Saint Valentine

15

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I eye the large diamond on my hand, holding it up into the sunlight. It's beautiful. It fits perfectly. My sister will love it even more than I do.

"Mrs Bianca Sainte," Valentino whispers, his head buried in my shoulder. His arms are wrapped around me, holding me close as we drift through the pool.

We got back to the house this morning, but neither of us was ready to part ways yet. I didn't want him to leave me to go to work and he didn't either. I don't think either of us wants to be here right now. There are far too many people around. I want to be alone with him. I want to make love on the couch and in the kitchen and right here in the pool. I don't want to leave our perfect little world.

"Who says I'll take your last name?" I tease. He pulls away, eyeing me in concern. He's not good at picking up jokes.

"Won't you?"

"No, I will, but only because I want the same surname as my children, and they'll have to be Saintes, won't they?"

"They wouldn't have to be. There's always room for discussion," he says. "But I would appreciate it. I'd like to continue the family name and have the next Padrone be a Sainte, too."

"I like it," I run my fingers across the skin on his back. "A little Sainte."

"A little Bianca."

"You want girls?"

"Of course."

I can see it already — him holding hands with a little girl in a pink tutu, or him sitting on the floor playing with dolls, or even him getting his fingernails painted. It's comical. He's such a big, manly guy, but he would make an excellent father.

"What type of dad do you think you would be?" I ask. "Would you work fewer hours?"

"I hope so. I'd certainly pass more responsibility to Francisco. Catarina may also be ready when the time comes," he leans me against the edge of the pool, still holding me in his lap underwater. "I don't think I could handle a family on top of my current workload. I'm already struggling to have enough time for you, and when we have children... I don't want to be absent. I want to see them grow up. I want to see them take their first steps and be there for their first day of school. I want to be someone they can rely on."

"I love that!" I gush, my heart still fluttering. That's so much more than I expected, but it's exactly what I want. "I want you to be as involved as you can be. I want to have a close relationship with my kids, and I hope you have the same goal."

"Absolutely. I know I won't be their main caregiver, but I still want to have a role in raising them. Not just for them, but for you, too. I don't want you to feel you have to do it all alone."

"That's sweet," I smile. He's always so good with that — always so considerate. "I understand dividing the tasks and each having our own responsibilities, but it's nice to do things together, especially when it comes to the kids."

"Precisely. They're our children, not just yours. It's only fair for me to take on my fair share of parenting."

"I like it," I can't stop smiling. I feel like a child. Valentino eyes my expression, a small smile of his own appearing on his face."

"Besides," he continues. "When it comes to our relationship... I want it to be a partnership. I don't want you to be raising the kids on your own while I'm at work. I want to be involved with the kids, and I'd like you involved with the family, too."