Chapter 35

AIDEN

“They do need names,” Freya said, lowering the puppy in her arms to the floor of our living space. I thrust my hands in my pockets and watched Gia follow suit before sitting down on the ground beside them. The chocolate-furred puppy sat still, while the golden one sniffed around before settling in Gia’s lap. She was much more clingy than her companion.

“Can I name them?” Gia asked, without looking up from her new friends.

“Yes, of course. Have you thought of any?” I crouched down and petted the quieter puppy.

“Mint chocolate chip?” Freya raised an eyebrow as I pressed my lips together to suppress a smile.

“That’s too long, don’t you think? A small, cute name would fit better,” Gia stared at her mother with a contemplative gaze and pouty lips. Of course, she thought it was a brilliant idea to name her dogs after ice cream flavors. Seconds passed before she cheered up again. The girl loved all things sweet. It wasn’t surprising that her dogs were getting named after desserts.

Freya sighed, smiling. “Sounds good. And for her?”

It took Gia another few seconds before she came up with a name. “Brownie!”

Brownie whined softly.

Freya shook her head, smiling. “Beautiful names.”

I chuckled, drawing Freya’s attention. From her expression, she found it just as hilarious. Just then, Carlos appeared. He did a double take at the puppies before his lips flattened in displeasure.

“Carlos! Meet Oreo and Brownie,” Gia looked up gleefully at him, probably expecting a similar level of excitement. It was debatable which was funnier: the dogs’ names or the visible distress Carlos was poorly concealing.

“They’re welcome as long as they don’t pee on the expensive carpets or scratch the expensive furniture.” He offered a tight-lipped smile before adjusting the cushions on the couch. Gia didn’t look impressed by his lack of enthusiasm. With furrowed brows, she turned to me and whispered, “He doesn’t like Oreo and Brownie?”

I smiled. “They’ll grow on him, sweetheart. Don’t worry.”

My words were met with an immediate scoff from Carlos. He shook his head as if he couldn’t imagine ever liking them. Frankly, neither could I. Carlos had been a grump since my childhood, always mentally judging everyone and grumbling through his work.

Gia nodded and returned her attention to Oreo and Brownie. “I love them,” she murmured, but the previous glint of excitement was gone from her eyes. She looked sad.

Fuck! I would have to talk to Carlos. I didn’t want my daughter to be sad, and if necessary, he would have to pretend to like the damn puppies. I was about to ask Carlos to step outside when Gia looked up at her mother.

“What will happen when you find a house? Will we leave them here?”

My daughter’s words rang in my ears. I looked at Freya. She had surely felt my stare. Did I hear that correctly, or was I too sleep-deprived? “Find a fucking house?” I looked up, my eyes sharp, burning a hole into the side of her face—if the hurried glance to the side was any indication.

“Probably yes. But don’t be sad. You’ll probably be here every other day. So you get to play with them, right?”

That did a terrible job of cheering Gia up. Instead, she looked even more upset and stressed. “But I always want to stay with them,” she pointed at the puppies before looking up at me. “And I also want to stay with Aiden.”

My heart pounded. The elation at Gia wanting to be with me slammed against the surge of annoyance rising inside me.

Chapter 35 (continued)

“Mommy, can we please stay here?” Gia’s voice was wobbly, tears welling in her eyes. I closed my eyes briefly, trying to control my aggravation.

“Gia, come here.” My voice was too calm, a stark contrast to the chaos inside me. The thought of Freya leaving with our daughter twisted my insides with unease. I felt the need to destroy something, but first, I wanted to soothe Gia.

She walked to me and looked at my face, a single tear rolling down her cheek. I hated seeing tears on her face. I wiped it away with my thumb before kneeling to reach her height.

“You will stay here, Princess.”

“Aiden!” Freya hissed, but I ignored her.

“You will stay right here with Oreo, Brownie, me, and your Mom,” I told her, intending to follow through. Six years spent with only thoughts of Freya—unknowingly, I’d missed five years of my daughter’s life. Freya would be delusional if she thought I was going to let her slip through my fingers this easily.

“Forever?” Gia asked, her eyes filled with hope and uncertainty. She looked at me as if I held something priceless. My heart threatened to burst with emotion. A few more teardrops fell. I held her face in my hands and wiped them away.

“Forever,” I promised. She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me. I hugged her back, stroking her hair soothingly. All the while, I could feel Freya’s stare on my face.

When Gia finally pulled back, I smoothed her hair. She flashed me a wide grin, which made me smile. I stood up and ruffled her hair.

“Go to your room, sweetheart. Your Mom and I are going to talk.”