Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 448 -

*One Month Later*

*Olivia* "Whee!"

I laughed, bright and full as I watched as Gio crammed his legs into the tiny colorful slide made for people with much shorter legs than him and gradually slid down. His happy little cheer contrasted with his obviously fake and awkward smile as he pretended to have fun on the slide.

Elio watched him from my arms, hanging from the carrier I had wrapped around me. His little chubby legs swung back and forth as he stared intently at his foolish father, a bit of drool hanging from his single tooth. He looked much like a gaping fish, unable to believe his eyes, and I was right there with him as Gio got stuck on the plastic halfway down and had to force himself to keep sliding with his shoes.

He scooted down the rest of the slide with a dark look. The few elementary-age kids behind him stood at the top of the playground, falling to pieces with giggles as they watched him make an utter fool of himself, all because our son had taken one look at the slide and burst into tears.

It was a beautiful day, sunny without a cloud in the sky, and the public park was filled with kids, screaming and playing to their heart's content. Parents watched from benches, keeping a close eye on their kids as they ran up and down the massive playset.

I thinned my lips as Gio brushed himself to take off the rubber shavings that were on the ground as cushioning, a cross look on his face from what was undoubtedly an uncomfortable ride.

But Elio giggled, reaching his little hands out toward his daddy as Gio made his way over.

"See? Not scary at all," Gio said, attempting to smile even as the kids pointed at him, whispering something in Italian I couldn't quite make out.

He glared at them over his shoulder, and the kids screeched like little demons, taking off in different directions.

"Don't scare them," I laughed, wrapping one arm around Elio as I reached out and plucked a few of the rubber shavings from his hair. "You'll get us thrown out for being a public menace."

"They're the public menace," Gio said, grumpily, crossing his arms. "At least someone's having fun at my expense."

Gio glared playfully at his son, who only laughed, clapping his hands together as I bounced him in my arms.

"Daddy's just grumpy, Elio," I told him, my voice naturally moving to that high-pitched baby talk that had ceased to be embarrassing after the first two hours of his birth. "We'll just go for a walk instead, okay?"

I reached out my hand to Gio, beaming as he immediately locked our fingers together. He chuckled, a tender look in his eyes as he glanced at Elio.

His little brown eyes sparkled with curiosity as we headed down the trail surrounding the park, and he observed the new world around him in sheer awe of the vibrant colors. Lush green trees towering over us, pretty flowers in reds and purples littering the grass, and even the animals seemed to fascinate him.

A squirrel jumped from tree to tree, birds singing loudly to one another, and Elio giggled, reaching his tiny hands out to touch everything. Gio stopped to pick one of the wildflowers, handing it over to Elio with a small smile.

Elio crushed it in his little hands, eyes wide with shock at the now ruined flower, and I pressed my lips together to stop from bursting into laughter at the sight.

"Good job, Elio. You got the flower!" I praised him anyway, even though the flower was clearly dead at this point. I rubbed his back, playfully kissing his hair. But Elio was not amused.

The four-month-old pouted, his little lip trembling as tears filled his eyes and he swung his gaze to his daddy accusingly like he had given him a faulty flower.

"Sorry, bud," Gio laughed, leaning down to pick a new one. "But you gotta be gentle with them." He opened up Elio's clasped hands, gently placing the stem in his chubby palms.

Elio laughed as he held the flower in one hand, swinging his little hands in sheer joy.

This was my favorite part of motherhood so far-watching as Elio discovered the world around him, seeing things for the first time and figuring out what they were. He was so interested in everything, and the more he grew, the bigger the world got for him.

Soon he would be walking, tracking mud along the floors in the house, and picking up bugs from the garden like I used to as a kid. He would be a hellion just like his daddy had been, I just knew it.

I pressed a kiss to the top of his head, his untamed curls having grown wildly fast since his birth. We had all been surprised to see him be born with shockingly blond hair, but it had naturally darkened within the first month, and now, he matched his daddy.

I followed Gio down the natural winding path until we reached a small, flat clearing. Surrounded by a meadow of flowers was a picnic blanket laid out, a basket resting innocently as if it had just been set up and abandoned.

"Wow, a picnic! How conveniently placed." I sent Gio an amused glance, knowing he'd had a part in this. Sure enough, when I glanced around, I spotted a man with dark sunglasses on the bench across from us, who coughed into his hand as he noticed our gazes and then lifted up a newspaper to hide behind.

The 'Daily Tribune,' which I was pretty sure was a fake newspaper, was upside down in his hands.

"Idiot," Gio sighed, shaking his head as he pulled me off the path and toward the picnic.

"Give him a break. He works for a very demanding boss, after all," I smirked, pointedly ignoring the annoyed glance he sent me.

I lowered myself onto the blanket, brushing my hands across the soft fabric, and I smiled as Gio took the seat across from me, reaching into the basket and pulling out two glasses and a bottle of white sparkling wine.

"How kind of the strangers to leave this for us," I teased as I unlatched Elio from the carrier and gently laid him down on his back. He blew a few spit bubbles, his cheeks puffing up as he waved his chubby limbs, clearly not liking being stuck on his back again.

I pulled one of the toys from his backpack and handed it to him-a colorful keyring that he had taken a particular liking to. He waved it up and down, giggling like the happy baby he was.

Gio handed me a drink, and we dug into the food. I hadn't realized how much I was starving until I took the first bite of my sandwich and moaned at the taste.

I would never get over how delicious Italian food was. It was like they were cooking wizards, and I could never comprehend how they did it. Elio had not yet experienced it, but he was content with the warm bottle of formula we'd prepared for him ahead of time.

He suckled it down, able to hold it on his own now despite how distracted he was by the flowers. A little butterfly, pale yellow in color, fluttered through the flowers and Elio's eyes popped open in wonder. He let go of the bottle, reaching his little hands out to touch the butterfly.

"Baba-" Elio babbled incoherently, and I laughed, happy to watch our son so fascinated. When he realized the butterfly was too far away, Elio's little face crumpled in anger, but I knew that steely determination in his eyes-I'd seen it far too often in my husband.

Gio and I gasped, holding our breaths as Elio rocked to the side, using his feet to push off the picnic blanket, and with one last little push, Elio flipped onto his belly, looking just as stunned as we were.

"You did such a great job, Elio!" Gio reacted first, showering our son with praise and clapping enthusiastically. "Good job."

Elio squealed with delight, kicking his chubby legs on the blanket. I cooed in adoration at his contagious smile, happy to join in as I recorded him on my phone, hoping to see him flip over again, but it didn't happen.

It was a good thing I was recording, though, as Elio wasn't just content with his simple milestone.

No, instead, he caught sight of the butterfly as it flew off the flower and fluttered around Elio's head. We watched in sheer awe and joy as the little insect landed on his nose.

Elio blinked in wide eyes, and I heard the snap of a camera interrupting the moment as Elio sneezed, his whole body jerking with the sudden motion, and off went the butterfly. I held my phone in my hand, staring intently at the photo I had panic-snapped. It had rendered beautifully.

"Remind me to paint butterflies on the wall in the baby's room." I turned to Gio with wide eyes. "I never want to forget this moment."

Gio laughed, pulling me into his lap and wrapping his arms around my waist. "I swear Dahlia sent me the same photo of you. Like mother like son, I guess."

I blushed a bright red, ducking my head. It was true, and it seemed Elio had inherited my ability to hve a butterfly land on myr nose when I least expected it. "First butterfly, first time turning over," I sighed, putting away my phone. "He's growing up so fast."

"That he is," Gio said, a bit sadly.

I leaned against his chest, shutting my eyes during the peaceful moment. Sometimes, I wished I could just halt time right here and now and make it so everyone would stop growing and changing, keeping my little baby just as small as he was

now.

But that was the beauty of the world around us-it never stopped changing. Seasons came and passed, time aged all of us, and we never stopped growing and learning. All we could hope for was to just be there as our son experienced the crazy, weird world around us.

And we made as many memories with him as we could.

After the picnic, we headed back to the playground. With fewer kids around, Gio finally got to take Elio down the slide, holding him in his lap as they slid down. It ended up much better this time around and Elio didn't cry like I expected. "Because his daddy was there," Gio beamed proudly as we headed for the swings next. I claimed the first turn, settling Elio onto my lap as I climbed atop the swing. Gio pushed us, and his laughter was like sunshine after a rainy day, filling our hearts with immeasurable joy.

Gio and I took turns with him, making a game out of it as he giggled madly. The tickle monster even came out to make an appearance. Gio's long fingers curling around his sides and Elio's shrieks of laughter were everything to me. As daylight began to fade, we decided to take a seat on one of the benches, watching the sky burst full of colors.

We watched the sunset pass over the hills as Elio's eyes fluttered closed, and he drifted off to sleep in my arms with my fingers clenched tightly in his hand. He could now hold three of my fingers and was growing bigger by the day. I sighed, leaning on the shoulder of the man I loved as the sun dyed the sky in hues of violets and oranges. At this moment, I was grateful for everything I had, for the tranquil moment I could have with my husband and son. I was reminded once more that all of the immense joy and fulfillment I'd experienced these past few months were because of the blessing in my arms.

My greatest gift-my son, Elio.