“So Kratz is still asking about you?” he asked, staring at her as he sat down next to her and pulled her chair closer to him. She seemed surprised. “Yeah, I heard,” he continued. “How’d you know he’d been promoted if that happened just last year?”

Roni stared at him for a moment then smiled, pulling a spiraled strand of hair behind her ear and glanced away. “I have lunch with him every few weeks.”

She laughed when Noah squeezed her hand tightly. “Ow!” she said, exaggerating.

He hadn’t squeezed it that tightly, but he kissed her hand anyway.

“How’d you know?” he asked again.

“I heard through the grapevine.”

Roni stretched to look for the boys and then relaxed when she had them both in sight. Noah knew he had nothing to worry about, but it still irritated him a little especially since the asshole was still asking about her after all this time. Apparently it made his hard ass smile all weirdly too.

“Why would anyone think you still wanna know anything about him?”

Roni turned to him, her expression a bit surprised again. Then she laughed and kissed him. “No one thinks I still wanna know anything about him, honey.”

He stared at her still-smiling lips then looked up at her eyes again. “So why’d they tell you?”

She took a deep breath, when she realized he wasn’t going to let it go. For a moment, she appeared to be trying to remember. “Oh, yeah, it wasn’t even a friend actually. Last year at one of Noah’s doctor’s visits for his vaccinations one of the ladies in the waiting room was telling me about her older son being in trouble at school. She said the principal was a real asshole and had it in for her son.” Roni laughed, shaking her head. “When she said Kratz, I nearly spit out my coffee, but I didn’t even mention I knew him.”

His beautiful wife touched his face and smiled then brought his hand down to her belly. The baby was kicking again. “You see”—Noah grinned wickedly—“even he got worked up.”

She laughed again. “For no reason at all.”

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it.” He smirked half playing half serious. “I was getting ready to go ask Bianca what the hell else this guy wanted to know about you.”

Roni’s smile flattened as if he might be serious when their conversation was interrupted by loud squealing from the play area. Reina was running away from Jack as he ran after her with one of the many foam balls from the playground. He looked ready to beam her with it from behind.

“Jack, no!” Noah called out, standing up.

Jack turned to him suddenly, his big smiling expression falling. “But she threw one at me first!”

Noah shook his head again, reiterating that Jack shouldn’t throw that ball. This was going to take some doing, but he’d teach his son one way or another. It doesn’t work that way with girls.

~*~

Abel

“I never used the word bad,” Nellie was saying under her breath. “All I said was your little angel is not always as sweet and innocent as you think. You can even ask your mom. She’s seen it and she’ll tell you.”

“Nope,” Abel said, staring out at his daughter, who played happily in the play area.

Nellie laughed. “Well, I can see you’re gonna be reasonable.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Wow, just wait until she’s a teen. You’re in for a rude awakening.”

Abel smirked but didn’t respond to that. Nellie and his mother could make all the outlandish insinuations they wanted about his Reina. She was as sweet and as beautiful as her mother. So she was a kid and liked clowning around and throwing things. What kid didn’t? He watched as Noah, who’d been on his knees saying something to Jack, got up and watched Jack walk away. Noah wore that same enamored and proud expression Abel knew he wore anytime he watched his own kids running around.

He had so much to be grateful for. There were times when he’d start to feel bad for Felix. The shit he’d gone through with the loss of his kid and then the hell he went through with Ella getting sick were rough. But Abel had to remind himself of something Felix was always quick to point out. He had his Ella back and that’s all that mattered. Abel knew damn well the feeling of thinking you might lose the love of your life. So he understood completely. It seemed having nearly lost her made Felix appreciate everything he had that much more rather than complain about what he didn’t have and probably never would—kids.

It just seemed like such a damn shame, being they were such Disney fanatics, that they’d never get a chance to take their own kids to the happiest place on earth. Since it wasn’t in Abel to get into any one’s personal business, he didn’t even know if it was because they couldn’t or they didn’t want to. All Abel knew was whenever anyone else brought it up Felix was quick to can the subject.

Abel rarely asked such personal questions, but he could ask Nellie anything without worrying about her telling anyone. He leaned into her. “Do you know if Felix and Ella can’t have kids or are they just afraid to?”

Nellie shook her head. “I don’t know if she’s ever been told she can’t,” Nellie whispered. “All I know is she’s terrified of passing on her high-risk genetics to her children.” Nellie winced. “I can’t say I blame her after all they’ve been through.” She lowered her voice even more. “It’s why Gio and Bianca weren’t going to have any more. But then”—she tilted her head smiling and shrugged—“everything happens for a reason, right?”