I wait outside JP's room as a couple of Dr.'s check on him, before they discharge him. These last few days my emotions have been all over the place. While things with JP are great, finally, I can't help but wonder what's going to happen next, not necessarily with us, but with the obvious threat of the Albanians and Jimmy still looming over us.

My mind also wanders to back to Sean, and I picture the pain in his eyes when I told him I still love JP. The pain was still reflected when he left the hospital with his dad, too. My throat tightens and I have a hard time breathing knowing I hurt him so badly. That's the last thing I ever wanted. 

I wipe at my eyes and look up at the ceiling, trying to take deep breaths to help me calm down. 

"Stella?" I move my head towards Enzo's voice as he walks towards me. "Is something wrong with JP?" He looks at me concerned. 

I shake my head. "The Dr.'s are checking him over right now. I was just thinking about Sean. I never meant to hurt him."

"He'll be okay, Stella mia," Enzo repeats the same words from a few days ago as he wraps me in hug and I lean into him, while I cry silently into his chest. "He knows that you didn't mean for any of this to happen. If anything you should really blame JP for all of this." He rubs my back, but I hear the teasing in his voice and I chuckle as I wipe my eyes shoving him lightly.

Damien and a couple other Doctors walk out of JP's room. "Is everything okay?" I ask Damien. 

He smiles. "He's good to go. I'll be back for his discharge, although he'd rather leave now. I did request he takes it easy for the next few days, but you know how he is." Damien sighs while I nod at JP's well known stubbornness.

Damien walks away with the other Dr.'s and Enzo grabs my hand. "Come on, let's go see what JP's having for breakfast, I'm starving," I laugh behind him as he pulls me along. 

JP looks up as we walk in and he smiles, but then he frowns. "What's wrong?" 

"She feels bad about hurting Sean; you know, dumping him for you," Enzo informs JP bluntly as he stands next to his bed and lifts the lid off the food tray and inhales deeply over the french toast and oatmeal. 

"Are you okay?" JP asks me. 

"I will be...but I'm more worried about him, if I'm being honest," I confess and JP nods.

Enzo starts pouring syrup over the french toast and proceeds to cut up the french toast into a few pieces before he starts eating it. 

JP furrows his eyebrows watching him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Eating, what's it look like?" Enzo tells him with his mouth full. "I'm doing you a favor, man. I know you're all beefed up now, but you should really lay off the carbs." He forks more food into his mouth as I chuckle. 

Enzo takes a drink of the orange juice on the tray. "I mean, seriously, someone should get fired trying to get you to eat all of this, in one sitting." He gestures to the bacon and eggs on the food tray.

He lifts both plates off the tray and pushes the apple juice and jello in front of JP. "There you go, bon appetit," Enzo grins as he sits down, eating the rest of the food. 

I move to sit in the chair next to JP, but he pats the bed instead. I smile as I stand and sit on the bed with him. "Are the kids okay?" He asks as he holds and rubs small circles on the back of my hand. 

I nod. "Yes, Annalisa and Joey are bringing them by soon, even though I told them, you're coming home today. The girls are anxious, but I think they'll feel better when they see you." We decided to wait for the kids to see him in person, but they've talked to him over the phone. 

I open the jello cup and grab the spoon and eat the strawberry jello. JP smiles at me. "You two really are like twins, you know." 

"Why? Because we're both awesome and you can't live without us both?" Enzo asks as he sets the empty plate on the food tray.

I spoon some Jello and hold it up to JP; he smiles before opening his mouth to let me feed him. "Well, I can live without you Enzo, but I'm starting see you're a packaged deal." 

"Damn straight," I say winking at Enzo, before I feed some more Jello to JP.

"On that note, I'm going to go before I throw up watching you feed him like a baby," Enzo says jokingly. "I'll come back when it's time to go." He tell us before walking out.

"Stella," JP grabs my attention. "I don't want to rush you with anything but I...I don't want to lose any more time with you. All these years we lost...," He lifts my hand up to his lips and places a few kisses on it and warmth immediately spreads throughout me.

"And..." He looks down at our hands, intertwined together. "I don't...I don't want to be sad anymore." The look on his face is so unguarded and somber.

I chuckle softly, as tears come to my eyes. "Me neither." He lifts his hand to wipe a stray tear.

I lay next to him and hold him. "Thank you for saving my life JP." 

"If it meant keeping you safe, I would die for you, amore." 

"Pa! Pa!" Toby runs in and tries to climb up on the bed. I lift him up, and remind him to be gentle and to move slowly, to not hurt JP. He moves carefully up the bed and lays his head on JP's chest. JP kisses his head as he hugs him. "I'm okay, cucciolo." 

"JP!" Lola screams and then bursts into tears. She runs to his other side and cries on his leg. "Come here, Lolabug. I'm fine, see." I help Lola up on the bed, she sniffles as she gets closer and he pulls her in to his chest. 

Carmen and Marco walk in, followed by everyone else. Lucy walks over to me and hugs me. "How are you doing, mom?" Lucy says and leaves her hands on my shoulders as her eyes roam over my face. "Annalisa told us about you and Sean." 

My eyes sting with a fresh set of tears. "Yeah, I'm okay. I had to be honest with him." Annalisa walks over on my left side and hugs me firmly. 

Kai sighs deeply. "Not gonna lie, I'm going to miss him; he was a cool braddah." And the hurt just feels that much more painful.

"True, but it's better to end things now before he fell harder for moms," Miles says wisely, clapping his brothers shoulder as he gives me an understanding smile; they don't know that Sean confessed he was in love with me.

"Who are you and what you have you done with Miles?" Lucy teases, as she shoves him playfully. 

"I'm not just a pretty face, Luce. There's a lifetime of knowledge in here," He taps the side of his head and I laugh as I hug him. 

"You're definitely one of a kind Miles," I kiss his cheek. 

I hug Kai next, and kiss his cheek, too. "I'm sorry Kai, I never meant to hurt him or you guys. I know you guys were close." 

"Don't worry about me, but I'm just letting you know now, if JP hurts you, he'll have to answer to me," Kai says seriously. 

I smile at him. "I know Kai and I'm lucky you have my back." 

I turn to talk to Annalisa, but as I walk to her, I hear Miles taunt Kai. "Did you hear that? Mom's says I'm one of a kind; I'm definitely her favorite, brah." 

"Shut up, Lolo," Kai says and shoves him away. I sigh laughing as I turn back to Annalisa. 

"How are you doing and feeling? You were pretty upset before things got even more crazy," I rub her arm. 

"I'm good, now. But I was terrified something happened to Joey and then I became furious as you may recall my slapping him," She smiles at me before looking over at Joey, who's talking to JP. "But he's made it up to me the last few days," She winks.

I laugh. "Yeah, well, he better have." 

She laughs with me. "I told him at this rate, we're going to end up having a whole football team instead of just the one." 

Everyone sits around the room conversing, when the door bursts open.

"Tell me I'm seeing things and you didn't go get yourself nearly blown up, John Paul!" Dot bustles over to him. Adonis rushes in after her, panting, with the look of defeat on his face that tells me she outsmarted him in finding JP. 

The kids move out of her way as she starts inspecting JP thoroughly and I laugh at the exasperated look on JP's face.

"Oh, no. I know you're not giving me the 'are you kidding me right now' look, child. If you wanted to see me again, you call me up and say, 'Dot, I miss seeing your gorgeous face every day at the house, lets go grab dinner'--you'll pay of course--- like a gentleman should, but no! You have to literally get yourself all hurt, just for me to come take care of you!" 

"Dot, you know, I wouldn't knowingly hurt myself to see you," JP tells hers exasperated. 

"Mmhmm," She responds as she looks over his chart. "Yet, here we are again, aren't we? Your 'I'm too good looking for my own good,' body guard over here, tried to play it off that you were here for some routine check up. But I heard the rumblings of some young big muckety-muck VIP was brought in a few days ago and when I saw him, I knew..." She eyes Adonis. "Trying to pull a fast one on old Dot. He has no clue who I am, does he?"

Adonis inhales deeply, pinching his the bridge of his nose, shaking his head at her. Annalisa and Joey laugh off to the side and Dot, seems to notice them for the first time. "Oh, Annalisa and Joey, it's so good to see you, both." She pulls them in both for a hug. They both lean over to hug her, together. 

"And how's our little baby doing?" Dot places a hand on Annalisa's stomach.

Annalisa laughs lightly. "Good, we find out what we're having next week." 

Dot's eyes light up and crinkle at the corners. "Well, just so you know, the name Dorothy is making a comeback." 

Joey laughs. "It's not up to me, but if it was, I'd totally pick it." He grins over at Annalisa, knowing he just put all the pressure on her to let Dot down.

I bite back a smile as Annalisa gives him a look before she smiles at Dot. "At this point, we're just going to put all the names we like in a hat and pick that way." 

I laugh as I hold Carmen around the shoulders who's chuckling, too. 

Marco moves closer to John Paul and grips his uninjured shoulder. "JP, I'm glad you're okay." 

"Thank's Marco," JP smiles at him.

"Um, does this mean, we aren't going to the lake house?" Marco asks quietly. 

JP looks over at me and smiles. "We're still going. The doctors told me to take some time off anyway, so the timing works out. Anna, Joey you're more than welcome to join us, if you'd like. You remember going there, right?" 

"Hell yeah, we'll be there," Joey says, enthusiastically. 

"Can I still invite some of my friends?" Marco asks hopeful. 

"Sure, but not your whole team like you did, last year," JP tells him. 

"Yeah, they're all so smelly," Carmen holds her nose and everyone laughs. 

"Can Dot come, too?" Lola asks as she holds Dot's hand. 

JP smiles at them both. "Of course she can, she's family, too." 

"There you go, John Paul. Always finding a way to make me forget I was mad at you to begin with," Dot says, smiling. 

After a few more minutes, Annalisa and Joey announce it's time to head out. Lola, Toby don't want to leave, at first, but after JP explains that he'll be home later and with Miles and Lucy's coaxing and bribing with frozen yogurt, they leave with the group. 

I turn back to JP and he holds his hand out for me and I take it. He pulls me forward gently and I let him not wanting him to strain himself in any way. 

I laugh quietly as I climb on the bed with him and I mold myself up against him, my hold gentle not wanting to hurt him. The steady rhythm of his heart rate is calming and soothing

"You can hold me a little tighter, I'm not going to break, princess," He deep voice resonates in my ears through his chest. I laugh as I look up at him, and squeeze my arm around his chest, just a little more. 

He looks down at me, and I feel myself melting in his dark brown eyes. "You're so beautiful" he brushes his nose against mine before kissing the tip of my nose. 

Even though it weighs heavily on my heart, losing and hurting Sean and the fact that the Albanians are getting too close for comfort, in this moment, laying next to JP, it feels like for once, in a very long time, I am where I'm meant to be.