Kit was working in the rose garden late into the afternoon when Andre came out to join her. It had grown hot into the afternoon, and she'd worked up quite a sweat.

"You need a water?" He tossed a cool bottle at her as she stood up. She caught it gratefully and drained a big gulp of it.

"Thanks."

"You know you can take the afternoon off if my father isn't here, right?"

"Dad," she corrected with a grin, "and I know, but I wanted to get some things done around here."

"I can always hire a gardener," he pointed out.

"I enjoy this, actually," Kit admired the small garden. "It's nice to have stuff to do when he's napping. So I don't.. never mind."

"So you don't what?"

"As Luca would say. Don't worry about it."

"Very funny," Andre said dryly, "you were going to say so you don't think about how he's dying, right?"

"Andre, I shouldn't have"-

"You don't have to tiptoe around it. I know, I've known he's dying. I focused so hard on taking care of him, on fighting this thing with him, that I didn't have to think about the end."

He let out a long, defeated sigh, breaking Kit's heart.

"But, now I know we're here. We're at the end, and can't fight it, so what do I do? I feel helpless."

"That's normal to feel that way," She assured him, "but you're not helpless. What he wants now is memories, and that's what you focus on. They'll mean everything to you down the road."

"You're right," he agreed. "I'm glad I took the break from work and school."

"Me too. Hey, what if we all went to the lake on Saturday? Maybe you could even rent a boat?"

"Saturday?" Andre raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't you have other plans?"

"Why would I?"- her eyes widened as it came to her. "How did I manage to forget?"

"Kit! You did not forget your birthday, did you?"

"I did," she laughed out loud. I've been so preoccupied it slipped my mind.

"Wow," he chuckled, "well, if you and Luca want to go out of town, that's fine. I'm interviewing some nurses tomorrow."

"I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday than at the lake with everyone."

"Really?"

"Yes! I want memories with Leo too. We can invite my dad and Jase along too."

"Maybe I can rent a boat," he offered.

"That'd be perfect!"

"It looks like that one is about to bloom," Andre pointed out a small bud forming on one of the bushes.

"Hopefully soon," Kit admired it as she gulped the rest of her water bottle.

"When it blooms, can we take it to his room for him?"

"Of course, we can."

"I wish... I hope he lives long enough to see these all bloom."

"So do I," she sighed sadly.

****

After a long day in the sun and dirt, Kit helped herself to Luca's shower. The hot water felt good, beating down on her. She closed her eyes and enjoyed it for a long moment. She was just about to shampoo her hair when she heard the bathroom door open.

"Need some company?"

She smiled when she heard Luca's voice; he didn't wait for her to answer. She listened to the sound of his zipper coming down and then the soft fall of his jeans hitting the floor. She looked over as the curtain was peeled back, and he stepped in.

"Let me do that," he took the shampoo from her and stepped closer. She turned around and tilted her head slightly as he started lathering the soap through her hair. His strong fingers massaged her scalp as he worked the soap in. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensations.

"How was today?" She asked.

"Hard," he confessed, "but it was a good day."

He guided her back under the water stream and started to rinse the suds from her hair.

"I told him I forgive him, and I do. I didn't tell him that just to ease his mind."

"Do you feel better now?"

"I don't know, sort of, I guess." His tone suggested otherwise.

She took the shampoo from him next and motioned for him to swap places with her so he was under the stream this time. Once his hair was nice and wet, she started working the shampoo through his thick hair.

She had to stand on her tiptoes and get close, so her wet breasts pressed against his back.

"Those are much better than a loofah," he mumbled happily.

"Did it bring back all the bad memories, talking about it?"

"No, it didn't actually. I don't feel angry at him anymore. I can't be angry anymore."

"That has to relieve some of that weight from your shoulders." He tilted his head down as she helped him rinse the suds out.

"It's lessening that sickening guilty feeling. But.."

He turned around to face her, and she pushed the wet locks away from his face to peer into his eyes. "But?"

"Now, I'm just fucking sad, okay? He's going to die, and I don't want him to!"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, it's not fair, it's"-

Her words were cut off when his lips met hers in a needy kiss. She pressed herself closer to him, her hands cupping his face.

"I love you," he whispered as they parted, his eyes boring into hers, "you're the one thing that makes me happy. I'm sorry I can't give you what you deserve."

"What!?" She was bewildered by this, "you've been so good to me. Don't say that!"

"I should be spoiling you senseless, wining and dining you, showing you off. I should make your pretty brown eyes light up and your laughter fill every room. You should be treated like a princess, like"-

"Babe, stop!" She cut him off by putting her fingers over his lips. "You sweep me off my feet every day."

"That's not enough."

"It is for me," she countered, "I don't need anything but you being exactly who you are."

"The thing is, I'm not sure who that is anymore. All I know is I want to be the guy that deserves you."

Her eyes welled up with tears at that. "You do, Luca, you do." She cried out.

"No. But I will, Kit Kat," he corrected her as a soft but sad smile twitched his lips.

"You do," she insisted. "We're going through this thing a new couple usually wouldn't deal with, but we're going to get through it together. We'll have time for everything else later."

"After he's gone," his lip trembled, and his voice was hoarse.

She couldn't say yes, so she just nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Can we forget for a little while?" He asked, pulling her impossibly close.

"Yes," she agreed, "we can forget for a while, but it's okay... to be sad. It's okay to let yourself feel this."

"I can't right now. I need to lose myself in you and forget, just for now," the vulnerability in his eyes melted her resolve.

"For now," she agreed as he met hers in a desperate kiss. She moaned into it as his erection pressed into her stomach.

As they parted, she pressed another wet kiss along his firm jawline and then down to his neck. She nibbled lightly as she sucked on the tender skin there.

"Oh fuck baby," he moaned his appreciation.

She moved her mouth down further, pressing kiss after kiss on his hard tanned chest. She dropped down to her knees as she reached his flat abdomen. She looked up at him with a naughty flicker in her eyes as she licked the tip of his hard cock.

"Cricket," he whispered her name as she took him in her mouth.

She held herself steady by gripping his muscular thighs as she bopped her head up and down his hard shaft. With each stroke, she took him further and further into her throat until his hands suddenly fisted her hair, pulling her head up.

"I need to be inside you now." He nearly growled the words out. She looked up to find his lustful eyes boring down on her. She stood on shaky feet, using his body to help herself up.

He pushed her against the shower wall, pinning her wrists above her head as his lips devoured hers.

"We need a condom," she reminded him as they parted.

"Stay here," he demanded as if she'd even think of leaving.

A devious smirk curled at her lips as he stepped out. She turned around and bent over for him as he walked back in.

"God damn, I love my wild little redhead." He slapped her wet ass hard, the sound echoing through the small steamy room.

He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her pulling her close to him. His lips pressed soft kisses against her neck as his hands began to roam the front of her body.

As he started massaging her breasts, her needy core couldn't wait another moment. She grabbed his hand and moved it down to where she wanted it. He chuckled softly as he nibbled her ear.

"What do you want, baby? You want me to play with your pussy?"

He didn't wait for her to answer as he flicked his thumb over her clit. She closed her eyes as he continued working his hands like magic.

"Fuck me, Luciano, now," she begged, unable to wait another moment.

He gently pushed at her lower back and she bent over further. She held into the shampoo shelf to steady herself, as he positioned himself at her entrance.

He entered her in one quick thrust filling her to the hilt. They both groaned as they connected.

"Mine."

"All yours," she said in a breathy voice.

He began thrusting in and out of her, gripping her hips for leverage. The angle was hitting that special spot and making her feel so full. She pushed her ass back at him as he rocked forward, and soon they started to find a steady but fast rhythm. It was bringing them both to the edge quickly.

"Cricket," his husky voice trembled in a telling way, and she knew he was close.

"Oh god, Luciano!" She cried out loud; he slammed his hand over her mouth to cover the rest of her screams as they came together.

****

When they emerged from Luca's room, the house was already smelling good. Andre was sitting at the table reading a book, and Carly was in the kitchen stirring something on the stove.

"There they are," Carly snickered at the couple as they walked into the room. "You all done trying out for fifty shades darkest ... or?"

"Carly!" Kit's face turned bright red, and Andre quickly looked away.

"Cover my mouth sooner next time," Kit said in a low voice to Luca, who had a smug grin on his face.

"Damn, Kit! I didn't know you were so crazy," Carly winked at her, "we need a girl's night soon. I need details."

"Carly, really?" Andre looked totally grossed out, and Kit laughed.

"Girls, talk about this stuff Andre, don't be a prude," Carly scolded him.

"I don't want or need to know that," Andre shuddered. "Do you talk about me?" A horrified look crossed his eyes.

"You just said you didn't want to know," Carly reminded him with a flicker in her eyes.

"I definitely don't want to know, so please don't share," Luca begged.

Kit bit back a laugh, recalling how Carly told her Andre kept asking permission for every single thing at first. Until she finally had to tell him to shut up and took control herself.

"Girls' night would be fun; we could invite Jess too," Kit said as she helped herself to a soda from the fridge. "Maybe next weekend?

"Next weekend is the carnival, but we could do it during the week sometime."

"Do I get to come?" Luca asked.

"To girl's night!?" Kit laughed.

"I don't sleep without you."

"You can handle one night."

"What are you guys doing this Saturday?" Carly asked as she stirred the contents in the pan.

Shoot, she forgot to tell Luca...

"We were talking about renting a boat for the day. Inviting Jase and Stone too," Andre mentioned.

"Dad and Stone don't get along that well," Luca pointed out.

"They'll play nice for Kit's birthday," Andre shrugged.

"What!?" Luca's eyes bore into hers. "You weren't going to tell me about your birthday!?"

"I.. forgot about it until today," she shot Andre a look, and he just shrugged helplessly.

"I assumed you told him when you remembered!"

"Shh, don't wake Leo up before dinner," Carly scolded him.

"Kit Kat," Luca gave her a wounded look, "of course I want to know about your birthday. We can do anything you want, okay? Name it."

"I want to go fishing with everyone," she insisted, "I promise. That's all I want."

"That's not"-

"It's enough," she cut him off.

"I think this is almost done," Carly turned the heat down on the pan.

"What are you cooking?" Luca walked over and peered over Carly's shoulders with a doubtful look.

"It's chicken stir fry! Try it!"

He took a small bite, and his face puckered up. "How much salt did you add?"

"Two spoonful's. That's what the recipe said," she frowned as she held up a dinner spoon.

"Are you sure it didn't say two teaspoons?"

"What's the difference?"

"Oh, Carly!" Kit laughed.

"How's your rice?" Luca lifted the lid and looked at it. "This turned out good, but we got to get it off the heat, or it'll overcook."

"What about the stir fry? Can you fix it?"

"I can't with this much salt," Luca told her, "let's start over; we'll make it together."

Kit smiled to herself as she left to check on Leo. Andre followed her upstairs and went to his room to freshen up.

Leo was just waking up when stepped in. He looked tired but happy, he even had a little color on his cheeks.

"I heard it was a good day," she said as she walked closer. She wheeled his chair close to the bed for him and helped him up.

"It was a great day," Leonardo's eyes lit up as he spoke, "we had a wonderful talk. He forgave me, Kit!"

"He told me," she smiled.

"Thank you," Leonardo's eyes filled with tears.

"Don't do that," she scolded him as she sniffled.

"I'll forever be grateful to you," he said, "and so will my son. He said that hiring you as my nurse changed everything today, and he was right. You took it upon yourself from day one to put us back together. It was an impossible task, and you never let off."

"It wasn't as impossible as it seemed at first," she mused. "It was all him. I called, yes, but he came. He told me he wanted to talk to you. He also decided on his own to forgive you. All those choices were his."

"He's a good man," Leonardo acknowledged, "he's always been a good man."

"I just need him to start believing that," she agreed.

"He will, if you say it, he'll listen," Leonardo told her, "your opinion is the most important thing in the world to him."

"I don't know about all that," Kit responded with a slight laugh, "I think you're overestimating me."

"I'm not. I have never seen him this in love."

"Stop making me cry already," Kit chuckled through teary eyes.

"Well, it's true," he reached for and squeezed her hand.

"It smells good in here," he sniffed the air and looked surprised at that. "Carly did alright!"

"I guess she went a little heavy with the salt. Luca's helping her now, though."

"I thought he doesn't teach.." Leonardo was smiling at that.

"Mhm," Kit chuckled in agreement. "I'm going to go check on them. Andre's in his room if you need help getting down the stair lift."

"Okay, dear, I'll be down soon."

She headed downstairs, stopping at the bottom, when she heard Luca and Carly talking.

"What do I get her for her birthday?"

"Something elegant but simple.

Nothing too crazy or overpriced."

"Crazy and overpriced is what I do," Luca said.

"Well, she won't like that," Carly sounded amused. "She'll feel bad if you spend too much money on her."

Yes! Tell him, Carly! Kit thought to herself.

"Well, too bad, she'll just have to get used to it."

"Hmm, good answer," Carly replied.

It was not! Kit refrained from saying it out loud.

"Did I just win over the bestie?"

"Getting there. Listen, it's about time someone spoils her," Carly said, "but I know Kit. Try to find something meaningful, not just expensive."

"What's that look?" Carly said after a moment.

"I know exactly what to give her now," Luca mused."Thanks, Carly."

"What?"

"Like, I'm going to tell you" Luca scoffed. 

"You asked for my help!" Carly exclaimed." I won't blab!"

"Oh, you will, too." Kit could hear Luca's eyes roll.

Carly cracked up, "Yeah, better not tell me. I totally will."

 The two laughed as Kit teared up at the sweet exchange.