Chapter 30

One year later (I'm bad with keeping time, so don't tell me I messed up the time frame LOL I probably did. Anywho, back to the story!)

"Let's get that frosting off of you," Luca said as he picked up the wash cloth and wiped Theo's face in the tub. Theo, happy to be in the presence of his favorite person, squealed and waved his arms up. "In a minute, bud."

"Make sure you wash behind the ears," Daisy said, walking into the bathroom and taking a seat on the closed toilet.

"Yes, ma'am," Luca laughed.

"You have soap in your hair," Daisy pointed to the blob of bubbles. She reached out and wiped it off as Luca looked up and caught her eyes.

"Thanks," he said, not being able to look away from Daisy.

"Are you giving him a bath or are you taking a bath?" Daisy smiled, looking down at Luca's shirt. "Why didn't you change out of your work clothes? Your shirt is all wet."

"We have to pack," Luca said. "I want Theo in bed as soon as possible."

"Right," Daisy let out a sigh as she moved back. "What time is the flight?"

"Five in the morning."

"Good god," Daisy rolled her eyes.

"How are you feeling?"

"About?"

"Del Mare," Luca said, shielding Theo's face as he poured some clean water over his head. "You've been very quiet since dinner."

"I'm taking my son to a town full of gun loving hot heads," Daisy said. "I feel great."

"You know I'll never let anything happen to you two, right?" Luca asked. "My dad's in the hospital. Theo is a Silvano. Everyone in Del Mare will think twice before trying anything."

"But are you sure it's a good choice for us to go there?" Daisy asked. "You worked so hard to create distance between everything and everyone there. And now you're going back."

"It's only for a few days," Luca assured her.

"I don't know," Daisy frowned. She reached for the towel and held it in her arms as Luca picked Theo out of the tub and placed him in the towel.

"Is that all that's bothering you?" Luca asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Is there something else on your mind?"

"No," Daisy shook her head.

"Sunshine," Luca slowly stood up and placed his hand under Daisy's chin. He tilted her head back until she was gazing up into his green eyes. "You don't know how to lie."

"I'm just nervous," Daisy swallowed.

"About?" Luca frowned.

"Your grandmother," Daisy said as Luca let go of her face and she cradled Theo. "Everyone there will think I'm your wife. How do we convince an entire town?"

"Shouldn't be so hard," Luca laughed, his eyes tired and his hair a bit messy.

"How do you figure?"

"Just follow my lead," Luca said. "We'll have the whole town believing I'm madly in love with you."

"Hm," Daisy rolled her eyes.

"Don;t stress about nona," Luca said. "She's harmless."

"Not according to Gia."

"You're the new Mrs. Silvano," Luca said. "You have more of a say in Del Mare than her now. She knows the hierarchy."

"That sounds like a lot of pressure," Daisy said.

"I'll make sure it's not all on you," Luca said. "Just be mindful of one thing."

"What is that?" Daisy wondered.

"Reputation in Del Mare is very important," Luca said. "You have my name. You're my reputation now. Everyone will be looking at you."

"Normally, I would love that sort of attention," Daisy confessed. "But I don't know how I feel about being your reputation."

Luca laughed once again, "You'll be a natural."

______________________

Luca could barely feel his right hand as they got off the plane and made their way towards the cars on the runway. Daisy's fear of flying was going to cause him a limb.

"Are you okay?" Daisy asked, her eyes apologetic. "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," Luca lied.

"Is he bleeding?" Gia asked as she buckled Theo into the carseat.

"No," Luca shook his hand. "I'm fine. Just get in the car."

With a deep frown on her face, Daisy climbed into the seat beside Theo and waited for Gia. Luca made sure they were all settled before getting into the front passenger seat and letting the driver know they were ready. His eyes jumped to the rear view mirror many times to make sure he could see Daisy at all times as they pulled out of the small airport. After driving in silence for a while, Luca began to hear the girls talking in the backseat.

"You're going to be okay," Daisy whispered into Gia's ear.

Luca caught the weak smile on his sister's face as she nodded, "Yeah."

"You weren't this anxious on the flight here," Daisy said.

"I took something to sleep through it," Gia took a deep breath. "I passed out."

"No wonder," Daisy said. "I hardly got any sleep with Theo crying the whole time."

"Is he okay?" Gia asked.

"Fine now," Daisy smiled, checking on her baby.

"Are you excited?" Gia wondered aloud.

"I should be," Daisy turned back to look at her friend. "But honestly, I'm just worried about you and Luca."

Luca stared ahead at the road, listening to the girls' conversation. He felt a part of his heart warm and swell knowing Daisy was thinking about him.

"Are you excited?" He heard Daisy ask.

"I should be." Gia said.

"But you're not," Daisy frowned.

"I'm just...." Gia took another deep breath.

"Nervous?" Daisy finished. "I think that's normal."

Luca listened quietly from the front passenger seat as the car made its way towards Del Mare. The winding road gave way to flat lands before the first sight of the Del Mare began to appear in the horizon. Everyone in the car held their breath as they drove into the one road town. Gia immediately sat up straight and moved to the edge of her seat to look out the window.

"It's all the same," she said in disbelief as the car drove down the cobblestone path towards the houses up the hill. "The ice cream shop, the bars, the old motel with the wooden doors and balcony."

Luca looked around at the town he grew up in. For the past few years, he had stayed away. Being back after so long was bringing back memories that suddenly felt uncomfortable in his heart.

The ice cream shop where he took Stella on a date. The bars where they would meet their friends, the old motel Stella loved.

"Wow," Daisy's voice pulled Luca out of his head as she leaned over Gia's shoulder to peer at the charming town they had arrived at.

"Daisy," Luca called her name, wanting to show her anything that would keep that spark in her eyes. "Look there."

Gia and Daisy turned just in time to see the marketplace with the flower stands, bakers, and the vegetable tables.

Really, Luca asked himself. You're showing her the vegetable stands?

"Your grandma used to bring you here," Daisy said. "And that's the cafe where all the old men sit around and smoke!"

"Yes," Gia suddenly laughed, seeing her best friend's excitement. "You see that big building? That's like the town hall or community center. During the summers when everyone is here they have game nights or dances there in the evening."

"What's that?" Daisy leaned forward and pointed to the building at the top of the hill.

"That's the church," Luca said. "To the right, there are footpaths that lead down to the beaches. This road goes around the church and comes back down."

She'll like the beach, Luca though. Gia could take her.

"What are those buildings on the side?" Daisy wondered, noticing the lavish homes behind massive gates.

"That's home," Gia said. "There are four main families in Del Mare. Us, the Banano's, the Capello's and ..... The Dimaggio's."

"The families are considered to be the founders of the town," Luca explained. "They live on the hills closer to the church. Everyone else lives in town."

"So Isabella and Dino?" Daisy looked at Gia.

"Their family homes are in town," Gia said.

"I feel like any second the people of the town will come out with pitchforks to go find the beast in the castle," Daisy said. "This is all so cool. Sorry, I'm American. I find this highly fascinating."

Luca chuckled, "Wait until church on Sunday."

"Ugh," Gia fell back against her seat. "No, not Sunday service."

"We have to go to church, G," Luca said. "By the way, before I forget. Aaron will be with you at all times while you are here. You are not to go anywhere without him."

"Got it," Gia held up her thumb.

"Daisy, Mateo will be in charge of your security. Keep Theo with you at all times."

"What about you?" Daisy arched her brow.

"I'll be fine," Luca said.

"What are the chances of us dying this week?" Daisy asked.

Luca pondered her question for a few seconds as the car drove up the hill and came to a stop in front of one of the homes.

"Low," he said, his shoulders growing stiff as the gates opened and they drove into the driveway. "But not zero."

"Notes," Daisy nodded.

The car stopped and Luca climbed out. His heart began to hammer in his chest as he looked around and inhaled the warm salty air. The wooden double doors to the villa opened and a woman with silver hair walked out. Luca gave his grandmother a small nod before turning to open the car door.

Timidly, Gia stepped out and squeezed her brother's hand. She gave him a small smile before letting go and stepping aside.

"Mio caro," Maria held out her arms and climbed down the three steps to the drive. Gia stood frozen as the woman walked up to her and wrapped her in her arms. "Sei finalmente a casa."

Gia remained silent.

"It means you're finally home," Maria laughed. "What have they done to your beautiful face?"

"It's nothing," Gia's voice was almost a whisper.

"Carla said they have plastic surgery to cover that up," Maria said. "There are some great doctors we know who can he-"

"Don't you want dad to see it?" Gia asked.

Luca cursed under his breath. Daisy, who was unbuckling Theo, looked up, her eyes filling with worry.

"I want him to see it," Gia said. "I will never cover it up."

"Now is not the time for this," Maria dismissed her as she took a step aside and turned her smile on for Daisy. "Welcome home, Mrs. Silvano."

With Theo in her arms and Luca by her side, Daisy froze. Her big round eyes flickered towards Gia as Maria made her way over to her and kissed her cheeks.

"Auguro a entrambi una vita di felicità," (I wish you both a lifetime of happiness.) Maria said, taking a small step back.

"Grazie, nonna," Luca said, stepping forward to greet the woman with kisses on her cheeks. He did not miss how his grandmother shifted uncomfortably as he embraced her. Taking a small step back, Luca went to stand beside Daisy.

"This is Daisy," He said, feeling his heart beat a little faster. "My wife."

"Yes," Maria smiled. "Who else would she be?"

"Hello," Daisy extended her hand.

"Do you speak Italian?" Maria asked.

"No, I'm afraid I'm still learning," Daisy looked at Luca. "But I know how to yell at Luca."

"Let me see the baby," Maria took a step forward once more.

Luca and Daisy tensed up as the old woman plucked Theo right out of his mother's arms. Luca quickly grabbed Daisy's arm to make sure she didn't try to snatch him back.

"Mamma mia," Maria cooed. "What a handsome little boy?"

They watched Maria stroke Theo's cheek with a long nail adorned with gold rings.

"Oh you have your papa's nose," Maria gushed to which Luca rolled his eyes. "And his hair and his lips and his cheeks."

"Yep," Daisy pressed her lips into a thin line. "He looks just like Luca..."

"Let's go inside," Maria's cold hard shell was beginning to melt. For the first time since they had gotten off the car, Luca began to see a real smile on his grandmother's lips. She bounced Theo in her arms as if she was holding the treasure from the bottom of the sea.

"Come, come," Maria turned and headed into the house.

Daisy pulled on Luca's arm and pointed towards the woman walking away with her baby. He motioned for her to relax as he stepped aside to let Gia and Daisy enter the house first.

"I had the housekeepers put the crib in Luca's room," Maria said as she waited for Daisy to fall into steps with her. "You will find everything you need there. But of course feel free to ask for whatever might be missing."

"The crib is in Luca's room?" Daisy arched her brow.

"Yes, your bags will be put up there in a few minutes too," Maria said.

Luca stared at Daisy, hoping she would keep quiet and let him handle the matter away from his grandmother.

"This should be interesting," Daisy whispered, patting Luca's shoulder.

"Gia, I set up your room right next to Carla," Maria announced.

"Thank you," Gia said.

"You must all be tired from your travels," Maria walked into the open living room and took a seat on one of the chairs. She looked down at Theo and her smile widened. "My little prince here is still asleep."

"I should put him in his crib," Daisy said.

"I'll do it," Maria offered.

"No, nonna," Luca slowly walked up to the woman and held out his arms. "Let Daisy do it."

Maria looked at Luca and then at Daisy. She watched them for a few seconds before handing Theo over. The smile on her lips slowly slipped and her eyes turned back to their hard shells.

"Come Gia," Maria suddenly said, making Gia jump. "I'll take you to your room."

Luca looked over his shoulder to his sister. He gave her a small nod as Gia began to slowly follow Maria down the hall.

"We're sharing a room?" Daisy whispered as soon as the woman disappeared. "What the hell?"

"Keep it down," Luca said. "I'll figure something ou-"

"Can you figure something out while I put Theo to bed?" Daisy clicked her tongue. "I need to change him too."

"Let's go," Luca shook his head as he grabbed the baby bag and turned Daisy towards the stairs. "We have plenty of rooms here. I'll have them move Theo's crib to another room and then we can make an excuse or say that you need to stay with Theo or something."

"Won't that look odd?"

"The alternative is sharing a room with me," Luca said, following Daisy up the stairs.

"This is already a mess," Daisy shook her head.

Luca didn't say anything as he walked her down the hall towards his room. He was hoping she couldn't notice the door to his childhood room as they passed it but because it was Daisy, she did notice it and paused to arched her brow.

"Stay out?" She asked, looking at the big sign on the door.

"It was for Gia," Luca said.

"I want to see."

"Not now," Luca placed his hand on her back and moved her away.

"What's inside?"

"Teenage stuff."

"Oh! Teenage Luca?" Daisy gasped. "Interesting. I'm intrigued."

"It's very boring."

"I bet," Daisy laughed. "You were probably a stickler for rules. Did you ever do anything rebellious?"

"No," Luca shook his head. "I didn't have the time."

"Were you too busy sulking?"

"I don't sul-"

"You're sulking right now," Daisy laughed.

"You'll awake Theo," Luca muttered as he turned the door knob and pushed the door open. He couldn't understand why he was feeling so nervous. Daisy had been in his room back in California many times. Well, actually five times to be precious. Luca had counted every time since it was a rare occasion.

"Wow," Daisy stopped in the doorway as her eyes widened at the sight in front of her.

Luca grinned, seeing the view of the ocean through his large balcony. The sunlight was just right and the breeze was very familiar.

"Good god," Daisy walked into the room and shifted Theo in her arms. "It feels like I'm in a James Bond movie."

"It's pretty fun," Luca shrugged to which Daisy snorted.

"Where's the crib?" She asked, looking around.

"Good question," Luca said. His eyes began to scan the room as he moved around. "It should be..."

Walking past the balcony, Luca was about to gloss over the small study attached to his room when his eyes fell on the small crib inside.

"Oh," he said, pushing the door open.

"You have a whole nursery?" Daisy asked, coming to stop beside him.

"No," Luca shook his head. "This used to be my office."

"And now it's a nursery," Daisy walked in and laid Theo down on the crib, leaving Luca to stand around and stare at the blue wallpaper and painted white clouds on the ceiling.

"What the hell?" He said to himself.

"You can use Angelo's office," Maria's voice startled Daisy. Luca looked over his shoulder to where his grandmother stood by the doorway of his study. "Having an attached nursery will make getting up at night easier. And you will also have some privacy."

"Thank you, nona," Luca sighed. "But you didn't have to do all this. We're only here for a few days."

"This is your home, Luca," Maria frowned. "And now it's Theo's home too."

"I understand but-"

"No, but," Maria shook her head. "I want you all to be comfortable here. Daisy, let me know if you need anything."

"Yes, actually," Daisy spoke up. "Is there another room...."

"You don't like this room?" Maria arched her brow.

"No, I love it. It's beautiful," Daisy laughed awkwardly. "But you see, Luca....he...he snores at night."

Luca's brows furrowed as he looked at Daisy.

"Really?" Maria asked, looking at her grandson. "Since when?"

"Since we got married," Daisy said. "I can't stand it most nights. Back in California, I kept a spare room for myself whenever I needed to catch up on slee-"

"It's only for a few days," Maria said, throwing Luca's words back at him. "I'm sure you'll get used to it."

"But-"

"It's bad luck to not share a bed with your husband," Maria announced. "You'll lose fertility."

"I don't really need it anytime soon," Daisy pointed to Theo.

"It's good to have children who are close in age," Maria said. "You two should start thinking about another baby."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Daisy looked at Luca.

"Gianna conceived both Luca and Gia in Del Mare," Maria said. "You can do the same with the second child."

Daisy was left speechless. She looked at Luca who stood by with a deep frown on his lips and tired eyes.

"I don't th-" Daisy tried to say but Luca stopped her.

"We'll see what we can do," he announced, shutting Daisy up. "No promises. It took us a while to make the first one."

"Why?" Maria asked with concern. Her eyes moved back and forth between Daisy and Luca, "Is everything alright? Have you seen a doctor? There's a old tea recipe that will s-"

"Ooo-kay," Luca stepped forward and placed his hands together. "Thank you, nona. Daisy is very tired. I'm sure she would like to rest."

"Right," Maria nodded. "I'll leave you two alone. Rest up."

"Thank you," Daisy said.

"Just let me know when you have decided on dinner."

"What?" Daisy asked.

"What should the chef make for dinner?"

"I don't know," Daisy shrugged.

"That's your job now," Maria laughed. "Take the reins, Mrs. Silvano."

"Thank you, Nona," Luca said once more to remind her they wanted some privacy. He walked her to the door and closed it behind her before turning to face Daisy.

"I didn't sign up for this," she said, closing the nursery door and marching up towards him. "A second baby? Are you kidding me? I almost died having the first one!"

"Stop," Luca placed his hands on her arms to try and calm her. He hated the way his insides twisted whenever he thought about that horrific day. "Calm down."

"What if we can't leave until we have a baby?" Daisy panicked.

"That's ridiculous," Luca said.

"Is it?" Daisy asked. "You people are crazy here."

"Just relax," Luca sighed. "We're only here for a few days."

"What are we going to do about this sharing a room situation?"

"Do you see the size of that bed?" Luca pointed over his shoulder.

"Yeah, why is it so unusually large?" Daisy asked.

"Ask the interior decorator," Luca said. "We can both fit on that bed and still have enough room in between us for my whole family."

"That's a stretch," Daisy said. "Maybe just enough for three people."

"More than enough space," Luca said. "I'll take one side, you take the other. Problem solved."

"But!"

"What's the issue?" Luca asked. "You're a big girl. Don't tell me you're too shy to share a room with a boy."

"I don't want to share a room with you," Daisy said.

"What did I do to you?"

"You vex me," Daisy glared.

"I'll try not to," Luca rolled his eyes.

"Couldn't you go sleep in your old room?"

"I don't think I fit that bed anymore."

"Will I?"

"You're not allowed in that room."

"Why not?" Daisy asked. "Are you hiding your stolen nude magazines?"

"Sure," Luca unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt and then undid the cuffs. Daisy watched him as he rolled up his sleeves one at a time before placing his hands on his hips and then running a hand through his hair.

"Are you going to unpack?" He asked when she didn't have a witty comeback.

"Yeah," Daisy cleared her throat.

"I'll wait until you're done," Luca said. "I'm going downstairs to check in on Gia. Call me if you need anything."

_________________________

"How long are you planning on staying?" Maria asked as she cut her meat on her dinner plate.

"Maybe a week," Luca said.

"That's not enough time," Maria muttered under her breath. "Have you given any thought about having a proper wedding?"

"We already had a proper wedding," Luca said.

"A church wedding," Maria explained. "You two are not married by god yet."

"Mom," Carla sighed, setting her fork down. "Let them be."

"They need to have a proper wedding," Maria said.

From the corner of her eyes, Daisy looked towards Luca. She wanted to know what was going through his head as he shifted around in his seat as if he was greatly uncomfortable.

"Maybe then the people of this town will stop talking," Maria continued. "It's as if the previous wedding is all they can rem-"

"Enough," Luca said calmly, but his eyes were anything but calm. "We're not going to talk about that at this table."

Daisy quietly picked up her glass of wine and took a sip. She looked up and noticed Gia was completely zoned out. The poor girl was lost in her head, oblivious to whatever drama her grandmother was trying to create.

"G?" Daisy nudged her with her feet. "You haven't touched your food."

"I'm not really hungry," Gia said, sitting up and looking around as if suddenly realizing she was at the dinner table.

"He's not going to break through the door," Daisy whispered. "You can breathe."

"Not while I'm here," Gia shook her head. "Not in this city."

A deep frown formed on Daisy's lips. She stared at Gia and wondered what she could do to bring back that smile on her best friend's face. Sitting across from her, Gia looked fragile, like the glass ballerina Christmas ornament Patty had from when she was a little girl. Daisy was always too scared to touch it. She feared one wrong move would break the beautiful thing in half. That's how she felt about Gia. One wrong move and she would spiral.

"Can you go check on Theo for me?" Daisy asked, knowing it was the best excuse to get Gia away from the table.

Nodding, Gia began to rise from the table when Maria suddenly turned towards her.

"Where are you going?" The old woman asked.

"It's okay," Daisy spoke up. "I asked her to check on Theo."

"We don't leave the dinner table unless everyone is done," Maria said. "Gia, you know that. Sit down."

"Not even if there's an emergency?" Daisy asked, looking around at Carla and then at Luca. "It seems a bit rude to keep someone sitting here against their will."

"That's not how we do things," Maria said once more. "Sit down, Gia."

"No," Daisy said firmly. "Gia, go upstairs and check on Theo."

Maria's eyes narrowed. Her mouth twitched as she prepared to tell Daisy off.

"With all due respect, Nonna," Daisy said. "You gave me the responsibilities of this household this morning. We're going to do things a little differently from now on, if you don't mind."

Gia looked to Maria and then to her best friend. She didn't know what to do as her grandmother turned her heated gaze towards Luca.

"Go, Gia," Luca said.

Carla hid her smile behind her wine glass as Gia quickly ran off towards Luca's room. Maria sat in a cloud of anger as she bit back in her tongue and continued to stabbed at her food.

"You should go see your father tomorrow," she said.

"I'm planning on it," Luca announced.

"Will you be taking your wife?"

"Yes," Luca looked at Daisy.

"Good," Maria said.

"I'm sorry if I made you upset, Maria," Daisy spoke up, surprising the woman and Luca. "It was not my intent. Gia looked unwell so I figured some space would be good for her."

"She's not a child anymore," Maria said. "She can sit through dinner like the rest of us. Do not give into her dramatic tactics. She's just playing you."

"If Daisy feels that Gia will benefit from leaving the table then I support her," Luca said. "She knows Gia better than anyone else at this table."

"We have customs and traditions," Maria reminded her grandson.

"And I respect that," Daisy said. "But we're all family here, right? What is the need for all these formalities? Are we secretly being filmed?"

"It's to teach discipline," Maria said.

"I -" Daisy opened her mouth but Luca shook his head. He urged her with his eyes to drop the subject and not let it go on. If he didn't look so tired after such a long flight, Daisy wouldn't have listened to him.

"I don't know how you do things in your family, but here we have high expectations," Maria continued.

Daisy stared at Luca and arched her brow. She warned him her patience was running thin as Maria continued to jabber. When it was clear the old woman wasn't going to stop, Luca cleared his throat and placed his napkin over his plate.

"Where are you going?" Maria asked.

"To bed," Luca said. "It was a long flight."

"You call this a family dinner?"

"Yes," Luca said. "Daisy?"

With one last sip of her wine, Daisy rose from her chair and took Luca's hand. She didn't wait around to hear what Maria had to say as Luca ushered her out of the dinning room and towards the stairs.

"Sorry about that," Luca said.

"I can handle her," Daisy waved her hand. She turned towards the kitchen as Luca began to head towards the stairs.

"Where are you going?" He wondered.

"I'm going to see if there's anything for Gia," Daisy said. "She didn't eat."

"I'll come with you," Luca turned.

"No, I'll be fine," Daisy said.

"I don't trust Nonna to be nice to you if I'm not around," Luca said.

"Oh, my hero," Daisy placed her hands over her heart and laughed.

Luca followed her into the kitchen and grabbed the open bottle of wine. He took as swig as Daisy began to rummage through the fridge and the pantry.

"Don't finish all of it," Daisy said. "I like it."

Luca nodded as he took another swig. He watched Daisy gather some cheese and fruits and neatly arrange them onto a small platter.

"She's not a little mouse," Luca said.

"Everyone likes cheese," Daisy shrugged. "Is there ice cream?"

"Check the fridge," Luca pointed, taking another sip of his wine.

Daisy rushed over to the fridge and pulled it open. She searched through the shelves before finding the small pint of ice cream at the back of the fridge. "Perfect."

"Ice cream and cheese," Luca teased. "What a balanced meal."

"That's all I can do right now," Daisy looked up as Luca lowered the bottle from his lips. "Did you drink all of it?"

"There wasn't much in here," Luca said.

"I wanted some," Daisy frowned. "I didn't get to finish my glass at dinner."

"You want the last sip?" Luca held out the bottle.

"I swear the bottle was half full," Daisy said. "How did you drink all that in two minutes?"

"There wasn't much!"

Daisy brought the bottle to her lips and tilted her head back. She tasted a few drops of the liquid on her tongue before the bottle ran dry and she was left with the taste of disappointment on her tongue.

"I'm sorry," Luca laughed. "I thought there was more."

"It was good while it lasted," Daisy looked down at the bottle.

"Did you really like it?"

"Yes," Daisy said.

"Come with me," Luca pushed back from the kitchen counter.

"To where?" Daisy wondered.

"I want to show you something," Luca was already walking out of the kitchen.

Daisy followed him down the halls and past a set of doors. They emerged in the backyard before cutting across the patio to a small shack.

"What is this?" Daisy asked as Luca pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the door.

"Watch your step," Luca said as he pulled the door open to reveal a set of stairs downing into the ground.

"Is this where you hide all the bodies?" Daisy asked, stepping inside.

"No, that's the other door," Luca chuckled. "Stay close."

"Why?" Daisy asked, immediately missing a set in the dark and stumbling into Luca.

"The stairs are worn," Luca said, catching her by her waist. "Are you okay?"

Frightened, Daisy nodded her head. She tried to pull away but Luca wouldn't budge. He raised a hand and pulled on a gold chair.

Flight exploded all around them, revealing a well stocked wine cellar. Daisy's eyes widened as she took note of the rows and rows of bottles.

"Oh my god," she whistled. "Wow."

"It belongs to my family," Luca sat her back down on her feet and helped her down the last few steps. "You're more than welcome to any bottle of your choice."

"You know," Daisy spun in a circle trying to take in every corner of the room. "Usually in books, when the guy is trying to impress the girl, he shows her his massive library. But this is so much better."

"Is that what I'm trying to do?" Luca asked, watching her. "Impress you?"

Daisy stopped and returned her eyes to the man before her. The cellar suddenly felt too small to house the two of them.

"Maybe," Daisy shrugged. "I can never tell with you."

"Is it working?" Luca asked.

"A tad bit," Daisy held up her hand to demonstrate with her fingers.

Laughing, Luca pulled his keys out of his pocket and took one of the keys off the ring.

"Here," he said, holding it out for Daisy. "I'll get another key made."

"Are you sure?" Daisy asked. "You might never see me."

"I hope you've grown a brain since becoming a mother," Luca said.

"You can't give me the keys to a wine cellar like this and expect me not to drink!"

"Drink in moderation," Luca said. "Now let's go."

"Wait, I want to see what's down here," Daisy turned towards the shelves.

"I'll give you two minutes," Luca began to climb the stairs.

With great joy, Daisy rushed through the aisles and read the name and years of all the bottles. She took pictures of all the ones she wanted to try before she left as Luca waited for her at the top of the stairs. When her two minutes were up and she ran up to go join him at the top of, Luca looked down at the two bottles she was holding and shook his head. 

Hope you liked it <3 Del Mare with these two will be fun ;)