Picking up directly from where Nuova Vita left off. Erin and Dave are discussing their future. Vera is still causing trouble and there's a baby coming soon.
The scorching summer sun had long since disappeared behind the clouds, leaving the air heavy and cool. Inside the Rossi mansion, things weren't much warmer.
"You're love-bombing my daughter," Vera said with ice dripping from her tone. She stared holes into the back of Dave's head, from her spot at the dining table. The dishes had been cleared and she had nothing better to do than harass him.
"Excuse me?" Dave turned sharply on his heel, the platter in his hand threatened to slip through his fingers.
"I googled it." Vera held up her cell phone. "Signs of being Love-bombed," Vera read from the screen. "They give excessive compliments, go overboard with expensive gifts- Look at the blueprints for the house. 12 bedrooms-"
"Whoa! Hang on." Dave held up his hand, leaving the platter in the dishwasher rack. "Erin is my girlfriend; Vera and we've been together for a year. This isn't a new development."
Vera's chair scraped obnoxiously against the hardwood floor. She stood, crossing her arms over her chest. "And rearranging your entire life-"
"Is exactly what you're supposed to do in a relationship." He would never convince Vera of his intentions. "If you want me to write you a list of all the reasons, I want to marry your daughter, I will; but it won't convince you."
"I can write you a list of why you shouldn't-"
~00~
"Mommy?" Allison called out, creeping downstairs into the basement. With her book clutched under her arm. She walked through the theater, brushing passed the rows of leather chairs and couches. Vera's strong and strident tone rang through her head and Allison was over it.
"What is it?" Water splashed as Erin sat up to attention, eyeing the closed door. Nobody called her 'mommy' unless something was terribly wrong.
"Grandma's arguing with Dave-" Allison poked her head through the door. "They're getting louder." The child complained, shooting a look of disapproval tow the ceiling.
"You're kidding?"
Allison shook her head in the negative.
"Again?" Erin rolled her eyes towards the ceiling; this was getting ridiculous. The two of them couldn't keep a civil tongue in their heads for longer than five minutes and she was sick of it. "Hand me my phone, Honey." She stuck out her hand. Playing the referee between them was getting old, fast.
Allison walked into the bathroom, picking up Erin's phone from the counter beside the sink. "Are they ever going to be nice to each other?"
Erin shook her head, pulling up David's phone number. "It'll take a miracle."
~00~
"Look at her!" Vera hissed, meeting David nose to nose. The scent of stale cigarettes wafted passed her lips. She shoved her fingers in his chest with every word. "Look at my daughter, she's covered in bruises, they burned her and stole her sobriety. Meanwhile, where the hell were you?"
"It was an accident!" He retorted, stepping back. throwing his hands in the air. "I thought he was taking her home—"
"You thought wrong! She almost died and it's your fault. You hired the bastard who kidnapped her. You brought him into her life! This is the second time she got hurt because you, the man who swears to love her, left her alone!"
"We were both on the job! Erin knew the risks when she joined the Bureau."
"She was supposed to be at her desk. You invited her to New York!"
"She didn't need an invitation! His cell phone rang loudly on the counter, stopping his retort.
Saved by the bell?" Vera huffed, staring at the phone, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Yeah." He snatched his phone off the marble countertop and took the call.
Thirty seconds later, he shoved the phone in his pocket without a word to Vera.
"Where are you going?"
"Away." He called out, already halfway down the stairs. He bit his tongue, wanting to tell her that unlike Vera, when Erin called, he came. He wasn't a day late or a dollar short. He showed up, on time with flowers in hand. What Blake, Richard and Stephen did wasn't his fault. His future mother-in-law would know that, if she cared enough to pay attention.
The noise from the living room abated, "Thanks," Allison flashed a relieved smile towards her mom, holding up the novel in her hand. "Maybe I can finish my book now."
"Good luck, Honey." Erin smiled at her youngest daughter.
"Are you okay?" Allison tore her eyes away from the visible cuts on her mother's hairline and collarbone.
"I'm okay," Erin assured her. She sank deeper into the jacuzzi tub, the warm water splashed up her chest. A thick sudsy layer of bubbles coated the top of the water. "Don't worry, Baby. I'm sore and I'm tired; but I promise I'm okay."
Allison nodded slightly, "I love you, Mom."
"Love you, too." Just then, Dave knocked on the door. "Come in."
Allison brushed passed him, "see ya later, Dave."
"Hi." Erin said, giving him her best 'come hither' stare. It wasn't great, but he got the message.
"Hi." A soft smile lit his face as he propped his hip against the side of the tub. "I can't tell if the kid snitched or if she saved my ass."
"My mother needs to keep her voice down and mind her own business," Erin complained, "The kids have seen enough fighting and arguing between me and-"
"Sainted Peter." Dave deadpanned, through the corner of his mouth. Erin didn't miss the jealousy in his tone.
"Are you upset with me?"
"Of course not," Dave grabbed a folded towel from the closet and draped it across the edge of the tub, "someone has to keep your mother busy. I thought I was being helpful. I didn't know the blueprints would start World War Three-"
"You are helping." She said, the water splashed as she shifted to look him in the eye. "I just hope you're not shutting me out on purpose."
"I'm not." He grabbed another towel and draped it on the floor. "Do you want the floor heaters on?"
"No thanks. Where are you going?"
He turned on his heel to look at her, "to- uh-" Think, Dave, think! "Finish cleaning the kitchen-"
"David-" she called out in a tone that bordered on frustration.
"What?" his eyebrow furrowed in confusion with his hand on the doorknob.
"Come on, don't play with me. We ate off paper plates."
"Busted," he huffed, blowing out a breath. "I'm sorry. It's not you," he promised, spinning around to look her in the eye.
"What is it then?"
"Your mom got into my head," he studied the marble tile shifting from side to side.
"What did she say?" Erin's brow furrowed in concern.
"Nothing-" he made an offhand gesture. Vera wasn't going to stand in his way, but he'd be lying if he said it didn't get under his skin.
"Tell me, David." Her warm, comforting tone rang out across the room. "What did she say?"
"Listen," he blew out another slow breath. Thinking it over, "we need to talk about what happened. Just…" he spread his hands wide. "Sit with it for longer than five minutes."
Erin nodded, "I'm almost finished."
Twenty minutes later Erin made her way up the stairs from the basement and into the living room.
"Don't you want to go put on some clothes?" Vera asked, looking Erin up and down, lips pressed into a thin line of disapproval at the t-shirt and sweatpants Erin wore.
"No," She answered, toweling off her hair with one hand and grabbing the remote from the coffee table with the other. She sat down on the couch, popping her feet onto the ottoman. "I'm comfortable." The kids were downstairs enjoying the in-home movie theater, Dave was walking Mudgie, Erin took the opportunity to relax.
"You have a teenage boy in the house-"
"Who has seen my arms, many times. Matter of fact, he used to follow me to the bathroom until he was 6." Erin said, flipping through the channels.
The front door slammed and Mudgie trotted into the living room, flopping onto the rug at Erin's feet. Dave's warm hands brushed against her bare shoulders.
"You, me, dessert on the patio?" He whispered against the shell of her ear.
"Hell yes." Erin lowered her feet to the floor, with the blanket around her shoulders and followed him out the back door.
"Have a seat," Dave gestured to the farmhouse porch swing, waiting for her to sit down.
"What's all this?" She pointed out the extra cushions that weren't usually there and the fairy lights illuminating the patio.
He shrugged, "I didn't want you to strain your ribs. Sit down." He insisted, holding the swing still. "I'll be right back."
"Where are you going?" She scooted backwards against the mountain of pillows, with one leg curled under the other, making room for him.
"To get dessert." He pressed a soft kiss to her temple, letting her sweet scent wash over him. "Be right back."
The clear night sky cast its stars in a glittering array over the world, rivaling Dave's backyard. For the first time in months, she could breathe… physically, it hurt like hell, her ribs ached if she breathed too deeply but the air was cool on the inhale. For the first time in a long time, she could sit outside and enjoy the night air without fear.
He stepped out onto the porch, with a quart of ice cream tucked under his arm and two spoons. He passed her a spoon and the carton of Moose Tracks. He sat the tray on the table beside the sofa and knelt, in front of the fireplace. The hiss of the gas fireplace mingled with the chirping of cicadas.
Erin pulled the blanket higher around her shoulders. "Thank you," she pried the lid off the carton with numb fingers and dug the spoon into the soft, cold treat. Another beat of silence passed, neither knew the right thing to say.
"Have some," she passed him a spoon and held out the container for him.
"Thanks." He scooped out a bit, biting into a thick morsel of chocolate. "Not bad for being half freezer burnt."
"Only on your half," She teased, playfully shoving his shoulder.
He chuckled, settling his arm over her shoulders. "Such a small price to pay." The house was still standing, where her children were, safe in their own rooms. "We weren't even gone a full 48 hours," but somehow everything had changed. "Hell of a day." He blew out a breath, letting his arm settle around her. Relishing the way her breath brushed against his bare skin; she was here beside him, with her face buried in his neck.
"I hired him." Dave reminded her, glancing up and down her body. Her arms were blotted with fading bruises, "Erin." His voice turned husky with emotion. "I'm so sorry. I should have driven you home-"
"Why?" She pulled away from him, crossing her arms over her chest. "None of this is your fault," her fingers brushed against his cheek. He did all he could to keep her safe. "Blake, Richard and Stephen aren't getting away with this. They're going to jail."
"Yet somehow that doesn't feel like enough."
"It's good enough for me. What's this?" She picked up a piece of mail from the tray, between her fingers.
"Kindling," Dave took the envelope from her and tossed it in the flames. "You don't need these anymore. I paid them."
"What are you doing, David? Why do you have my mail?" Her stomach dropped to her knees as he grabbed another envelope off the stack. "David!"
"Come on, Erin. I didn't mean to go through your stuff; but" he shrugged. "Since I know now that you're up to your eyeballs in medical bills-"
"How do you know that?" She snapped, holding her head high, arms crossed over her chest. "You had no right to read my mail-"
"And you had no right to keep this from me," he countered, settling back against the cushions. "Carlo is my baby, too-"
"Of course, he is-"
"Then let me help." He insisted, leaving no room for argument. "He's my son and part of taking care of him is taking care of you- why didn't you say something sooner?"
"Because-" stopping short, she couldn't say the words. It was too horrible to say aloud, even as she said it, she was filled with self-loathing. "I never wanted another kid, David." She named him, she loved him, but he wasn't in her plan. Hell, she did not even know she had a plan till it blew up in her face.
"Erin-" Grief and fear suddenly shot across his features. "I thought we were in a good place."
"We are!" She said quickly, lest he get the wrong idea. "Please," she raised one hand, forcing back her tears. "Let me finish."
He nodded twice, surrendering the floor. "I'm listening."
"I thought," she cleared her throat, her voice went tight. "I thought if I could pay the medical bills on my own, then that was my way of taking care of him and I could make up for the way I felt-"
"Erin," he shifted, taking both of her hands in his, with his heart in his throat. "Are we… I mean…Do you even want to have a family with me?"
"Of course, I do." She answered, squeezing his hands. She forced back the lump in her throat. "That's all I want…I don't care about the house or the money-" she'd live in a shack with him if they were together. "I wanted to prove to you-"
"Listen," he shifted just enough to look her in the eye. He'd come too close to losing the two most important people in his life. "Erin, I love you. Even if we didn't have a baby coming, I'd choose you." He'd always choose her, if he had the option to go back in time, he'd choose her and their life together over and over again.
"You don't have to say that-"
"Maybe you need to hear it. You wanted to prove that you don't need me," he guessed. "You don't need anyone; but what if I do? What if I'm the one who needs you?" He knew what life was like living alone, fumbling around his silent house, with only his dog for company. He threw parties so he didn't have to sit alone, to keep doing that would be an evolutionary step backward, off a cliff.
"David- I was so wrong!" The words tumbled passed her lips before she could stop them. "Carlo needs you and I need you. I don't want to be anywhere else."
His lips crashed on hers, sweeping his tongue across the seam of her mouth. Her arms wrapped around his neck; her fingers tangled in his dark hair. He swept her into his arms, sitting her on his lap without breaking their kiss. He pulled back; their breaths mingled in the small space.
"Did you just-"
"Shut you up?" His mouth covered his, her skin tingled with every taste of him.
"With a kiss?" She asked, pressing further against him. Her chest heaving against his.
"I think that was three kisses," Dave smirked, his eyes darkened with desire.
"Hmm…" She pulled him closer. Licking her lips. "I'm gonna need one more."
"I know how you like even numbers-" He gently covered her lips with his. They took their time, savoring their precious moments together.
When the need for air was stronger than their need for each other, they pulled back.
"We made it." He mumbled against her hair, wrapping her in a hug. Touching his forehead to hers, his fingers lightly brushed back a damp lock her hair. Dave didn't miss the way she winced when he touched her hair. It seemed thinner in places and her scalp was more sensitive. He swore to himself that no one would pull her hair again. With nothing but their heartbeats and the orchestra from the late-night wildlife to listen to. He knew she fit, with her head resting perfectly against his chest. She was the perfect fit, in his arms, his home and his heart. He would never let her go again, as long as she wanted to be there. "Does this mean you'll let me add your name to my accounts? Let me play on your team?"
She nodded, finally laying down her pride. "I love you, David Rossi, but if you expect me to use your credit cards—" she poked him in the chest, "I'm 100% on board." She teased, watching his eyes crinkle at the corners as he chuckled.
"I love you, Erin Strauss; but your last name leaves a lot to be desired."
"We can work on that," she laid her head against his chest, searing the sound of her heartbeat into her memory. "Ow!" She sat up slightly, covering her belly with her hand.
"Are you okay?" His hand followed hers. Was something wrong? Was it baby-time?
"He's really on the move tonight," Erin took Dave's hand, leading him to the spot where she felt their son's movement.
"He's strong." His palm rested against her taut abdomen, brushing over the outline of Carlo's foot with his thumb. He watched with wide-eyed fascination as Erin's middle stretched to accommodate Carlo's movements. "Why does our baby look like that chest-buster scene from Alien?" He pointed an accusing finger towards Erin's stomach.
She winced, shifting slightly on Dave's lap. "The better question is why is he choosing to shove himself into my ribs?"
"Go easy on your mother," he scolded, poking the outline of Carlo's foot. "He's strong," Dave repeated, pride and love leaked into his tone. His eyes cast over to the gash across her abdomen. A reminder of what they'd been through. "He's strong, like his mom."
"I know I am in love with you because my reality is finally better than my dreams."
– Dr. Seuss