Chapter 52

7 weeks later....

The thin sound of a distressed infant's wail jerked Eliza from a restless sleep.

 She sat up and fought her way out of bed before groggily trudging to the nursery. When she got there she blinked up at the already-present Romano who was cradling their crying daughter tenderly in his strong arms.

He was wearing only a pair of boxers and held the tiny baby up against his strong, naked chest. 

He was crooning gently to her and Eliza was transfixed by the sweet picture they presented.

Romano looked up and saw her standing in the doorway. His hair was messy and standing up in spikes.

"Hey." Romano smiled at her.

"I was hoping you'd sleep through this. You looked exhausted earlier. I don't think she's hungry. Just cranky. I think her wet nappy woke her up. I changed her and she's all dry and comfy now, but she hasn't worked the bad mood out of her system yet."

Eliza walked over to them and peered over one bulging bicep into Lisa’s scrunched-up little face and smiled in amusement.

"Very cranky."

Eliza leaned over to drop a kiss on the baby's damp forehead and felt Romano tense when Eliza’s cheek brushed against his chest in the process. 

They both paused awkwardly before Eliza cleared her throat and stepped back.

Eliza dropped into the padded rocking chair and tucked her feet up beneath her and watched as Romano continued to pace and gently talk to the crying baby.

He eventually sank down into the second rocking chair beside Eliza, while continuing to soothe the baby.

Lisa’s wailing eventually decreased down to a few sad sniffles before she dropped back to sleep. 

Eliza looked over and smiled when she saw that Romano had fallen asleep too. Lisa was firmly anchored to his chest and held in place with a big hand on her tiny back.

She looked from the man to the infant and smiled at the similarities between them. Lisa had his mouth and something about the set of her brow was one-hundred- percent Romano.

Eliza got up quietly and went over to pick up the baby. Romano’s brow furrowed when Eliza tried to move his hand and instead he tightened his grip slightly.

"Romano," Eliza whispered, "let me put her to bed." Romano’s eyes fluttered open, and he smiled when he saw Eliza leaning over him.

"Mia amore..," Romano murmured, and in that unguarded moment, Eliza saw a depth of emotion in his blue eyes that staggered her. 

Eliza blinked and in that split second Romano came fully awake and his eyes shifted back to neutral.

Eliza wasn't sure if she had imagined the intensity of the emotion or not. Romano relinquished his hold on Lisa and ducked his head to drop a loving kiss on top of her downy soft black hair.

Eliza was aware of Romano getting up and following her to the crib.

Romano stood directly behind her and watched over her shoulder as she put the baby to bed. 

Eliza was intensely aware of Romano and of the fact that all that stood between them and total nudity was her nightgown and Romano’s boxers.

"She has your nose," Romano whispered into her ear and Eliza jumped, surprised and disturbed to feel his hot breath on her skin.

"Do you think so?" Eliza asked casually. "I can't tell."

  "It's an unmistakable nose..." Romano’s hand came to rest on Eliza’s shoulder, and she tensed at the feeling of her husband's warm hand on her bare skin. 

Eliza’s breathing went shallow.

Romano’s hand swept down her shoulder in a gesture that couldn't be mistaken for anything other than a caress and shackled Eliza’s upper arm loosely.

Romano brought his other hand up to grip Eliza’s free arm in a similar fashion. He gently dragged her back until she was leaning against his hot, hard chest, and he released his grip with a rumble of satisfaction.

His strong arms encircled her waist, and he held Eliza as they both watched their sleeping baby.

The tension eventually left Eliza’s body as she allowed herself to relax against her husband and tilt her head back to rest against his shoulder.

"Look at what we made," Romano murmured into her ear, Romano’s low voice brimming with love and pride.

"She's perfect."

Eliza smiled at the awe she heard in his voice.

"It's been said that any fool can make a baby," she teased, and Romano snorted.

"Yeah, but have any of them made a baby as absolutely perfect as ours?"

Eliza looked down at the sleeping baby, with her wrinkled face and the slight milk rash that pinkened her cheeks and her patches of soft spiky hair. She looked like a wrinkly, grumpy little cranky lady...but she was their wrinkly, grumpy little cranky lady, and she was adorable.

"No...I don't think any of them has," Eliza concurred smugly.

"Tesoro..." Romano’s voice took on a serious tone and Eliza tensed again.

"I just...I wanted..." he seemed at a loss for words, and Eliza frowned, wondering if they would actually have that promised conversation. It had been more than a month since Lisa’s birth, and they hadn't yet discussed Romano’s claim that he'd hoped for a girl.

"Thank you," he finally said, and Eliza turned slightly to look up into her husband's eyes, visibly surprised by his words.

"For what?" She asked.

"For giving me everything I never knew I wanted," Romano said after a long pause. His voice was thick with emotion, and he met Eliza’s eyes directly. His eyes were burning with intensity as if he willed Eliz to believe him.

"What have I given you, Roman?" Eliza asked, turning fully in his arms.

"A life." The two words frustrated Eliza because they meant everything and told him nothing.

She was about to ask Romano to elaborate, when more words came tumbling out.

 "Happiness, contentment, and a beautiful daughter."

"And are happiness and contentment all you ever wanted from life?" Eliza asked after giving his words some thought. 

He smiled.

"No. I want more than that. But it's a good start." 

"What else do you want?" Eliza asked. "You," Romano said without hesitation.

"You have me."

"No, I don't. Not the way you were before, back when we first married before I stupidly proceeded to trample your heart and ego into the ground."

"I've changed since then, grown up. I won't ever be the same young woman I was back then."

"Yes, you've changed—in so many wonderful ways—but you've also become more guarded. And I don't blame you, I really don't. But I want you to trust me again."

"I do," Eliza whispered."

"No, I want you to trust me with your heart, cara. I want you to allow yourself to love me again. I won't hurt you."

"Why should I trust you that way again, Roman?" Eliza whispered, and Romano smiled before cupping Eliza’s face and staring deeply into her eyes.

"Because I love you, Eliza, I love you so much it hurts."