The Carrero Heart - Beginning (Friends to Lovers)

“Sophie?” Sylvana’s voice startles me as I get to my own pathway. Walking back from dumping my idiot brother on his couch to pass out as she appears with Mia in tow, looking cute in a unicorn fluffy Onesie with sneakers. Obviously having a girl day with her grandmamma. Mia is going through a phase of living in Onesies and rather than try and talk her into day clothes, Jake decided to buy her about fifty themed Onesies, so she never had to wear the same one twice. Emma seems to have let it go and I wonder if all kids are weirdly cute like theirs are.

Little geeks.

“Hey.” I give them both a hug, one after the other and get a huge kiss from Mia on the cheek that absolutely melts my heart. The older she gets, the more she looks like Emma, yet there is something of the Carrero in that beautiful little face too. Her personality, however, is all Jake.

“Did you get fat?” Mia asks rather innocently and prods me in the stomach in a really unamusing way.

Sylvana giggles at her grandchild’s little cute mouth, despite her appalled expression and I frown at her

“Thanks… And No, Mia, I happened to gain a little weight and curves since living in France.” I point out, knowing fine well that I can explain the few pounds I did inherit in the last month, well maybe months, seeing as I did gain non-related pounds in Paris and wonder when the boobs and butt are going to slim again. I haven’t really seen any trimming around the waist even if the change is so slight most wouldn’t notice. I guess it’s still really early days to see anything. It doesn’t feel like days, it feels like it’s been weeks of hell.

I do however feel defensive that she noticed it in one area that I don’t want it to be noticed. I guess because it’s eye level and I used to have a flat athletic shape whereas now I have softer curves. I’m becoming feminine as opposed to boy shaped. Arrick pointed it out a lot over the last year, he loves it, says it’s crazily sexy, but I’m not so sure getting a little soft around the edges is that great.

“Mia, what have we spoken about many times when it comes to things we say to people?” Sylvana is attempting to tame our little honesty girl but I know it’s futile, she has Jake’s knack of cutting to the point in everything.

“To think if it will hurt their feelings, Nona.” Mia flutters her eyelashes sweetly and I spot the cheeky in that look, playing her grandma like a pro. I sigh and grin at our little wild child.

Carrero’s produce amazing kids. I can’t deny it and the ache of longing that consumes me hits home once more. It’s getting easier to accept it and not push it down quite so fast, but it’s still no less painful. I wanted my Carrero mini me. I can’t get that gutting feeling to leave me alone, always lingering in my head even when other things take precedent.

kill me, and I have to hide my urge to burst out both crying and

month… Lucah and Ava prefer daytime playtime, but Mia likes a day of baking and a sleepover.” The pride and love in Sylvana is evident and the pang of loss is really starting to gnaw at me. I can’t help

A month

out of the equation while she is dealing with Bree and Rylanne’s drama, and to

have to curb the urge to text him and call him because I really do need to let this lie for now. I have to trust him and take a time out. Although all day I have kept wondering

feeding my spoiled brat tendencies, I am starting to get a grip on how out of order I am when it

***

Many a time I sat in this kitchen over the years and let Sylvana in her own way help me get through.

I should have gone somewhere alone and booked a hotel for a few days, instead of the place where most of our memories lie to get at me with

as she rolls out cookie dough on the kitchen table, standing on a chair to reach the surface. She is covered in flour, wearing a little frilly apron over her nightwear but looks so angelic while clumsily doing so that I may die from

spot for her, I guess because she was the first baby in our families, and one I was around a lot as she began to grow. There from day one and spent so much time with her in her early years before I moved away. Mia will always be

I’d like a

daring to prod her. It almost kills me it’s so adorable in a freakish way. There is no denying who this girl’s daddy is

She doesn’t like rainbows either.” She pouts as though some great injustice has been done to her and I sit opposite her at the table and shake the flour from my hands from helping mix batches of cookie dough. I think Sylvana is planning a cookie store with the amount she’s running up. Although knowing her, these will be for something

understands the profound quality of mystical unicorns.” I pick up some of the dough and pop it in my mouth, savoring its rawness with relish. I always did have a weakness for all things sweet, even though this has a weird metallic taste coming through and I have

Weird.

either… You do. I still have Princess Sparkles, still looking after her like you made

catches in my throat and I stammer for a moment. Knocked sideways by this instant reaction. I swallow