Chapter 100 Hi Momma

Chapter 100 Hi Momma
The phone rested on the coffee table, the speakerphone projecting Diane Stark’s vibrant, thrilled voice through the quiet living room.
"Oh, absolutely!" Diane had agreed instantly, not even pausing to check her undoubtedly packed social calendar. "I would absolutely love to take my three girls out for a day on the town!"
Over in the kitchen, the Zenith CEO was currently playing the role of a domestic, doting father. Owen was standing at the marble island, his dress shirt sleeves still rolled up to his elbows as he carefully portioned out a massive, catered Italian dinner onto fine china plates for everyone.
Hearing his mother plotting a shopping spree, Owen paused with a serving spoon full of pasta. He looked over his shoulder toward the living room, a deeply fond, amused smile pulling at his lips.
"Mom, no spoiling tomorrow," Owen called out, his deep voice carrying easily over the open floor plan.
"Grandmas are for spoiling, Owen," Diane shot back immediately, her tone laced with that signature, unapologetic Stark authority. "And frankly, you do enough of that on your own, son."
But at the very first sound of Diane’s voice coming from the glowing box on the coffee table, Olive completely abandoned her toys on the rug. Having recently mastered the art of walking, the toddler took full, chaotic advantage of her newfound freedom. She practically flew across the living room, her little legs pumping as fast as they could possibly carry her.
She slammed her chubby hands down on the edge of the glass table, leaning over the phone with wide, excited eyes.
"Granna!" Olive shouted directly into the speaker, bouncing on her toes. "Hey, Granna!"
"Oh, is that my sweet Olive I hear?" Diane gasped, the formidable Stark matriarch's voice instantly melting into pure, liquid adoration.
Hearing her grandmother acknowledge her, Olive's entire face lit up. She started nodding her head in a vigorous, emphatic yes at the phone. Without even taking a breath, the toddler launched into a passionate, high-speed stream of excited babble. She was going so incredibly fast, gesturing wildly with her little hands to tell her grandmother about her day, that Owen and Leona could only understand about every third word she was saying.
"...baby... toys... juice... Dada... zoom!" Olive babbled happily, completely dominating the conversation.
Leona leaned back against the plush velvet sofa, adjusting a sleeping Hazel against her chest, and let out a bright, melodic laugh. Over in the kitchen, Owen chuckled, shaking his head in defeat as he carried the first two plates of food over to the coffee table.
"Alright," Owen smiled, setting the plates down next to the phone as Olive continued her lightning-fast story. "I surrender. Buy out the whole store, Mom."
"Consider it handled," Diane promised over Olive's happy chatter. "I'll see my girls tomorrow."
The early morning sun hadn't quite crested the Manhattan skyline yet, leaving the Zenith penthouse bathed in a soft, cool gray light. Leona was already awake, pulled from the edges of a deep sleep by the quiet, demanding fuss of a hungry newborn just minutes before Owen's alarm was set to go off.
She was sitting up in the massive bed, her back resting comfortably against the plush headboard, cradling Hazel securely against her chest. As the infant nursed quietly, Leona listened to the sound of the water running in the master bathroom. Over the rhythmic spray of the shower, she could hear Owen actually whistling a cheerful, upbeat tune.
A few moments later, the bathroom door swung open, allowing a cloud of warm, cedar-scented steam to roll into the bedroom. Owen stepped out, a single white towel securely wrapped low around his waist. Water droplets still clung to his broad shoulders and chest, and he was still softly whistling under his breath as he ran a hand through his damp hair.
Leona couldn't help the lazy, affectionate smirk that spread across her lips. "Good morning, Stark."
Owen stopped, turning toward the bed. The moment his storm-gray eyes landed on her, his signature, devastating dimples flashed.
"What's got you so chipper this morning?" Leona asked, keeping her voice low in the quiet room.
Owen crossed the carpeted floor, his gaze entirely soft and adoring. "A few things," he murmured, his voice a rich, morning-rough rumble. "My four favorite ladies in the entire world are spending the day together. And..." He leaned down, resting a hand on the mattress near her hip. "I was just thinking about how my wife is an absolute force to be reckoned with."
With expert, practiced gentleness, Owen scooped a now thoroughly milk-drunk and sleeping Hazel from Leona's arms. He walked the few steps over to the bedside bassinet and laid the newborn down, securely tucking the pink blanket around her.
Then, he turned his full attention back to his wife. Owen crawled up onto the edge of the mattress, his large hands reaching out to cup Leona's face. He leaned in, capturing her lips in a deep, breathtaking kiss that instantly sent a jolt of heat straight to her toes.
But just as Leona's hands slid up to rest against his damp chest, a bright, demanding voice echoed from the nursery directly across the hall.
"Dada!"
Owen froze. He pulled back just a fraction, letting out a rich, rumbling laugh directly against Leona's mouth.
"Dada's coming, sweet pea," Owen called out, his voice immediately shifting into full dad-mode.
He pulled back from Leona, offering her an apologetic, devastatingly handsome smirk. He stood up from the bed, unceremoniously dropping the damp towel to the floor. He quickly pulled on a pair of dark boxer briefs and grabbed his plush gray robe off a nearby chair, shrugging it on and tying the belt. He shot Leona a wicked, incredibly cocky wink over his shoulder before disappearing out the bedroom door to retrieve their oldest daughter.
Leona leaned back against the headboard, a breathless laugh escaping her as she listened to the sounds of her house waking up. She could hear Owen's deep voice greeting Olive, followed by the toddler's excited morning babble as he carried her down the hall and straight into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, the unmistakable, rich scent of freshly brewed espresso drifted into the bedroom. Owen walked back through the doorway, making it look utterly effortless. He had a wildly energetic, messy-haired Olive balanced perfectly on one hip, while his other hand steadily held a steaming mug of black coffee.
He walked over to the bed and gently deposited the vibrant toddler right onto the mattress next to Leona.
"Keep your mom company," Owen instructed Olive with a smile, taking a sip of his coffee before turning toward his massive walk-in closet to select his suit and that specific olive-green tie for the day.
Olive immediately scrambled across the luxurious duvet, her dark eyes lighting up the second she was close to Leona. She patted the blankets with her chubby hands.
"Hi, Momma," Olive beamed, her voice bright and ready to take on the day.
Leona’s heart swelled, all the lingering stress from the night before entirely washed away by the perfection of her morning. She reached out, smoothing down one of Olive's dark curls.
"Hi, baby," Leona smiled.