Chapter 186 Enzo's Questions
Dakota's P.O.V.
Enzo and I reach the dining room, and I smile seeing my family all together. Luka looks much better than he did a few days ago, and Rain does, too. They left the seat at the head of the table empty for me, and Enzo looks disappointed when there's not a spare seat next to me, so I make room for him so we can sit together. Benny is standing near the door; I want him to eat, too, so I point to one of the empty chairs, and he sits immediately. Our table can seat fifty people.
"I'm glad you're all here. It's been a stressful couple of weeks, but hopefully, it will come to an end soon." I sit down, and the food is passed around so we can fill our plates. I help Enzo with his. Once our plates are full, he looks at Galdino and his mom. I pull out my phone and turn on the video because I need to record this for Ari.
"Galdino, are you going to be my daddy now? Mommy is sleeping in your room, so does that mean you are my daddy?" I would love to get up and do a happy dance, but I'm laughing too hard to move. Their faces are so red. Everyone else tries to hide their laughter, but I don't.
"Come on, Galdino, answer him." I wink at him, and he clears his throat. I expect him to fumble over his words, but he shocks me into silence.
"We haven't talked about it yet, but I would love to be your daddy. Is that okay with you?" I look at Enzo, and his little face lights up while his mom looks like she's getting ready to cry.
"Yes, yes, yes, I need a nice daddy, not a mean daddy. My other daddy hit me and my mommy. You won't hit us, will you?" Everyone at the table goes from trying not to laugh to trying not to cry in seconds. Galdino stands, walks over to Enzo, and squats in front of him.
"I will never hurt you or your mommy." Enzo slides out of his chair and wraps his little arms around Galdino's neck.
"Thank you, Daddy." I wipe my tears away as I watch them. When I look at Valentina, she's still crying. Enzo kisses Galdino's cheek, sits back in his chair, and smiles up at me.
"Is Ari my brother now?" he asks.
"Yes." He nods and looks thoughtful for a minute.
"If you don't want to marry my brother, then you can marry me." I chuckle lightly.
"You know what? When we take Ari's food upstairs, let's tell him he has some competition, okay?" Enzo laughs and begins eating. I love this kid. He made me laugh, cry, and laugh again. It's so refreshing.
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Galdino's P.O.V.
I wasn't expecting Enzo to come out and ask if I was going to be his daddy, but I wasn't going to deny it either. When I return to my seat, I lean over to whisper to Valentina.
"Was what I said okay?" She wipes her eyes and nods.
"Yes. I knew he remembered how mean his dad was, but I was hoping he had forgotten about how he hit us. Are you sure we're not going too fast?" Everyone is talking, so it feels like we're in our own little world.
"What is too fast? If you want to be with me, I want to be with you, and Enzo wants us to be a family; why is it too fast? I have wasted half my life by not letting myself get close to anyone. I don't want to waste any more time. I'll make sure you and Enzo are never hurt again. I made mistakes with Ari by not being a real dad to him. I promise not to make those mistakes with Enzo. I love you and Enzo." Valentina puts her hands on my cheeks and looks into my eyes.
"I love you, Galdino. You're an amazing man with a huge heart. I never believed Enzo, and I would allow another man into our lives, but today, you changed that. I promise to never take your kindness and love for granted." I kiss her and feel like taking her back upstairs. I owe Dakota for convincing me that I could still fall in love. I never thought it was possible until she said she was sure I would find someone. I have a second chance at life, and I'm not going to screw it up.
As we eat, I think about Myra. I never thought I would see her again. She was a selfish bitch when I knew her. The best thing she ever did was leave Ari with me. By trying to kill us, all she has done is sign her own death certificate. Ari has been hurt enough; I won't let her hurt him anymore.