3| Buns

Chapter 3

Alice

The secret is at the tip of my tongue, and it's vying to come out. I want to tell him right now and make love to him as many times as possible on every surface of his office.

"How was therapy," he huffs next to me on his couch. I'm stark naked while his shirt is off. He must have put on his pants during the aftershock of me finishing.

"Great. Dr. Avery said I'm making a lot of strides, and she thinks my meds are doing wonders on me."

"Really? That's good," he huffs. "Did you see Leo when you came in?"

Oh, I saw him. He took one look at my outfit, laughed, and said he'll come over tonight. "Yes, and he's coming to dinner with Dino tonight. Sorry," I add. That damn Leo brought his adorable kid with him, and he knows I melt and do what he wants. He knows how I feel about kids.

Alessio gets up from the couch and puts on his shirt. "Really? Did he ask, or did he say he was going?"

I tap my chin. "A little of both. He said he missed my spaghetti. Then he asked Dino if he wanted some. Dino said he did, so I just said, come swing by." I get up from the couch and hold his hands. "Look, he'll only be here for an hour, and then after, it'll be just us. And then I have a surprise for you."

A big surprise is in a box under our bed. He picks up my lingerie and hands it to me so I can put it on. "A surprise? A better surprise than what just happened?"

"Yup, and it's gonna knock your socks off." I put on the lingerie, one piece at a time, in front of him. He stirs in front of me, so much that I can see that he wants to go another round. But, I have to meet mother for dinner and tell her the joyous news of her first grandchild.

She's gonna go in for a new round of botox, then buy clothes soon after. I'm already twenty-six, with a successful amount of non-profits with a master's degree in tow. I'm ready for a kid, and I'm ready for a life with Alessio.

"Did you need a ride? Or did you drive?" He ties his tie that I wrapped around his neck not fifteen minutes ago. The memory resurfaces between us. And I stifle back as I fix it. "No, I'm still meeting with mom in like an hour." I look to the clock and chuckle to myself at the second round we insisted on. "Forty-five minutes, actually."

He watches me as I slide on my underwear and clip on my bra. "And I assume you're not wearing that?"

I put my hands on my hips and let out a coy smile. "What? Why? I'm sure I can get lunch for free in this." He raises an eyebrow making me laugh. "I'm just joking." I dig into my purse and take out a dress.

"Aren't you gonna be cold in just that?" Alessio asks.

How ironic of him to ask if I'm going to be cold. "No, I'll be fine. I have this trenchcoat and a scarf in the car. I'll be fine, Les." I slide the dress over my body. The form-fitting sweater dress comes down to my ankles. Mother brought it for me a few weeks ago, and I haven't had the chance to wear this little number. I cannot fathom how much it costs, but I will admit mother has a way of picking up clothes.

He sits before me and places his head on my stomach. An image of my protruding stomach comes to mind. Alessio's hand on my stomach as I sleep, and in a few months, the baby will begin to kick. If the baby is anything like me, it'll be rambunctious. I hope it looks like him, and if it's a girl. I'm sure he would feel the same.

He places a chaste kiss on my stomach. "As much as I would love to stay. My mother is probably on her way now." I reluctantly leave Alessio's grasps and leave his office. Leo sits on Odella's desk and shakes his head. I can see the amusement in his eyes.

"Can't go a day without each other?"

"Shut up, Leo. You should not be talking about my afternoon delights with my boyfriend. Because we could talk about you and Marzia." It's no secret the times Marzia came to his office naked or sent him a text for him to come home early. He is the last person who should be commenting on Alessio and me.

He picks up Dino from the ground. "Let me walk you to your car. I need to talk to you about a few things."

"Sure thing, Leo. Even if I declined, you would still follow me." Leo clicks the elevator button. Dino stares at me with his wide brown eyes. He's cute, "can I hold him?" I ask. Leo makes no haste in passing me, Dino.

I pull the small child towards me. I inhale his scent. He smells of baby lotion with that lingering newborn scent that is a delight to smell. "You look good with him."

"You think?" I ask as I kiss both of his cheeks. He's plump and based on the newborn pictures I received in the mail. He was quite the fat baby. Marzia is a trooper for pushing him out. I want a fat baby too, with chubby cheeks for what's it worth. It might split me in half, but the outcome of one of these cuties will be worth it.

"When are you and Alessio gonna have your first kid?"

"Sooner than you think," I say without thinking. It takes me one second before realizing what I just said, and Leo even less to catch on to what I meant. His eyes widen, "you cannot say anything," I warn him.

"He doesn't know?" Leo asks, not bothering to hold back his smile.

"No, and I was gonna tell him tonight. Which now, makes him the fourth person to find out."

"The fourth?"

"Yeah, I told my therapist. And I was gonna tell my mom then Alessio. And now that he will know I told you before, he will be quite pissed."

"Wow, you a mom? Who would have thought."

"What?" The elevator door opens to the parking garage. I tighten my hold onto Dino. Does he think I would make a bad mom or something? Because he should know how much the kids at my non-profits love me. Or the kids at the engineering classes I teach twice a week. Some of them love me so much they call me their second mom.

"I'm not saying anything bad. I'm just shocked you're gonna be a mom. The little kid who cried for me to help her with a tampon like I wasn't a fourteen-year-old boy."

I grumble a few curse words under my breath-low enough Dino can't hear me. "You're not gonna let me live that down, are you?"

Leo only laughs, "so when are you telling him?"

"Tonight...after you leave. So, make sure you take your plates to go, Leo."

"I'll do you one better. I'll cancel and see you tomorrow. I'll act surprised when you tell the office your pregnant and everything."

"You know Alessio can see right through you, right?" I unlock my car door, and Leo opens it for me.

He lets out a small chuckle. "Trust me, you and Alessio only know a small portion of who I am and my reactions." His words leave me astonished when they come out. His tone when he said it was nothing like the Leo I know. His lightness was gone for a split second, and he was back.

"Well...I will take your word for it then." I hand him back Dino. "Come by tomorrow, and I'll give you some leftovers and make sure you bring this handsome young man," I coo.

"Will do. I'll see you then, Alice and congratulations."

"Thanks, Leo," I smile. I get into my car and drive off into New York. The traffic is unnaturally light, and I arrive at Lucia's with minutes to spare. "There should be a reserved table for Edward-table for two."

I'm given a quick nod of the head, and I'm off to a table. Mother always requests a table close to the fireplace during this type of season. I welcome the warmth that comes from the controlled fire nearby. I slide off my coat and then my scarf. A waiter comes, and I order myself a water and my mother her signature drink. Not one minute after the waiter comes, the enigma of my mother arrives.

She's wearing a fur coat that, without a doubt, convinces me is fake. She wears a pants suit under it, most likely coming from the office. She fills her mind with work, with the absence of me out of the house. Since the accident, we call it, she held me close in her home, and without me there, it's like something is missing, she told me. So, as any sensible woman of the Edwards household.

When in emotional distress, we throw ourselves into work.

I have to feel bad for Melissa. She sits in that big house all day with no one to look after until late at night.

I smell her channel number five perfume before she opens her mouth. "Alice, my beautiful daughter. I've missed you," she says. I get up to meet her for a hug. When I separate, she stares me into the eyes. "You look like you've lost a bit of weight. That damn Alessio. Is he making sure you eat every day? You know what? You should come back and live with me. You can bring Alessio too."

I separate myself from her grasp. "Mother, no. In all honesty, I've been eating more than usual. And besides, it's not Alessio's responsibility to make sure to eat-it's mine."

"No, if he loves you as much as he claims, then he'll make sure my daughter eats three times a day. He has no idea what you look like after not getting enough nutrition. And I'll be damned before I see you like that again." I can only chuckle at my mother.

Once upon a time, I wouldn't be able to say she cared to this extent. Before the accident, she made sure I ate or had someone to feed me. My mother gave me millions of dollars worth of clothes and everything I could ever want but this. The warmth that comes with caring for your child. I enjoy it, but I wish I got this earlier in life.

We take our seats. "Mom, how was work?"

"Hell, absolute hell. As your grandfather gets older, he only gives me responsibilities and more charities to mandate. He says it's preparing me for the family's main business." She lets out a deep sigh. "If your uncle was so damn gullible, then he would be doing this. I can't wait for it's time for me to retire and hand it off to your cousins."

Grandpa has made mom his right-hand woman the older he gets. Mom has a total of two siblings, uncle Nathanial and aunt Nicolette. I chuckle when I think of their names: Nathanial, Nicolette, and Natalia. We could say they have a common theme with their names. My mother is the middle child and the most mature of the three. Uncle Nathanial is a certified gambler whose stocks have saved him more times than one. And my aunt is a bachelorette who can't be bothered with things such as business.

So, it's all left to my workaholic, perfectionist mother who has a hard-on for being stressed out, like mother, like daughter.

The waiter places our drinks in front of us. "Water?" My mother questions. "Where's your drink? You know I hate drinking alone."

I only laugh, "when?"

"As of late. There is a pesky rumor about me having a problem."

"Well, there is always some truth to every rumor. The only problem with this is the truth."

"Alice, don't patronize me. And that doesn't answer my question." She snaps her finger at the waiter. "Bring her a sex on the beach," she commands.

"No! Please don't," I inform him.

"What? Why not?"

I take a deep breath. "Mom," I start. "I am pregnant." In my twenty-seven years being on this planet, I can attest that I have never seen my mother this shocked. It's like she's turned into stone. I snap my fingers in her face, but nothing. "Wow, if I knew me telling you I was pregnant was enough for to-"

She picks up her phone so quickly, I can't finish my sentence. "Melissa!" She shouts. "Clear out Alice's bedroom and the guest room next to it."

"Mom?"

"I need you to renovate Alice's old room completely. I want the most comfortable furniture money can buy and plants and things. Hire ten extra servants as well." I listen to my mother shout off a series of commands to Melissa as I sip my water.

"Mom," I finally say when she hangs up.

"How do you feel? Any morning sickness? Cravings?"

"Fine, no, and nothing really."

"So, everything been easy?"

"Yes, I think those things come a bit later. I'm only eight weeks."

"Eight weeks?! And now you tell me? You and Alessio are moving in. And you guys are staying with me for at least seven years."

"Mom..."

"No, I'm not taking no as an answer."

I only laugh at my usually poised mother. It seems like she's happy about it. And it looks like Alessio and I are moving soon as well. I will admit that that's what I wanted. I did want to move with my mother for this and stay with her for a least a few months after the baby was born so Alessio and I can have time to look for a house. But I don't think we'll be okay with waiting seven years.

What if we have more kids?

I listen to my mother ramble until I have to beg for her to let me drive myself home. I'm sure my car will be missing tomorrow, and I'll have a personal driver starting tomorrow. I don't mind. This is the one time I don't mind being pampered.

I am carrying a life inside of me.

I come home to a cold apartment, and I immediately turn the heat on. I begin to cook and set the table for Alessio to come. I look up at the clock. He should be here any minute. I open the oven and place the finishing touch inside.

I can't wait to see his face.

When the clock strikes five, he opens the door. He places his coat and scarf on the coat rack and pulls me into a hug. He still smells of his cologne from earlier. "How was work?" I mutter into his chest.

"Annoying, then fun, then annoying again." I look up at his tall frame.

"I wonder what that fun was from earlier? Should I be afraid of someone snatching you away?"

"Yeah, Leo and I are planning to leave you and Marzia and start our lives together."

"Wow, looks like I need to step my game up so that won't happen." He leans down and places a chaste kiss on my lips. I don't hear the waggling of a tail. "Where's Charlie?"

"Oh, Odette has him for the night. She wouldn't stop bugging me, so I let her borrow him as a sleeping buddy."

"Oh, that was nice of you. And can I assume Damien offered as well?"

"Yes, you can, and you would be right."

"His flirting is becoming predictable, isn't it?"

"Yeah, and it's getting him further and further away from his goal of marrying Odette." He lifts me up, so I'm at his eye level. "When is Leo coming over? I would like to taste you before they get here." I watch as he licks his lips, and it takes everything in me not to agree and jump in his bed with open legs.

"Well, Leo is not coming over now."

"Good." Alessio takes a few steps.

"Wait, we should eat first. Everything is done, and I don't want to let it get cold."

"We have a microwave," he adds before taking a few more steps towards our bedroom.

"Alessio, let's eat first," I pout. He cannot resist my pout. He stares at my bottom lip and merely smirks, and lets me down.

Yeah, now I'm kinda hoping we have a girl so I can see how he reacts. I know she'll ask for something ridiculous, and all she'll have to do is pout, and he'll get it. God! I want a girl now. But, does the world needs a girl with that much power?

I imagine her wearing a yellow sundress like my own and melt.

Yes, we do.

"This dinner is gonna be gone in less than five minutes, so you better prepare yourself, Alice," he says before pulling my chair out for me to sit down. I only sigh. Well, if it's gonna be like that, then I might as well skip the small talk and get right to it.

"Shit," I shout. "I left something in the oven. Can you get it for me?"

"Sure, I'll be right back." Alessio leaves the room, and I take a bite of our dinner. Wow, I did a good job on this. "Alice!" Alessio calls out from the kitchen, making me smirk.

"Yeah?"

He enters the room with a bun in his hands. "Why is there a single bun in the oven?"

I stand up from the table and give Alessio a knowing look. A pun that came to me in a dream. The perfect Alice way for me to announce our child. I only rub my stomach and nod.

Alessio looks down at the small gesture and rushes to engulf me in a hug so tight, I can't imagine ever leaving it.

Hey everyone! So, yes, Alice is pregnant.

I would like to reiterate trigger warnings before you continue. This story is dark and sad and will make you cry. Just thinking about it is making me tear up because, as you know, these two are my favorite, couple-wise.

I love Alessio and Alice's relationship so much and the people they will become.

BE PREPARED FOR ULTIMATE SADNESS

But I would love to know. What you think of everyone? Who is your favorite character so far?

MAKE SURE YOU GUYS VOTE AND COMMENT AND SHARE! IT REALLY HELPS ME OUT!

I hope you all have a super, amazing day, night, evening, and afternoon.

Bye~