Becoming Mrs DeLuca novel Chapter 65

VALENTINA

Just two days remained before Stefan’s birthday, and since Adrian had already confirmed that we’d be spending the weekend at the beach house, I decided to reach out to Gemma. We hadn’t really connected since the wedding—only the occasional polite text here and there about holidays or family gatherings.

She picked up on the second ring, her warm voice immediately comforting as it filled my ear. “Valentina! What a surprise. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, everything’s fine,” I replied quickly.

“Of course,” she echoed, her tone carrying a playful smile. “You sound like someone trying really hard to convince me.”

I chuckled softly, though my heart was beating a little faster. I couldn’t help but wonder just how much she knew about what had truly happened—about Serena and that night. Adrian insisted Gemma only knew the official story, but it was hard to imagine anyone in their circle being completely clueless.

“Everything’s fine,” I repeated, softer this time. “Actually, I wanted to invite you and your family to Stefan’s birthday weekend. We’ll be celebrating at the beach house. I thought it might be nice if you could join us—if it’s not too much, especially with the baby coming soon.”

There was a pause on the other end. Then Gemma’s voice rose with a note of surprise. “He’s taking you there already?”

I blinked, caught off guard. “We’ve been there before. It’s not our first time staying at the beach house.”

“Oh,” she said, and I could almost picture the smile spreading across her face. “That’s… wonderful, Valentina. Really.”

Her enthusiasm felt a little too bright, as if I had said something significant without even realizing it. I had always thought of the beach house as just another family home, one of the many places Adrian used to escape the city. But Gemma’s tone suggested it meant something more—like being invited there carried a deeper meaning I hadn’t yet grasped.

“Anyway,” she continued, her voice warm again, “we’d love to come. The girls will be thrilled—they’ve been talking about Stefan and Sofia ever since the wedding. And I think some time by the ocean would do everyone good.”

A wave of relief spread through me. “That’s perfect. And if you don’t mind, could you ask your parents if they’d like to come too? I’d love to have everyone there, but I’d feel a little awkward calling them myself.”

“Of course. I’ll speak with them today and let you know if they’re coming.”

“Thank you,” I said sincerely.

Gemma chuckled softly. “You sound nervous, Valentina. You shouldn’t be. Our family might seem intimidating, but it’s not so bad once you get to know everyone.”

I smiled, even though she couldn’t see it. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“Good. Then we’ll see you at the beach.”

After we hung up, I sat quietly for a moment, phone still in hand. The house was peaceful—Adrian was at work, the kids were napping upstairs—and all I could think about was how strange Gemma’s surprise sounded.

“He’s taking you there already?”

Those words lingered in my mind long after the call ended, wrapping around my thoughts like a thick sea mist.

—

It was a cold but sunny Friday afternoon when we arrived at the beach house. Adrian had picked out Stefan’s present himself, which caught me off guard. My mother had always been the one to handle gift shopping, not my father. Still, I was glad Adrian was making an effort to be involved with his children.

Once we were settled, I began gathering ingredients to bake the birthday cake. Adrian came up behind me, scanning the display. He wore pants that highlighted his long, muscular legs, and his sweater did little to hide his broad chest. The spicy scent of his aftershave wafted to my nose, stirring a warm sensation inside me. I had to resist the urge to lean back against him. So far, we hadn’t shared any kind of intimacy in front of the kids, and I wasn’t about to initiate anything now.

“What’s all this for?” Adrian asked, his body shielding mine as he brushed his hand along my side, resting it briefly on my hip before stepping back.

“A funfetti rainbow cake,” I replied.

I caught the confusion on his face. Before looking it up online, I hadn’t even known such a cake existed. I smiled. “You’ll see.”

Stefan stood near the terrace door, gazing out toward the beach. Milo sat beside him, her eyes fixed on the seagulls soaring overhead. “Maybe you can take a walk on the beach with him, so he doesn’t see his cake before tomorrow?”

Adrian’s dark brows knitted together. “I can try.”

Sofia crawled over to us, using my leg to pull herself up. After her initial wariness of me, she now barely left my side. “I didn’t think Stefan and Sofia would warm up to you so quickly.”

“I suppose it helps that they’re so young,” I said. Too young to fully understand everything that had happened, especially Sofia.

“Yeah,” Adrian agreed, looking at Stefan. “Why don’t you take Milo with you?”

His expression shifted immediately to reluctance.

I nodded, smiling as I took in the piles of sand around Stefan, who looked completely absorbed in his task. “Your sister and her family will be here in an hour. Your parents might come too. We should get ready.” Judging by Stefan’s sandy state, cleaning up would take some time.

Adrian straightened, then crouched before Stefan, who briefly looked up. “Aunt Gemma’s coming to visit. We need to clean you up.”

Gently, he lifted Stefan to his feet and started brushing sand off his thick snowsuit. Stefan didn’t protest; his lips pressed together tightly. He kept glancing at Adrian, and in his eyes, I saw the same longing I often caught in Adrian’s gaze.

“Ready to go inside?” I asked.

Stefan nodded, and together we walked back. Adrian continued cleaning Stefan, and there were fewer protests than before. It was clear Stefan missed his dad too. I tidied the kitchen and set the table, grateful I had agreed to Gemma’s suggestion to bring takeout. Cooking and baking both felt like too much with my limited experience.

—

Gemma had grown even rounder since I last saw her at the wedding. Her husband Emiliano, who was about Adrian’s age, briefly shook my hand before joining Adrian for a drink. Gemma’s two daughters, aged seven and four, were absolutely adorable with their pigtails and pretty dresses.

“How’s the baby?” I asked.

Gemma touched her belly gently. “He’s good.”

“He?” I echoed.

Gemma smiled, but Emiliano spoke before she could. “It’s a boy.”

His relief and excitement were clear. In our circles, having a male heir was still important. I took the takeout from Gemma and carried it to the table, a little annoyed Emiliano had let Gemma hold it, even though it wasn’t heavy.

“She’s getting quick,” Gemma said, nodding toward Sofia, who had mastered speedy crawling.

“She’s already trying to walk,” I added.

Gemma touched my shoulder and lowered her voice. “You look good. So, I take it everything is going well between you and Adrian?”

I smiled softly. “I’m glad. He and the kids deserve a break.”