Serena: Let us go out tomorrow, Nico.

Serena: Let us go out tomorrow, Nico.
Serena
The rest of dinner continued, but something invisible lingered in the air, something unspoken but deeply felt. When the evening finally wound down and Dante and Saddie prepared to leave, Criston hugged everyone enthusiastically and declared that he would return soon to teach us all how to be strong. His innocence felt like a balm. I really loved spending time with the boy.

Later that night, Nico and I retreated to his study. He resumed working at his desk, papers spread neatly before him, while I settled onto the couch with a shawl wrapped around my shoulders. I felt cozy there, surrounded by the familiar scent of leather and books and him.

It was not a place meant for rest, but I felt better sitting near him than being alone in the bedroom while he worked. Being alone with my thoughts made me anxious, and today I had decided that I would follow him wherever he went. Nico had not stopped me, and that alone meant more than he probably realized.

He worked quietly, occasionally glancing at me as if to reassure himself that I was still there.

“Nico,” I asked suddenly.

“Hm,” he responded without looking up.

“So forced arranged marriage is completely out for our daughter or son as well,” I asked carefully.

“For any of our children,” he replied immediately.

I hesitated before asking, “What if he or she does not want to be a don or even part of this life and wants to become something ordinary, like a teacher.”

He finally looked up at me then, his expression thoughtful. “That is a far more honorable job than the one we do,” he said simply. “I would happily open as many schools as they wish.”
He added very seriously, "If they must walk in our footsteps, I would be happy for them to be a doctor like you. Imagine, having a daughter and she is a doctor in white coat and a stetescope on her neck. How beautiful."

I laughed softly at his answer. I did not know whether he was being idealistic or serious, but it sounded sincere, and for now that was enough.

"Okay,"I said with a laugh. "Don't tell me you have chosen a name for them as well?"

"Angel for the girl and Angelo for the boy!" He said and I burst into laughter. "How orignal! they will be bullied so badly in school."

Nico pouted. Not literally but I could feel it.

Still in a lighter mood, I asked, “Why did you never tell Luca and Gino about Alicia.”

He stiffened, his head jerking up as he looked at me sharply.

“How do you know,” he asked.

I met his gaze steadily. “I had my doubts for a while,” I said. “Lucia does not hate me as much as she pretends to. After she found out I was pregnant, she started making arrangements for my safety. She may not care for me, but she cares deeply for your child. And then she saved me that day. When everything started coming together, Dante confirmed what I had already begun to suspect.”

Nico leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable.

“Alicia Romano became Alicia Black,” he said quietly. “Her husband was the man she loved and wanted to marry, but my father did not approve. My uncle sold her to the highest bidder instead. When she ran away, my sadistic uncle ordered me to shoot her and her boyfriend.”

My breath caught.

“I could not,” Nico continued. “I let them run.”

“So you let them escape,” I said softly.

He nodded. “I never met her again. I never tried to find her. I never knew what happened to them until recently. She built a life for herself, and I am relieved.”

“A life opposite to yours,” I added gently.

“Yes,” he said with a sad smile. “But that was always who she was. She followed her calling.”

“Will you tell your family,” I asked.

“No,” he replied firmly.

“Why,” I asked quietly.

“It does not matter anymore,” he said. “She is on the opposite side of our world now, and knowing the truth would only put her in danger.”

I nodded, understanding settling in my chest.

He returned to his work, but I could see the dark clouds of memory hovering around him, heavy and unresolved. After a few moments of silence, I spoke again.

“Nico,” I said softly.

He looked up.

“Let us go to the doctor tomorrow,” I said.

His eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“Thank you for calling Saddie and Dante today,” I added. “I saw what you wanted me to see for months.”

He smiled, slow and gentle.

That night, I understood what he had been trying to show me all along. Life could change, pain could transform into something meaningful, and motherhood did not have to end in sadness. Nico had succeeded in making me accept that I was becoming a mother and that my life could change just as Saddie’s had.

And I would not become the sad Saddie she once was.