Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
ENZO
Ten years later…
“Daddy, Tristao won’t give me back my teddy,” Milena, our youngest, complains.
“Tristao,” I snap.
My eldest son comes out of his bedroom, giving me a look that all pre-teens seem to master for the sole purpose of testing a parent's patience, then he asks, “What?”
My eyes narrow on him, and he instantly schools his expression, then innocently says, “Yes, Dad?”
“Stop messing with Milena,” I warn him.
“I didn’t do anything. She threw her teddy on my bed and won’t stay out of my room.”
My eyes flick to my little girl, who’s the spitting image of her mother, and when I see the sneaky smile on her face, I shake my head before looking at Tristao. “Sorry, son. Will you get Eduardo? It’s almost time.”
“Okay.” Right where he’s standing, he shouts, “Eduardo! Dad says you have to come to the living room. It’s almost time.”
“I could’ve done that myself,” I mutter as I pick up Milena. Giving her a stern look, I say, “Stop getting your brother in trouble.”
She wraps her arms around my neck and presses a kiss to my cheeks, then asks, “Are you angry with me, Daddy?”
“Of course not.” My four-year-old can do no wrong in my eyes.
Just as Eduardo and Jenna come out of the bedrooms, Santiago’s voice sounds over a loudspeaker. “Time for family wars.” He lets out a dark chuckle. “May the best family win, which is mine, of course. But we’ll give everyone a head start. You all have ten minutes to get out of your houses.”
Jenna lets out a snort. “He’s always the first person to get shot.”
She picks up the water guns and hands them out, then says, “Go for the Varga’s first and watch out for Aunt Evinka.”
When we started playing these games eight years ago, Jenna always hid behind me, but since Milena was born, she takes the lead with our sons, while I bring up the rear with our daughter.
“Stay close to me,” she orders before she opens the front door, and we all file out of the house.
Every year during the festive season, we come to the island for our family vacation. The kids spend most of their time on the beach, and we get to relax while catching up with the other four couples.
As we sprint past the main building where the restaurant is, so we can get to the other side that has more shrubs and trees to hide behind, you just see adults and children running as if an evacuation order has been given.
Laughter fills the air as we run past all the barrels of water that have been placed out so we can easily refill our guns during the game.
Milena starts bouncing in my arms while patting my chest and shouting, “Faster, Daddy. Faster! Look there’s Olympia.”
Milena worships the ground Olympia, Cassia’s ten-year-old daughter, walks on.
“Right now, Olympia is not on our team, baby. You can play with her later.”
The alarm sounds over the island, and then it’s pure chaos as we all shoot the hell out of each other.
For the next hour, our clothes get soaked right through, and by the time the alarm goes off again, signaling the end, we’re all out of breath and dripping wet.
Well, everyone except for Milena. I kept using myself as a shield to keep the others from getting a shot at her.
“So, who won?” Kristan, Dominik’s eldest, asks.
“Us,” Tistao answers. “My sister is the only dry person left.”
“That’s cheating,” Santiago complains. “No one can get past your overprotective ass.”
Ciara slaps him on the shoulder. “Don’t curse in front of the kids.”
As we all make our way down to the beach, where marquees have been put up with tables and chairs. I set Milena down on the warm sand so she can play with the other kids.
I take a seat, and as Jenna passes me to get to the chair beside mine, I grab hold of her hips and haul her onto my lap.
“Your arms are never empty,” Santiago chuckles. “You never let Jenna sit on her own chair.”
“My lap is her chair,” I grumble, then turn my attention to my wife. I grip her chin between my fingers and press a kiss to her mouth. “Are you enjoying the vacation, meu coração?”
She nods, and letting out a happy sigh, she rests her head on my shoulder and watches as all the kids play various games on the beach.
“I love coming here,” she whispers.
I raise an eyebrow at her. “And?”
Letting out a chuckle, she snuggles into me. “I love you, my heart.”
“Hmm…” the sound rumbles from me. “Not half as much as I love you.”
“Ohhhh, I’m dead sure I love you a million times more,” she argues.
“Let’s agree to disagree.”
The End.