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"He did what?" River had to control her voice as she reacted to what her best friend told her.

"He called the Director and made him give him one of the VIP rooms because he didn't want to go home or let the kids out of his sight." Jacqueline repeated. "Your husband is crazy!"

Though she said that, she would be lying if she said she wasn't a bit jealous of her best friend – River had indeed found an amazing and devoted man who cared so much about her and their kids.

"He really is." River rubbed her temple. "He is going to get it from me. This is a fucking hospital for god's sake."

Jacqueline wanted to point out that River did not correct her when she called Mateo her husband, and that they were basically a married couple with two kids and so River should just accept Mateo's proposal and live happily ever after with him, but she knew that this was not the right time for it and even if it was, River would eat her ear off if she said it.

"I tried telling him that.. But anyway, I talked to Natasha and she said we will shift you there in an hour and then you can spend some quality time with your husband and kids."

River let out a sigh, feeling a dull pain in her abdomen when she did. She guessed it was time for another dose of painkillers.

She looked up at Jacqueline and said in an even tone, "Don't think I haven't noticed how you are calling Mateo my husband."

Busted! Jacqueline gave her a cheeky grin. "I mean-" She started.

"I won't deny it, I like hearing the word husband for him." River admitted, much to Jacqueline's surprise. This is not the aromantic friend she used to know – the River from college was so against relationship and would barf at the thought of romance.

"You have changed." Jacqueline smiled. "For the better, if I say so myself."

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River let out a sigh of exasperation while Mateo smiled sheepishly at her. He had Kiara sleeping on top of him while Adam took Lucas out because he was getting antsy. Mateo was not very keen about him leaving his sight but Adam had taken offense, asserting that the Mafia man was more than capable of protecting his nephew and that nothing would happen to the little boy as long as Adam Smith was alive and breathing.

The truth was that Mateo was as scared for Adam's life as much he was about the rest. Because even though the two fought like an old married couple, to Mateo, Adam was as much a brother as Leonardo and anything happening to any of them was terrifying to him.

But will the pig-headed Capo ever admit it to the world? That would be a big fat no.

River stared at him a bit more before a smirk appeared on her face.

"Hmm... I remember some people not believing Dmitri and I when we said someone was trying to pit the two mafias against one another. But now I hear they have finally digested it after two of us got shot." River said, thinking about what condition the Russian man child must be in.

"Hey, I would have believed it if you had come to that conclusion. But it was Dmitri who came up with it and you believe him way too blindly if you ask me."

River rolled her eyes, her eyes going straight to the peaceful sleeping face of her beautiful daughter. Oh, what she would do to maintain the peace and calm of the moment.

There was nothing in this world that River wanted more than the safety and happiness of her two little midgets.

"Your jealousy is something else." She commented.

Mateo narrowed his eyes at her, and then gave her an extra sweet smile.

"I love you." He said effortlessly.

River just raised a brow at him.

Mateo was surprised. He was used to River getting flustered or shocked every time he said. Did he say it so often that it lost the effect it used to have on her? Has it been that long since he first said it? Had she already gotten bored of it?

"Can you lay my kid down here?" She scooted to the side, suppressing the laugh that made its way up her throat at the bewildered look the man gave to her lack of reaction to his confession.

"Our." He emphasized, laying Kiara down on the bed. He was still bummed about the lack of reaction.

River smiled as she watched him sit back down on the chair.

"Don't you have anywhere else to be?" She asked. She knew that though it was all peace and quiet inside these four walls, the Sicilian and Russian Mafia must be going crazy outside trying to figure out the person trying to gaslight them into attacking one another.

"I don't." Mateo rolled his eyes. "There is no place more important for me to be in than this room at this moment." He said, taking out his phone and dialling Adam's number.

Adam, Leonardo, Ricardo and Michelia were meeting up with a New York based American Mafia family, because even though the Italians had a base in New York, the place was also the turf of the Americans. While Italians kept to their own business, the Americans were like hawks, watching over everything and anything happening in the city.

They were the Sicilian Mafia's allies. That helped.

The Sicilian Mafia had Mateo's grandmother, Abrianna Costello, to thank for the friendship between the two mega gangs. It was her friendship with the boss of the American Mafia, Jackson Blake and his wife Sarabeth Blake that made everything possible.

Though the family that they were meeting up with were a sub-clan in the American Mafia – The Kings. They were hella powerful too. Four brothers headed by their powerful grandmother, Rubina King.

Mateo was supposed to be there. After all, he was the Capo of the New York Unit of the Sicilian Mafia and the Kings were in charge of New York, but they didn't mind – they understood the importance of family more than anyone else.

"You have become hella cheesy these days." River chuckled, ruffling her baby girl's hair. The scars from her surgery were still visible under her hair. She wondered when she was going to be able to get even with whoever had the audacity to hurt her little girl.

There was a knock, and before the two of them could react, Adam walked in Lucas in his arms and followed by an expressionless man and a woman, who looked more a teen than an adult.

Mateo was immediately on his feet. "Xander King." He nodded at the man, and looked quizzically at the woman with him.

"Joanne King." She smiled, understanding exactly why she was being stared at. "I am just as confused as you as to why I am here." She added.

Xander took in a deep breath and turned to her. "Go sit there." He pointed at the couch at the other end of the room.

Joanne rolled her eyes and turned to River who smiled at her. "I will converse with the wife while you do with the husband."

Mateo liked the woman instantly, because she addressed him and River as husband and wife.

"Alright." Mateo said, "We will talk outside."

Adam let Lucas down before the three men left the room.

"Would you like to sit here?" Lucas asked Joanne cutely, pointing at the chair that his father had previously occupied.

Joanne's eyes widened and a smile appeared on her face as she looked between River and Lucas.

"You raised him well." Joanne nodded at River, who smiled proudly.

Joanne turned to Lucas. "Thank you, Mr. Adesso-"

"It's Mr. Johnson, but you can call me Luke." Lucas said politely.

Joanne was in awe of this kid.

"Alright, thanks Luke but I am going to take that chair so you can sit here." She said.

Lucas nodded and took his iPad from the night stand, and his air pods before taking his seat and turning to his games.

"You have pretty children." Joanne commented.

River smiled. She was so used to hearing it – having inherited the genes of two extremely good looking parents, the two five year olds were no less than works of art. And they get complimented for the looks all the time. But that didn't make it any less special to hear it ever single time.

"Thank you." She smiled. "Do you have any of your own?"

"Yeah." Joanne rolled her eyes. "He is an idiot." She turned her phone for River to see. It was a picture of a beautiful girl hugging a huge ferocious looking dog.

River blinked, confused. "That's a boy?"

Joanne turned the phone back to her. "Oh no, that is my niece. Ava." She shrugged.

River let out a hearty laugh, finally understanding that the woman was referring to the Great Dane in the picture.

"I have three babies at home. Chase, Rubble and Skye." She laughed.

Joanne scrunched up her face.

"Please no." She said. "I used to love Paw Patrol until my niece made me watch too much to the point that I hate its existence now!"

"Hey-" River was about to protest but stopped immediately when she felt pain in her right abdomen, making her bite her lips to not cry out loud and scare her children.

Joanne made no sudden moments, her eyes darting to the sleeping child and then the other one hooked to his iPad and said slowly, "You want me to call your husband? Or the nurse?"

River shook her head. She took a few deep breaths and the pain disappeared on its own.

"He is not my husband, by the way." River said. Though she did not correct it when Jacqueline called him her husband, she knew it was different when someone not close to you, mistook their relationship.

"You should make him." Joanne smiled. "He looks like a keeper. And trust me when I say I am a good judge of character."

River smiled. She did not need anyone to tell her for her to know that Mateo was indeed an amazing person. But there was always one problem between them – the fact that Mateo constantly ran from his problems.

River wished more than anything that somehow, the man gained enough maturity to handle his problems. It was not that he lacked the courage or power to deal with problems; it was just that he was like a kid when such problems arose and he would simply run away. Whether it was an argument between them or their kids getting hurt, Mateo always run away.

She didn't want to make the vows with someone who would run away at the first sign of problems.

"What about you and..."

"Xander."

River nodded.

"Arranged marriage." Joanne shrugged, but it was clear as day that there was more to the story.

"You love him?" River asked. She found it weird to ask something like that, unlike the woman who she was chatting with – she had no problem asking questions away.

"I hate him." Joanne said flatly and River's eyes immediately darted to Lucas.

"Oops, aren't we allowed to say the word here?" She asked.

River bit her lip and shook her head.

"Sorry." Joanne mouthed.

And then sat up straight. "He is bossy, definitely cares for me, but bossy AF."

River chuckled.

"But if I ever fall in love with him, I will tell him, despite him having the IQ of a chicken and a pain in the lower than lower back." She shrugged.

River smiled again. The woman was almost endearing.

"But what's stopping you?"

"What?" River was suddenly taken by surprise. She thought this was simply a light hearted conversation.

Joanne looked at her knowingly. "One has to be as blind and stupid as my husband to not see how much you love this guy." She shrugged, leaning back against the chair and then smiled sadly. "I am not saying that you should overcome whatever is stopping you from admitting it to yourself and or him, but life is short."

She pointed at where River was short. "I am pretty sure you might have gotten a picture of how short your life can be in the past hours."

"I don't know what to say." River said. She really didn't.

For a moment, she had thought that the woman in front of her was someone whom she had to be nice to while her Mateo talked to her husband. But this girl was talking about her relationship with no inhibition, and the weirdest part was that though she should feel like the woman was intruding in her relationship, she didn't.

She felt as if this was a conversation that she needed to have with someone.

Joanne shrugged. "I talk a lot."

She took out her phone and got to surfing through Instagram, but then paused and said, "You have two beautiful children and a chance at a very beautiful family. I found my family recently and it is the most beautiful feeling in the world. Now, I am going to shut up."

River was suddenly overwhelmed from all of this.

Joanne was a little intrusive, but she was right about everything.

Life really was short.

And she really could have died.

And the truth was, she had thought of this before.

But Mateo really was an idiot.

She didn't know what to do about her thoughts anymore.

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"You have our entire support." Xander shook Mateo's hand, and then Adam's.

"Thank you so much, Mr. King." Mateo gave him a polite smile.

"You can call me Xander." Xander shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Now, I need to get going." He said, and then a smile appeared on his face. The smallest of smile. For the first time since he got there. One that slightly surprised both Adam and Mateo. Neither of the men thought that the smile suited him – he was better off expressionless. "Before my wife drives yours crazy."

"Oh, I am hoping that it isn't the other way around." Mateo said confidently before the three men got back into the room.

Mateo and Adam were surprised to find River lost in her own world while Joanne was simply playing with her phone.

"Let's go Joanne." Xander said.

Joanne got up from her seat and then turned to River. "See you around, doc."

"Yeah." River smiled at her. "See you around."

And then to Lucas, she said. "Bye, Luke."

"Byeee..." He looked up, a smile on his face. He was indeed a gentleman, and would properly greet others or say good bye even if he was engrossed in his games.

Joanne nodded at Mateo and Adam and moved to her husband, taking his hand.

Xander said a final goodbye and the two walked out of the room.

"What did you do to that poor doctor?" Xander asked.

"Do you like the band, The Script?" Joanne.

"Joanne..." He gave her his classic warning glare.

"I just made Mateo Adesso's life a whole lot better." She flipped her hair.

"Right."

"You are useless." She mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"You are excused." She rolled her eyes and got into the elevator.

Xander narrowed his eyes at her. The woman really was going to be the death of her.

"Whatever." He huffed and got into the elevator.

"I hate you." Joanne stuck her tongue out.

"I hate you more.

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