Chapter 2

The Next Morning – McCutcheon/Morales’ house – Shane, Carmen, Dante

Dante knocked on the bedroom door where Shane was packing her few things.

“Come in”, Shane said, absent-mindedly.

Dante opened the door and, when he saw her friend, sneered. Shane was motionless by the king-size bed, observing her half-empty bag with a frown. She pursed her lips together.

“I don’t know…”, she mumbled to herself.

Dante ducked his head to a side and observed her attentively.

He was carrying both Aidan and Olivia, effortlessly. Aidan had his little check resting on Dante’s massive left shoulder and his enormous brown eyes – a complete reflection of Carmen’s – were open in what seemed to be a pensive look. Olivia was lying on her stomach on Dante’s right forearm and was gurgling happily.

“You don’t know what?”, Dante asked, rocking Liv.

Shane arched her eyebrows and just stared at him.

Dante gave the impression to be able to knock down two people at once simply throwing his arms in the air, but he was always extremely delicate with the kids. And both Liv and Aidan would calm down almost immediately when they took them into his arms. Shane didn’t know why, but she suspected that it was somehow a biological, genetic, automatic reaction or, maybe, simply that serenity that Dante always injected to everyone.

”Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there’s always tomorrow
Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you don’t let show”

“Am I a terrible parent?”, Shane blurted out with a tragic look.

Dante’s green eyes popped out and he chuckled in disbelief.

“What? No! Why are you saying so?”.

Shane scratched the nape of her neck, pensively.

“I don’t know. These are going to be our first days without the kids. I wonder if I’ve done the right thing… You know, asking Carmen to leave them with you for an entire weekend”.

“Don’t you trust me?”, Dante murmured with an amused sneer.

“I do trust you completely. I am just asking to myself: am I being selfish?”.

“Because you wanna spend some time with your wife? No, you aren’t. I know exactly how you’re feeling”.