Fated By Stars (Fated Hearts, #1 & 2)

Heartbeats

ROSELYN

The pain was worth it. All the tears were worth it. I knew this as I looked at our second child with the love I didn't a human could feel. I felt the same when we had our Ashlyn.

Arosio always told me that I let him what love was. That he learned the meaning of unconditional love after me. What he didn't know was that I didn't truly know love either before him. I knew love now because of him yet it was indescribable in words. How could one love the other so much?

Arosio had given me so much than I could've ever thought I would've sought.

He gave me love. It was because of him I could love someone infinitely too. He gave me Ashlyn. Our daughter. The one whose heart thuds because of our love. The one who represented our love. He again gave me my Alexander. My beautiful baby boy. The other heartbeat that thumped every second, showing me a new light I wasn't looking for.

What was love before them? Before I met Arosio? Before I held Ashlyn? Before I held Alexander?

I ran my fingers gently on his face, memorizing all of his features. His skin was soft. Alexander was bigger than Ashlyn as a newborn. Just a little. Alexander looked so much like Arosio except for that one little feature that clearly said he was mine.

I rocked him slightly, helping him find my nipple once again when he started to fuss after removing his mouth accidentally. I continued nursing him. His eyes were closed and he looked so beautiful. So precious. My son. The other price of my heart.

"I love you," I murmured and leaned down to kiss his chubby cheeks.

Alexander Arosio Romano. Mine. All mine.

No kids had a middle name in the family besides Ashlyn and Alexander because I learned it wasn't common to have them.

I remembered the time Matteo was born and how obsessed Meryl was with him. At that time, I found it unusual only for every one of my thoughts to change the moment I held our beautiful Ashlyn for the first time. It was, now, the same with my Alexander.

Alexander smiled gently as I took his tiny hand that was in a fist to kiss it.

A light glowed on his face. Our son was my light. Our son would know love and light too no matter the life he was fated for. The way Arosio loved me and our family, Alexander would love to. I had seen in a few gatherings that most of the Made Men weren't how Arosio was. Arosio always told me he was no different than them yet I knew only one thing that my Arosio was different to me. He loved me with every thud of his heart. He loved us. He took care of our children. And Alexander would be just like his father.

My heart ached further the more I gazed at him.

I love you, Alexander.

"Now, sweetheart, you can't be crying and making me feel like I'd die. You're hurting your Papa," I heard Arosio's voice and raised my head towards the door.

Ashlyn was sniffling against Arosio's chest, her hands were wrapped around his neck. He had gone to check on her after we saw her wake up on the baby monitor. Ashlyn would be turning three after a few months yet it felt like she was inside my belly just yesterday.

"Come here, Princess. Why were you crying?" I questioned as he bought her to the bed.

She refused to get on the bed if it meant leaving Arosio's hold, so Arosio went back and closed the door before returning to us.

Arosio climbed and sat in the middle of the bed with Ashlyn on his lap. She wanted someone to hold her.

"Why did she cry?" I asked Arosio as he rubbed his hand on Ashlyn's back to soothe her out. Ashlyn, these days, cried more than she used to. Before, she rarely did.