Chapter 10 - Under the Table
One year after the wedding.
The sun was setting over the rocky cliffs of coastal Maine, painting the sky in breathtaking ribbons of gold, violet, and fiery crimson.
The seaside house was everything Valente had promised and more. White shingles, a wrap-around porch overlooking the crashing blue surf of the Atlantic, and gardens overflowing with blooming hydrangeas and wild coastal roses.
Inside the spacious kitchen, the aroma of garlic, roasted rosemary, and fresh sourdough bread filled the air. Clara was on the back deck, reading a college textbook on business management, occasionally laughing as the family’s golden retriever chased sea gulls along the lawn below.
Ruby stood at the heavy wooden dining table, setting down plates for dinner. She wore a comfortable knitted sweater, her hair falling softly around her shoulders, her ruby wedding band catching the warm rays of the dying sun.
Footsteps echoed softly from the hallway.
Valente walked into the dining room, rolling up the sleeves of his soft chambray shirt. He had aged backward over the past year; the harsh, predatory tension that once defined his jawline had softened into lines of deep peace, contentment, and quiet joy.
He walked up behind Ruby, wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his chin gently on her shoulder as they both looked out the grand picture window at the ocean waves crashing against the rocks.
""Smells incredible, Mrs. Carmine,"" Valente murmured, kissing the side of her neck.
""Fresh rosemary roasted chicken,"" Ruby smiled, leaning back against his chest, savoring the familiar, steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her cheek. ""Just like the night we met.""
Valente chuckled, a deep, rich sound that always made her feel safe. ""I don't think I ever actually got to eat that chicken. Someone ruined my dinner with a warning about a bomb.""
""You looked terrified,"" she teased gently, turning in his arms to face him.
""I wasn't terrified of the bomb,"" Valente replied, gazing down at her with infinite tenderness. ""I was terrified that the most extraordinary woman I had ever laid eyes on was going to disappear before I could learn her name.""
Ruby smiled softly, reaching up to cup his cheek, her thumb gently tracing the small, faded scar near his temple—a reminder of a past that could never touch them again.
""Valente,"" she whispered suddenly, her voice dropping into that low, conspiratorial tone she had used on that unforgettable night.
Valente paused, his eyebrows lifting in mild amusement. ""Yes?""
Ruby leaned in close to his ear, her warm breath tickling his neck.
“Don’t look under the table.”
Valente froze. For half a second, the old instincts flared before he caught the mischievous, radiant sparkle dancing in her hazel eyes.
Slowly, deliberately, Valente looked down beneath the dining table.
There was no hidden device. There was no ticking phone or green blinking wire.
Sitting neatly on the polished hardwood floor, nestled in a small woven wicker basket beside their dog’s favorite pillow, was a tiny pair of knit white baby booties, tied with an emerald-green ribbon.
Valente stared at the basket. The man who had faced down federal indictments, criminal syndicates, and high-caliber gunfire without blinking went completely motionless.
He slowly knelt down, picking up the impossibly small booties in his large, scarred hands. He looked up at Ruby, his eyes wide, stunned, and rapidly filling with tears of pure, overwhelming joy.
""Ruby..."" he choked out, his voice trembling like a boy’s. ""Is this... are we...?""
Ruby dropped to her knees beside him on the floor, throwing her arms around his neck, laughing through her tears as she pressed her forehead against his.
""We're having a baby, Valente,"" she whispered softly. ""Our family is growing.""
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Valente buried his face in her hair, pulling her tight against his chest, his shoulders shaking with silent, grateful sobs. The mafia boss who had once lived only for war had found a life worth living; and the waitress who had dared to speak up in the face of death had found a love that would protect her forever.
Outside, the ocean waves rolled endlessly against the shore, steady and eternal under the emerging stars, while inside, wrapped in each other's arms on the floor, their new life began in perfect, unshakeable peace."
