he just needed to grow up and accept that he had a hand, so to speak, in creating a tiny person. Some people need time to wrap their heads around that kind of responsibility and now he’s ready to try and be there. It doesn’t make it any less hard or painful though.”

“I just.. don’t get it.” Nova sighed, as she walked into the room that was once hers growing up. It felt odd being here now. Home, she realized, wasn’t a place, but it was the people. Lucca was home for her. Well, him and their children. She pursed her lips as she stood staring down at him. “You didn’t eat your soup.”

“Hurts my throat.”

Her mouth popped open, her eyebrows knitted together in a frown, “Lucca Bartolini, why didn’t you say anything?”

He shrugged, grinning, his eyes still closed. “Honestly, I wasn’t very hungry so what I did eat was tolerable.” He peeked a look at her. God, she was beautiful.

She sighed out loud, pressing her palms to her cheeks before reaching down to pick up the food tray, but before she could lift it from the nightstand, Lucca grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto the bed with him, rolling onto his side so he could prop himself up to look down at her. He gently rubbed his thumb between her eyebrows and across her forehead until she let out a little sigh and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“You’re going to get me sick.” She accused, playfully glaring at him, but in all honesty she didn’t mind. The kids were busy with their aunts and uncle playing in the back yard and her Mother loved having a full house again. She’d probably be tickled pink if Nova had come down with the flu, too, and she’d have to take care of everyone. She pressed her lips together.

“Ouch.”

“What? Are you okay? Is it your side?” Nova couldn’t conceal the panic in her voice as she struggled to sit up, hands flitting across his torso to grasp the hem of his shirt, lifting it to see his bandage still in place and pristine white.

“Stop fussing over me,” he chuckled, “I’m fine.” He kissed her neck and he could instantly feel her body began to relax. He honestly didn’t want to get her sick, they weren’t even sure if he had the flu, but Presley was sure he had the symptoms and he immediately was quarantined until they passed. He also suspected she did that because Lucca was still recovering from a gunshot wound and had overdone it by taking his family to the beach the week before. His hand cupped her breast, kneading his gently with his finger tips before slowly tracing them across the surface of her skin causing her to shiver.

“You’re not.. f-fine, you, mmm..” she let out a small gasp as a shiver shook her body. “You were shot you know!”

“I’m not a baby,” he chuckled as he began kissing her chest, breasts and trailing kisses down to her navel. He ran his hand across her abdomen to the clasp on her jeans when he felt her stiffen. He lifted his head momentarily to see meet her eyes. “Nova?”

He brought his hand back up to her abdomen and felt it. A large, hard bump that his entire hand cupped. Finger tip to palm. He sat up on his knees, looking down as she slowly pushed her shirt down and sat up, taking his hands. “I wanted to tell you. I was going to, that night, but then everything was ..” she shook her head. “And then you were shot. I didn’t even know if you were going to live, Lucca.” She bit her lip. “I’d understand if you, if you hate me for not telling you, but I didn’t know when was the right time.”

“Hey,” his voice soft. “I could never, ever hate you Novalee.”

“I’m pregnant.” She sniffled.

He ran the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip and sighed, sitting back on his heels. “Damn right you are,” he grinned and then leaped off the bed. “WOOOO!!!!” He spun around in a circle and came back to her side, pulling her up and into his arms.

“LUCCA! PUT ME DOWN! YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LIFE MORE THAN 3 POUNDS!”

Ignoring what she said, he carried her outside to where the kids were playing before setting her down on her feet, keeping his arm wrapped tightly, protectively, around her shoulders.

“Kids! We have an announcement to make!” Lucca grinned down at Nova who rolled her eyes at him. “We’re going to have another baby!”

Millie and Mila gasped in unison, Max poured a bucket of sand on his head and Harper sat next to him as she silently cried smiling at her big sister. And as if on queue, all of them, Mila-Millie-Riley-Jonas, begin talking and asking questions at once. The girls wanted a sister, Jonas said he needed another nephew, Riley wanted to know when she gets to babysit without Harper there. And a strangled sound from behind them caused Lucca and Nova to turn and look over their shoulders to see a sobbing Presley holding knitting needles and yarn.

“I knew there was a reason I picked up knitting again!”

Everyone laughed and embraced each other before Presley scolded Lucca for getting out of bed, but hugged him tightly as she sniffled into his shoulder.. “I can’t believe you’re taller than me now.”