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'Why is this woman like this?'

Mateo thought as he watched her as she talked away to Jacqueline and Alison, rocking little Mia in her arms. He wondered how she was with their twins when they were that tiny. Of course she must have been the best, loving, gentle and a forever patient mother.

'What am I thinking? Isn't she still the same?' He smiled. Their kids were just five and they were so smart and understanding and kind and it was all because of her. Yes, they did throw some tantrums at times but wasn't that made them kids? And the best of pair of them at it!

"Stop eye-drooling and go sit next to her you dumb-ass!" Alessia came out of nowhere and smacked him in the arm. Hard.

"Why you little-"

"Zia Sia!!" Kiara hopped over to her and hugged his stupid sister by the waist.

(Zia - Aunt)

"Hi my little baby!!" Alessia cooed, bending down and picking her little niece up. "How about we go to the beach after breakfast?"

"YES!!" She squealed. "I was going to ask just that!" She grinned, showing all of her twenty teeth.

"Were you now?" Alessia laughed tickling Kiara who squealed out giggling while Mateo smiled, watching the interaction. His sister smiled more now, and he felt that she was now less distant towards him as well. And it was all because of his children and River.

"Where's your brother?" Mateo asked as he took his daughter from his sister's arms and walked over to where the ladies sat. He took the seat next to River, who turned to look at him and smiled, her eyes darting to their little girl.

"He is with Uncle Sebby." Kiara said. "They are having boy talk."

"Really?" River asked their daughter, her eyes wide and curious. "What are they plotting now?"

"I am fine with it as long as it's not against me." Alison put her hands up while everyone laughed.

"Where are your mother and grandmother?" Mateo asked River.

"Mom's helping Nanna get ready for the day." She shrugged and turned her attention to their little angel. "You look so pretty baby." She cooed, tugging at the two side ponytails Mateo had made her that day.

"Thanks Mommy. You look pretty too." Kiara smiled.

"Thanks baby." River smiled, placing a kiss on her nose and making the little one giggle.

Kiara turned to her Papa. "Why don't you try to look pretty, Papa?"

Mateo raised a brow at her, taken aback.

River and Alessia burst out laughing while the other ladies covered their mouths. "Why you little-" He snaked his fingers between her arms and started to tickle her. "PAPA!!! NOO!!!" She squealed as she giggled in his arms.

"You tell me, I am not pretty?" He knew that it was not the right adjective to use but it didn't matter. His little girl really had said that to him! She took way too much after her blunt mother.

Kiara turned to her mother. River cleared her throat and gave a serious expression. That little fox was clearly enjoying it. "You know we don't lie, Ki."

She bit her lips to stop herself from laughing as soon as Kiara turned back to her Papa. "I am sorry Papa." He nodded, pursing his lips. "But it is what it is."

Mateo poked his tongue at the inside of his cheek as the table erupted in laughter again. He was supposed to be one of the most sought after men in New York. And he was also a "hot Italian patient" according to Dr. River Johnson. Yes, he remembered what she said a year ago. He didn't even know he remembered it. But then to his own little girl, who was supposed to be on his side, he was not 'pretty'? He was worried about how his kid's type of men or women were going to be when she grow up.

River gave the baby daddy a playful look while he gave her an annoyed one. She rolled her eyes at him, picking Kiara up from his lap and adjusting her on her one hip and Mia on the other and walking away, talking animatedly to them.

"Bye Papa." Kiara called over her shoulder and smiled at Mateo, waving. The Capo's lips couldn't keep the scowl no matter how hard he tried and he ended up smiling and waving back at his little princess.

Mateo turned to the three ladies who were looking at him with amused expressions on their faces. "Don't forget that I am the Capo of the Sicilian Mafia." They nodded, their faces quickly solemn. He got up from the chair and walked out of the kitchen and was annoyed to hear the laughter as soon as he left the room.

Mateo made his way to the garden where he saw his son with his godfather, Sebastian and Adam. Lucas and Adam were having a pretend-sword fight with sticks while Sebastian watched from his seat on the bench, cheering Lucas on. He noticed the Capo walking towards them and gave him a smile and a nod.

"Papa!!" Lucas exclaimed as soon as he saw his Papa, dropping the stick instantly and running towards his outstretched arms. Mateo hauled him up and tossed him in the air before catching him. "Hello little man!" He smiled at his carbon-copy.

"I heard you were having a 'boy talk'?" Mateo turned to the two other men. Kiara hadn't told him about Adam being there as well.

"You mean, we escaped the room as soon as someone's wife started talking about having another baby?" Adam chuckled, cocking his head in Sebastian's direction.

"ADAM!" He groaned. Sebastian really loved Mia and Alison but he really couldn't handle a pregnant wife or another baby right now. He had too much on his plate. He did not complaint nor did he assert on Alison or anyone the sacrifices he had made for the family, but he was a smart man and he knew to say no, and he knew how much he could take. So he was against another baby, at least until Mia started going to school.

Mateo let out a chuckle; he himself wanted more babies with River but they were in a weird place, not to mention the complicated and dangerous situation they were in. But the look on Sebastian's face when Adam brought up the reason he had left the kitchen in the first place cracked him up.

"What? It's the truth!" He shrugged.

"Are we gonna have another baby Papa?" Lucas turned to her Papa, his eyes wide, innocent and curious.

Mateo bit his tongue, feeling flustered by the question while the other two men laughed at his plight. Why hadn't he thought the tables would turn on him?

"Why don't you go ask Mommy?" The Capo deadpanned.

'She is going to fucking kill me!!' The thought raced through Mateo's mind as soon as the words left his lips. He was dead. He was dead meat.

"OKAY!" Lucas started to wriggle in his Papa's arms, his way of showing that he has to be let down. He wanted to go and ask his mother as soon as possible. He loved Kiara but he wished he would have a younger brother as well, just like Kiara had Mia to play tea party with.

Mateo sighed as he let his kid down and Lucas ran off in the direction of the kitchen.

Mateo turned back to look at the two men who had grave expressions. They showed him a slit-throat gesture and he shook his head, visibly gulping.

At least he was going to die by the hands of the woman he loved!

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River smiled as she watched her little girls play with the tea table in the room set up for the kids, complete with probably every single toy that exist in the world for their age range.

They were lost in their own world.

She sighed as she sat back on the recliner.

Everything was so normal.

Everything was so normal even after someone was found dead in Mateo's property.

Was that normal?

Shouldn't they at least be nervous if not shocked or disturbed?

But then again, Alfredo was killed by them and the authorities did not know about it yet nor did she think they ever will.

River found it hard to believe that she was acting normal and am completely fine with living with murderers. Mafia people!

Ugh.

Everything is so fucking messed up!

"Mommy, can we have some cookies?"

River looked up at her sweet sweet daughter.

"Of course precious." She smiled at the two of them, who were perched on the stools of tea party set, holding the cups like proper ladies.

She got off the chair and walked out only to have a bundle of springs collide onto her legs.

"Careful babe!" She threw her hands out, steadying him.

"I am not a baby, Mommy." He pouted as she knelt down to his level.

"I know. I called you babe, not baby." River returned his pout with her own. Of course her little boy was not convinced but he shook it off, diving right into his question.

"Mommy, when are we having another baby?" He asked shocking her. "Mia is all grown up now."

River was flustered, flabbergast, mortified - all the synonyms in the book!

"Where did you get this idea from?" She stammered out, completely conscious of the heat on her cheeks. She was so sure she looked like a tomato right now but she just took a deep breath to calm her racing heart and looked at her son, waiting for him to drop the name she was so sure he was going to drop.

"Papa told me to ask you." He shrugged.

"Hmm.." She nodded, pursing her lips. "Of course he did."

River ruffled her baby boy's hair. "Why don't you go ask Papa to come find me?"

He nodded and ran off without another word. That Mafia man was getting his ass kicked as soon as she got his hands on him!

River made her way to the kitchen where Alessia, Alison and Jacqueline had been joined by her mother and grandmother.

"Come sit with us baby." Susan Johnson called her over as soon as she saw her kid walk in.

"Yeah dude, all you do is run around." Jacqueline commented, though they were sitting and gossiping just a few minutes ago.

"I will I will." River laughed as she found a pack of choco chip cookies and transferred them to a plate. "After I go serve these cookies to the princesses having a tea party." She held the plate up.

"I will do it." Alessia got up. "I need to get back to helping that useless man anyway." She huffed, referring to poor old Adam. Those two were so complicated.. No, difficult. Sometimes they were best of friends and at other times they were at each other's throats. As entertaining as that was, she wished they would settle down just a bit, because River shipped them so hard and she wanted to be able to say that out loud. But the dynamics they had at the moment just stopped her from doing it.

'I really need to get a life!' River thought to herself, shaking her head.

"Yeah, thanks Sia." She handed her the plate and turned to the other women. "I will have a talk with Mateo and be right back."

She walked out with Alessia.

"Is it something serious?" Alessia asked as they walked.

"No, just Mateo being a pain in the ass."

Alessia burst out laughing. "You do realize you are talking about the Capo of the Sicilian Mafia right?" She was using the words that her older brother had told the ladies a moment ago.

River rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Nope, I am talking about the father of my children."

She laughed again. "Fair enough."

River gave her smile and looked over to the garden where Mateo and Lucas were animatedly talking.

"See ya." Alessia said and walked away while River climbed down the stairs and strode over to where they were.

"Hey boys!" She greeted as she reached them, gaining their attention.

They looked over at her with opposite expressions - Lucas was grinning ear to ear while Mateo looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Mommy, Papa wouldn't come see you." Lucas pointed at Mateo who looked at their son like he had ratted him out. Well, he kinda did...

"It's okay honey, Mommy's here. You go find Uncle Sebby."

"Okay!" He exclaimed and ran off again.

River slowly turned to the stupid Capo, her eyes narrowed.

"What?" He whined, his Italian accent making it three times cuter.

"You know what!" She retorted. This man-child dumbass was going to get it from her today!

"I was flabbergasted. It just came out!" He confessed sheepishly while she stood there, her eyes narrowed at him. He looked up and his soft sheepish smile suddenly morphed into a stupid smirk. "Though I am down for it if you consent to it."

My jaw hit the ground as she gaped at him, wide eyed.

"MATEO!!" She shrieked while the dumb-ass laughed his head off.

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Mateo paced around the room as River tried to tame her little girl's long curls. They were equally wild as hers. It was around five in the evening and Mateo's parents and grandmother were going to be home any minute. And Mateo was a nervous wreck.

Adam had been sent to Wyoming to help out Ricardo and Mateo's cousin, Leonardo with the situation. They were flying back to New York the next morning and Mateo planned to fly to Wyoming from there. Alessia had decided to stay with them and even Michelia and baby Lorenzo were going to move in with them. Leonardo, Michelia and Lorenzo were supposed to come over to Amalfi but that plan had gone down the drain.

Things were apparently bad in Chicago and so Leonardo had decided Michelia and the child would stay with them in Mateo's New York house from where Michelia will work.

"Done!" River exclaimed as she sat back and stared at the neat bun she had tied Kiara's gorgeous curls into, with small butterfly clips on them.

"Wow Mommy.. So pretty!" She grinned as she turned side to side, checking her hair in the mirror.

"That you are!" Mateo picked her up and tossed her in the air, kissing her cheek once he caught her.

"Mommy, look!" Lucas was at the balcony and River walked over to where he was and looked over at what he was pointing. Three black SUVs entered the gates, the guards bowing down as if a king had arrived. The Boss was probably considered their king.

"They are here." Mateo sighed as he joined them with Kiara in his arms. He looked between Lucas and Kiara who were watching him as he spoke. "Your grandparents and great grandmother are here!"

Suddenly, she felt a bit nervous, a bit scared, a bit hesitant and a lot conscious.

What if they didn't like her?

Why do you even care?

'Ugh, why are you back?'

You think it's the time to worry about that?

'But-'

You like Mr. Dumbass!

'No I don't.'

So you don't like Mr. Dumbass?

'That's not what I said. I said I don't love him.'

Who said anything about love? Oh wait, you did!

'UGH!!!'

"Let's go River!" She was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts by Mateo's hand on the small of her back, pushing her forward. She grabbed Lucas' hand as she walked next to Mateo, who still had their baby girl perched on his hip.

"Papa, will they like us?" Kiara murmured as they reached the stairs where they met Alessia, who looked drunk, with wrinkled clothes and messy hair.

"Ladies, gentlemen." She bowed dramatically. River frowned and looked up at Mateo who had his lips pursed. He turned to her. "Do you think you can help her look presentable?"

She nodded, still confused as to what happened in the two hours she hadn't seen Alessia that made her look like this!

"Baby, go with Papa." River turned to her son who frowned up at her. "I am not a baby, Mommy!" She rolled her eyes and nodded as she let go of him and walked over to Alessia who threw her arms around River and shrieked, "Cognata!"

(Cognata – Sister in law)

"Is that what you were drinking?" River rolled her eyes as she balanced her weight on her. She heard Mateo chuckle behind him and turned to glare at him before dragging Alessia back to her room.

"RIVER!!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as soon as she dumped her on her bed. River flinched and hurried over to the door to close it, lest someone think this was the scene of a brutal murder. She took in the condition of the room. She had gotten quite physical with the place.

"What happened here?" River asked calmly. Her eyes landed on the broken photo frames sprinkled with the green glass of the liquor bottle.

Seems like she did some target practice with alcohol bottles and photo frames!

"Care to tell me what's going on?" River asked her as she walked cautiously through the room to where her walk-in closet was.

"Mmmhmmm.." Alessia hummed as she hopped off the bed and followed her, stepping on pieces of glass and crushing them with her boots as she did.

"Careful!" River exclaimed as she made her way into her bathroom, running hot water on the Jacuzzi.

"Yes Mommy!" She imitated the babies to which she turned to face her and narrowed her eyes.

"What?" She shrugged. "My niece and nephew are the only good things that came out of this stupid family!" She exclaimed and then stopped, thinking for a moment before grinning again. "And you of course!"

River rolled her eyes yet again. She thought she should keep count of how many times she roll her eyes in a day.

"Anyway, get in!" She pointed at the now full tub. Alessia put her one leg in and River had to stop her. "Strip woman!" She groaned.

"Ooooh.. You want a strip show baby?" She purred as she wrapped her arms around River who let out an unlady –like snort as she laughed out loud. And that had Alessia laughing as well.

"Come on Sia.." River coaxed, all the previous light-heartedness leaving her voice. She sighed and nodded, taking off her clothes quickly and getting into the bath while River turned around to go lay out her clothes.

"Wait!"

River turned around. Alessia gestured her to come closer to her.

"Lemme tell you a story."

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