Chapter 43: 18: Dario

SHAY

Shay gently settled baby Nate into his playpen, stretching her neck to relieve the tension. She massaged her neck lightly, closing her eyes to savor a moment of relaxation.

~Ding dong.~

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of the doorbell. She hadn’t heard a car pull up, but she’d been preoccupied with Nate and the music playing in the background.

Through the frosted glass of her office door, she spotted a familiar silhouette. A rush of excitement propelled her toward the front door, which she flung open with a wide smile.

“I missed you!” she exclaimed, launching herself into Dario’s waiting arms.

He caught her effortlessly, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off the ground. “I missed you too,” he laughed in response.

Shay felt a sense of peace wash over her. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed him. He was her friend, her business partner, and most importantly, her confidant.

After setting her down gently, they shared a moment of pure joy, grinning at each other like two kids. She noticed his bags by the door and quickly helped him carry them inside.

Dario was no stranger to her home. He’d helped her move in, along with her brothers. She set his things down in the living room, knowing she’d have to find a place for them later.

Dario, meanwhile, went straight to Nate, scooping him up with a smile. Shay watched as Dario interacted with Nate. He loved her children as if they were his own.

She’d seen it firsthand when he’d helped care for the twins after their birth. He was an integral part of their lives, and they adored him.

“Where are the twins?” Dario asked, making silly faces at Nate, who giggled in response.

“At school,” she replied, her smile widening at the sight of them.

“I can’t believe they’re in school already,” he said, carrying Nate out to the backyard.

Shay followed, her heart full. They ended up by the lake, sitting on the grass and taking in the view. Despite living here for years, Shay hadn’t spent much time by the water.

She’d always been too worried about the twins playing near it unsupervised.

“You need to come out here more often,” Dario suggested, bouncing Nate on his lap.

He knew her well enough to know she rarely ventured out here.

“It’s beautiful,” Shay agreed, taking in the serene blue waters, the chirping birds, and the fresh air.

She was grateful she’d decided against cutting down the trees that now provided them with shade.

“So what’s been going on with you?” Dario asked casually.

“A lot, actually,” Shay admitted, knowing she had to fill him in on recent events. She was a bit nervous, aware of Dario’s dislike for Ethan.

“You know Ethan showed up, right?” she began.

“Yeah,” he replied, his attention divided between her and Nate.

“Well, Adam invited him to stay in my studio while he’s buying a house nearby,” she explained, leaving out some of the details.

“What?” Dario exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.

She’d expected this reaction. “Yeah,” she shrugged. “He moved in a few weeks ago, but he’s not here all the time. He travels a lot, which is a good thing,” she confessed.

“How do you feel about him? Like with co-parenting and all?” Dario asked, surprising her with his calmness.

She’d expected him to be more defensive.

“It hasn’t been that bad. We haven’t argued or anything. The twins love him, and I’ve explained to them about him, but not why we’re not together. Then I had a fight with the twins, they called me a bad mother, I had a miscarriage, and my husband was unreachable. Ethan brought me in. It’s been a whole ordeal,” Shay rambled.

“Wait, what?” Dario asked, trying to process everything she’d just said.

Shay took a deep breath and began to explain everything in detail. Halfway through her story, she took Nate from Dario, allowing him to stretch while she filled him in on everything.

They talked for hours, discussing her life, his life, and their business. Dario even mentioned the dresses he was having shipped for her to try on for the runway.

There was a lot to do, and most of it needed to be done within the week. Even though many of the tasks weren’t due for a while, they always had to plan ahead.

Suddenly, Shay heard rustling behind her. She turned to see Ethan approaching them. She hadn’t had a chance to warn Dario, and she watched in slow motion as Dario stood up and charged at Ethan.

Before she could react, Dario had thrown a punch, landing it squarely on Ethan’s jaw.

***

Family Gathering

SHAY

“Look at my beautiful girl,” her father’s voice rang out as he pulled her into a warm embrace. Shay returned the hug, her smile wide and genuine.

In that moment, she realized just how much she had missed these simple family moments.

“I’ve missed you all,” she admitted. Her gaze met her stepmother, Billie’s.

As she pulled away from her father, she moved to hug Billie, her greeting warm and sincere.

The house was alive with the sounds of family. Shay felt a flutter of nerves as she looked around at everyone gathered together for the first time.

She took a deep breath, knowing it was time for everyone to come together as one big, blended family.

She wanted her children to grow up surrounded by love and unity, not divided by whose family was whose. It was time to put aside any differences, for the sake of her children.

Her twins were a whirlwind of energy, darting around to greet their grandparents and uncles. Shay watched them, her heart swelling with joy at the sight of her brothers interacting with her children.

“How are the boys?” Billie asked, shrugging off her coat.

“They’re good, but I won’t lie, I’m a bit nervous,” Shay admitted with a shrug.

“Have they arrived yet?” Billie asked, her eyes scanning the room.

Shay shook her head, understanding immediately who her stepmother was referring to.

“They’re on their way. Ethan texted earlier,” Shay replied. Her gaze drifted to where her brothers were playing with the twins.

Her mother-in-law, Patsy, was happily engaged in a game with Nate.

As Billie and her father moved off to greet their in-laws, Shay took a moment to relax and focus on preparing the food.

Tonight was all about the barbecue. Shay had spent days marinating the meat, ensuring every piece was infused with flavor. She made her way outside, ready to start grilling as she waited for Ethan’s family to arrive.

Lifting the lid of the barbecue pit, Shay could feel the heat radiating from the glowing charcoal. She picked up the tongs and began to place pieces of marinated chicken on the grill.

The sizzle of the meat hitting the hot grill was music to her ears.

She set the container down and reached for the next one, filled with juicy steaks.

Shay lost herself in the rhythm of grilling, her brother Ian joining her after a few minutes. They chatted about life as they cooked, Shay filling him in on her life while he shared stories of his life back in the Upper East Side.

She found herself missing that life sometimes, the city life she used to have, the friends she used to see.

After her breakup with Ethan, Shay had withdrawn from everything and everyone. She didn’t necessarily miss being a social media personality, but she did miss the convenience of city life.

Everything was so accessible, and it was so easy to get a Lyft or an Uber.

“Hey,” a voice called out, pulling her from her thoughts. A familiar hand rested on her waist, and she turned to find herself enveloped in a familiar cologne.

“Oh, you’re here,” Shay said, setting the tongs down to greet him with a kiss on the cheek. She felt her body tense at their closeness before pulling away.

Her brother and Ethan exchanged pleasantries.

Things between them were good. They were friends, they were business partners. Shay knew that after her drama blew up, she had kept them in the dark. She didn’t want to jeopardize their finances, so she kept the details of what really happened to herself.

To this day, no one really knew the full story, except for Dario.

“Hey bro,” Ethan greeted Ian, their handshake a familiar ritual.

Shay picked up the tongs again, flipping the meat on the grill.

Soon, she was back inside, introducing her mother-in-law to Ethan and his family and vice versa. She made an effort to ensure everyone was comfortable with each other, and for the most part, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

“How are you feeling?” Ian asked, taking a seat beside her.

She turned to look at him, a smile on her face as she rested her head on his shoulder for a moment.

“Honestly?” Shay asked, waiting for his nod before continuing. “Relieved,” she admitted, letting out a long sigh.

“Everyone’s getting along, they’ve all met, and hopefully things will only get better from here.”

“You do know we’ve already met everyone, right?” Ian pointed out, chuckling.

Shay laughed along with him, nodding in agreement. She knew it was true, her family was already familiar with the Van Ackers and Ramsays.

“Yeah, but I want my mother-in-law to feel comfortable, and I want the Ramsays to get to know her. I want everyone to feel at ease around my family. After all, everyone here today is now my family, whether I like it or not,” Shay confessed.

“How’s Adam handling everything?” Ian asked, his gaze following hers to where Adam was talking to her father.

She watched him from a distance, her heart filled with admiration for her husband. Despite the rocky patch they’d hit after the miscarriage, they were working through things. He was patient with her, even though she was still struggling with the loss of their baby and dealing with feelings she couldn’t quite understand.

“Things have been weird,” Shay admitted with a heavy sigh.

She leaned back, resting her hand on the back of the bench.

“What do you mean?” Ian asked.

“Just weird. After the miscarriage, it’s like a switch was flipped. I don’t think we’ll ever get back to where we were,” Shay confessed.

“Everyone goes through rough patches. It takes time for things to settle down and return to normal,” Ian reassured her.

“I guess so.” She paused, considering his words. “No, you’re right. Thank you. We’ll get through this,” she said, her voice filled with conviction.

“Hey Adam!” Ian called out, catching Adam’s attention. “Come join your beautiful wife,” he suggested, standing up to make room.

Adam nodded, patting her father’s shoulder before making his way over. After a quick handshake with Ian, Adam sat down beside Shay. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

Shay leaned into him, returning his hug.

“Are you enjoying the party?” Adam asked.

“I love seeing everyone together. Even Jo and Mr. Smith seem to be having a good time,” Shay observed, her gaze sweeping over the gathered guests. She smiled. “Is your mom okay with Ethan and his family?” she asked, her tone sincere.

“Sure, she was okay with them,” Adam replied, pressing a tender kiss to her cheek.

Her gaze immediately locked with Ethan’s. His eyes were fixed on her, their expression intense, causing Shay to shift slightly.

As Adam continued to shower her cheek with affectionate kisses, Ethan’s stare remained unbroken.