Rocco continued to run through the motions numbly. He found the coffee pot easily on the counter coffee grounds were in the cupboard right above it. He'd started a pot of coffee when he heard soft footsteps behind him.

"I thought you were coming back to bed," Dani's sweet voice purred as her arms wrapped around him from behind.

"I uh needed to clear my head," he managed to pull away from that magnetic body of hers, trying to figure out what he was even supposed to say to her. He'd never been so confused in his life. He went to sit down at the table, burying his head in his hands.

"Rocco, are you okay?"

Her face was full of worry as she walked over to him. "You're acting so strange."

I am? he thought incredulously.

"Dani, don't..." he didn't finish his thought before she had just, without warning, sat down on his lap. Her soft fingers curled around his neck as she situated herself so she could face him, her gaze full of worry. For a second, he forgot about the sheer insanity of this and wanted just to kiss all of fears away.

"What is it, Rocco? What's wrong?" she asked.

"I don't remember last night," he finally said; she blinked a few times, looking confused.

"What do you mean?"

"The last thing I remember was drinking a few bourbons while we were watching that movie," he said, pleading with her to fill him in on what he was missing here.

"You fell asleep in your chair; you must remember me waking you up for bed?" she winked, her mouth twirled into a little smile.

Should I? His eyes widened. Was this some kind of cruel joke or something?

"I didn't think you'd forget a wake-up like that," she continued in a naughty little voice squirming in his lap; he twitched underneath her.

Oh god, you should stop this, he told himself, but those thoughts flew out the window the second she started laying soft, wet kisses on his neck.

"I hungry!" Gavin's loud voice interrupted them. She giggled softly when he groaned.

Dani got up off his lap, still wearing his shirt, but now she had a pair of gray sweatpants and some black slippers. Her long hair was tousled and hung sexily down her back. She walked into the kitchen and started pulling out food and dishes as if she lived there. Gavin was following her around, anxious to help. She quickly gave him some stuff to do before walking back over to Rocco.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she placed her hand on his forehead, her eyes full of worry.

"I think we should take you to a doctor. Did you hit your head in your sleep or something?" She looked out a big picture window that he didn't notice before.

Snow was coming down in sheets. Dani shuddered a little, and he didn't miss it. He couldn't worry her any further, and he sure as hell wasn't going out anywhere until he figured out what was going on. Until then, he'd have to just go with this.

"I'm fine Dani, just a little fuzzy, I guess," he mumbled.

"You do remember your promise, right?" She looked at him, then glanced over at the window again.

He gulped; 'uh, no baby, I don't remember a damn thing about how I got here with you, but don't let it end, okay?'

He kept the words inside and fumbled quickly for something.

"I keep all my promises; which one are we referring to?"

He did his best to hold back the cringe, but it hurt to say that now. He once was a man who could say he never broke his word, but he must have if he was here with her. How was she so nonchalant about it? He gulped again, desperate to know how the hell he got here. Why was he missing time? What was going on?

"Rocco, don't be coy; you said if there were more than a few inches of snow, you'd stay home." She pouted at him, "But you're up getting ready; please don't go."

Her eyes held a fear that he understood was a result of what she'd lost and what he'd lost and that shared knowledge they had, of how fast someone you loved could be ripped away.

Of course, he would have promised her not to drive in treacherous conditions, especially if the alternative was staying home with her.

"I'm not going anywhere. I just wasn't tired enough to go back to bed this morning," he assured her.

She visibly and quickly relaxed, and he found her curled up on his lap again, placing a sweet little kiss on his lips.

"Thank you," she said in a soft voice.

He couldn't resist leaning in to take more of those lips, but she giggled and pushed him back.

"Morning breath," she teased with a cute little grimace before bouncing back up again to check Gavin in the kitchen, stirring some eggs and milk for French toast.

He stood up and wandered into the bathroom; Gavin left the kitchen and followed him. The bathroom was cute and cozy, with white tiled floors, a big blue rug, and an ocean-themed fish shower curtain. The sink had a toothbrush holder with three toothbrushes in it. A little stool was sitting next to the sink. Gavin pulled it up and climbed to the top, reaching for his little Spiderman brush.

"We live here Gavi?" Rocco found himself asking his three-year-old, desperate to grasp what was happening here.

"Yeah, Daddy," he was globing paste all over his brush and started sloppily brushing his teeth.

Rocco stared at Gavin from time to time as he brushed his teeth. Gavin reached for one of the little cups from the holder near the sink. He filled it up and started rinsing out his mouth. Something was off; why did he seem older?

"You, me, and Auntie Dani, right? Have we lived here for a long time?" Rocco asked his son as he helped him down from the stool. Gavin looked up at him with confused eyes.

"You mean Mommy?" he asked.

"Mommy?" Rocco almost choked, "Dani?"

"Dani is Mommy's grown-up name," Gavin frowned, looking very confused about why he was being asked this.

"Dani, is your mom? " Rocco started pacing the bathroom, "We live here, the three of us; we're a family?

"It's a dream, right? This is some kind of insane dream," Rocco said.

"It doesn't have to be," a voice that sounded way too old to be his three-year-old son sent a chill up his spine. He whipped around quickly only to find his wide-eyed little boy looking up at him.

"What did you just say, Gavin?" Rocco asked.

Gavin just shook his head, looking confused and a little scared.

"Daddy?" he asked in a small voice.

"Daddy's okay, buddy; I just woke up with a rusty brain this morning," Rocco ruffled his hair and knelt to pick him up.

"Let's go find your Mommy, okay? We'll go play in all the new snow!" Rocco said.

"Yay!" Gavin cheered.

Dani must have anticipated that because she was standing near the closet by the door, fishing out various jackets and mittens. He stood there in awe, watching her; Gavin raced over, excited to get out there and build a snowman.

"We need a hat and scarf for him, too," Dani mumbled.

"Yeah, and buttons," Gavin told her.

"Mommy has some buttons in her sewing kit," she told him, "I'll get it in a bit."

She has a sewing kit? a bewildered Rocco thought; more importantly, why did that turn him on?

"Yeah, we should make three snowman's" Gavin cheered as he started grabbing more hats from the big plastic bin Dani had been digging through.

"A Gavi one and a Daddy and a Mommy!" He added, jumping up and down.

"That's gonna be lots of work," she patted his cheek affectionately.

"Yeah!" He cheered.

Only a three-year-old cheers when someone says that to them, Rocco thought, trying to shake off that weird moment in the bathroom.

"Okay, let's go get an old tie for the daddy one," she was grinning and winked at him as she stood up. She brushed past him bumping her hip against his on purpose; she seemed to stall for a second and then continued walking. He let out a pent-up breath; if she kept touching him like this, he would go insane.

"I found one," she ran back out with an ugly checkered tie, "it's the one your Secret Santa got you."

Secret Santa? A Christmas had passed? The last thing he knew, it was early June.

"Don't forget about a carrot for the nose," Rocco said, heading into the kitchen to retrieve it. He decided, for now, to stop trying to figure out how this was possible and just join in the fun.

** 

They spent the entire day out in the snow, he still had no idea where they were, when it was, or anything, but he just stopped caring. They spent the entire day making three snowmen just like Gavin wanted. They took a break after the first one, the giant daddy snowman. After lunch, they headed right back outside to do the other two. Rocco couldn't recall ever having this much fun.

The day faded to evening so quickly he felt as if he were losing time again. As they sat and finished dinner, he was sure he hadn't recalled making dinner. It was fading by quickly, too quickly. His heart sank, was this not going to last? He felt as if he had to make every second count.

She was at the sink, hand-washing dishes, and Gavin was playing with a puzzle in front of the fire.

When in Rome, he thought and got up.

He snuck up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist, holding her closer to him; he started softly blowing on the side of her neck. He smirked happily when her body shivered in reaction to his touch.

"I missed you; you've been distant today," she whispered.

"I'm sorry, baby," he pulled her tighter against himself; his body was also reacting to hers and hardening quickly against her. She wrapped her arms against his.

He noticed then the big, beautiful diamond ring on her finger. My ring, my wife, he no longer cared how it came to be.

"I know I've been off today, but I'm here now," he continued kissing her neck; she turned in his arms to face him. He stared down into those big soulful eyes and knew he'd do anything for her. This was it, the feeling he had been waiting for before life got in the way; here it was, it was her. 

"I know how you can make it up to me," she smiled a little sexy coy smile that made his groin twitch.

"Oh yeah?" he waggled his eyebrows at her, "how's that?"

"Once we get Gavi to sleep," she reached up to wrap her slender arms around his neck, "You can take me to bed for starters."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'll do much better than that," he murmured, pressing his forehead softly against hers.

"You will, huh?" she smiled, and those eyes twinkled with lust.

"Mm, you go say good night to Gavi.... and then go put very little on and wait for me," he directed; her lips parted, and her eyes filled with even more longing as he spoke.

He leaned down and finally captured those lips under his into a real kiss, and damn, was it ever a kiss, as their tongues danced together like old lovers and their lips devoured each other. Her hands entangled in his hair as he pulled flush against his body. They were both panting for air when they finally parted.

"I'll be waiting," she whispered in a husky voice that sent chills straight through his body.

"Faro L'amore per la mia donna," he spoke softly, grasping her hands in his, "fino a quando sorge il sole."

"What does that mean?" she asked breathlessly, those beautiful eyes widening with wonder.

"I'll show you," he whispered, kissing her hands before releasing her; he watched with pure longing in his eyes as she strolled out of his sight.

He walked around the small house he supposed he owned. Suddenly everything was more transparent, or he just noticed the details he hadn't earlier. He stopped when he came upon his mother's medallion hanging above the fireplace. Alyssa hated it and shoved it in a box a long time ago. It felt right having it hanging there as if he could feel her. He removed the chain from the wall and fingered the jewelry for a long moment. Was it her? Did she bring him here?

The house was small, more like a cozy log cabin; they must be in the mountains, he assumed, based on the climate. He could now see a few formal family pictures hung in frames above the fireplace. They were smiling with happiness in every photo.

The couch behind him was comfy, and lived on a few blankets tossed on top of it. The coffee table had a half-done puzzle and a book he imagined must belong to Dani. This must be where they sit at night quietly together as a married couple should.

Their wet boots were sitting near the fire to dry, ready for another day of trudging through the snow.

It was basic, simple, quiet, loving, and cozy; it was perfect.

He snapped into alertness when he remembered Dani was waiting for him. Time seemed to have gotten away from him again. He ghosted past Gavin's room to find him asleep. His little teddy bear is tucked under his arm.  He backed up to the space again and paused; why was the teddy bear here? He just saw it in the other room. He walked towards the other room, and peered in to see the koala bear wasn't a koala bear but a pink teddy bear with a bow on the head.

What in the world? He shook his head, done wasting time with teddy bears when his very sexy new to him wife was waiting for him.

He continued forward the hall suddenly seemed too long. He found himself hurrying to get to her. The door, it seemed like it would never come to him. He finally broke into a run, desperate to get to Dani. When the door finally came, the handle felt cold in his hand. He threw it open and burst inside.

Everything felt so wrong; the air was so stale in the small dark room. He left the door open, letting the light leak into the room. It revealed their bed, which he had left in a confused mess this morning. Now he couldn't wait to join her in it. She was curled on her side, facing the wall.

That seemed familiar in a wrong way, in a terrible way. Why wasn't she waiting up wearing a sexy little number with candles lit as he imagined she would be?

"Hey baby, you aren't sleeping, are you?" His voice was needy, but he didn't care; he needed her like air. All of a sudden, he was desperate, so desperate.

He lay down beside her and attempted to spoon her against him, and that's when it hit him. His body went rigid; it was wrong, so wrong.

"What do you want, Rocco?" a cold voice grumbled.

Rocco jumped off the bed in seconds, staring in horror at his wife, who slowly sat up her side profile to him, she chuckled humorously, and it chilled him to the bone. She was dressed in nothing but a black lacy bra and panties and her lips were painted red.

"Alyssa?" he gasped in a shaky voice.

"Were you expecting someone else?" she purred before smiling at him cruelly.

"Where is she?"

"Oh, Rocco, you know I'd never let you be happy."

"What did you do to her?" He felt himself panicking at her expression.

Her catlike eyes twinkled evilly as she retrieved a bloody knife from the side of the bed. She held it up to taunt him.

"Oops, looks like I broke your little toy."

"No!" he lunged forward. "Dani!" 

"Rocco, it's okay. Open your eyes," he could hear Dani's voice but couldn't move.

"Please wake up," his eyes snapped open, and Dani was in front of him, her face hovering in front of his. 

He was dizzy and confused, but it was her, not Alyssa, and she was okay...

"Dani," he wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her tightly, afraid to let go. The move pulled her right into his lap. She mumbled something, but he was too focused on his relief to hear it; he breathed in her scent, stroking her hair.

"Rocco, I'm okay. It was a dream, just a dream," her voice grew slightly stronger.

Dream...oh god, his eyes widened, and he nearly jumped as realization set in. She leapt off his lap the second he jumped and stood awkwardly, running her hands through her hair.

"I shit," he mumbled, his cheeks flushing; okay, so he didn't think he could be more embarrassed after the whole tent thing. 

"You, okay?" she spoke first.

"God, Dani. I am so sorry," he muttered.

"You were half asleep," she stepped towards him and patted his shoulder.

"Must have been a bad nightmare, huh?" 

"Just the end," he muttered if she only knew what that touch did to him.

"You wanna talk about it?" she asked.

"My dream?" his eyes widened; 'tell you, I dreamt you were my wife, and I loved it until my real wife killed you or something? Yeah no...'

"I barely even remember it at this point," he said instead, "I'm blaming that movie."

"Okay." She looked a little uneasy, which didn't even come close to his feelings.

"I'm gonna get to bed," he said, standing up. She nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Sorry again," he started.

"Don't apologize; it's no big deal," she shrugged with a little laugh.

"Night, Rocco," she said before turning for the kitchen.

He released a large sigh before sulking up the stairs, his steps heavy. No big deal to her; it was everything to him. He should have known the second she was in his lap that wife Dani was a dream, nothing compared to how good she felt for real.