Let's Build by Teyana Taylor ft Quavo"Words don't express the way I feel; if love not a crime, baby, what's real?"

The slow kissing was what made Sage just want to stay in the car even though they couldn't. Her body pressed on his much bigger one, warming and making her feel safe simultaneously. His lips lingered on her own cherry flavored pair and his large hands tightened his grip on her bottom, causing Sage to deepen the kiss.

"You doin' this to me, we won't make it inside," He remarked breathlessly, after managing to pull away but their lips were still centimeters away tempting each other. Sage pouted, poking her bottom lip out and naturally Dave caught it, slightly grazing it with his teeth.

"No poutin', you makin' it worse." Realizing the pouting turned him on, Sage blushed and buried her head into his neck. He pulled her face back up to pepper her with more kisses, "Don't you hide from me, baby."

"Why do I still get butterflies about you?" She whispered, looking into his eyes. She was always so giddy just by the thought of Dave and it was crazy because she thought it was supposed to go away a while ago. For a minute, the world around them vanished like it did when they got lost in each other. The only sound was the soft tick from the car as they were bunched up in the driver's seat.

The sound of Sage's ringtone interrupted their moment, which she hated herself for. Dave took the phone from her back pocket and looked at it seeing that it was an incoming call from her mom. She collapsed on his chest and closed her eyes. "I could stay here forever," she whispered, her breath tickling his neck.

"Me too, baby," he disclosed. He wrapped his arms around her and thought about how silly they must look to outsiders but he didn't care, he loved every second of times like these. "Your mommy's calling, we gotta go inside eventually."

She knew he was right but she wished he wasn't, not because she didn't want to go through with dinner at her parents but because her favorite place to be was in his arms and she was way too comfortable. "I know I know, I just missed you. A week is a long time." That was another thing, he was away at his detox program and just made it back home the day before.

"I know, mamas, but let's get in there. How are you feeling?"

"I don't wanna tell you," she buried her head further into his chest.

"I don't care what you want, talk to me." He said firmly. She rolled his eyes at him, he was always so bossy.

"Just a little anxious... but you're here with me so not as much," she said tracing his neck tattoo. He gently grabbed her fingers and kissed them one by one.

"I got you," he mumbled against her fingertips, "Now let's go inside."

Once in front of her apartment door, Sage's heartbeat began racing at the fact that both parents were finally going to meet and most likely judge David. She couldn't predict how he was going to take their overwhelming personalities but she hoped both parties behaved. She tightened her grip on his hands as she heard the door unlock, revealing her mother.

Ezra was clad in a vintage Oscar De La Renta suit and her hair was pulled into a low bun with tousles on either side of her cheeks. Without saying anything she gathered her daughter into a hug, her grasp unyielding. She recognized her Lancôme La Vie est Belle Eau De Parfum as the smell tickled into her nostrils.

Donati came into view and smiled at David while his wife was still gushing over their daughter. "Come in!" Of course he had on his favorite double breasted suit but without the tie and the first button fastened, which was his version of casual wear. David felt good he switched out his normal jeans and hoodie for nice pants and a sweater. He held out his hand to greet her father but Mr. Baglio grabbed it and brought him in for a quick side hug instead. "Welcome."

Dave didn't know what he expected from the man that gave birth to the mother of his unborn child. He was in the dark about how much they knew of him especially since Sage met with her father for breakfast not too long ago, but he was ready to find out. He saw the resemblance from both parents in Sage and understood where her beauty came from. They gave her thick dark tresses, high cheekbones and a charming smile, all of which he appreciated.

Donati turned to his daughter as she released herself from her mother's strong hold, "Chi si volta, e chi si gira, sempre a casa va finire."

"Honey, what does that even mean?" Ezra said, cocking an eyebrow towards her husband. Her own English accent reminding Dave of the time Sage said her mother grew up in the U.K. until she was 16.

"I heard something about a child and being home?" Sage said, trying to make sense of her father's Italian.

"It means, moglie e figlia, that no matter where you go or turn, you will always end up at home." He waited for them to praise him but they both rolled their eyes and started laughing.

"Oh God, here he goes," Ezra teased.

"Let's go eat before I leave again," Sage chimed in jokingly.

"Actually, mi amore, your mother is gonna take you with her in the kitchen to finish the desert and me and Dave are going to chat it up with some drinks," He explained, with a cheery smile plastered on his face. Sage could tell he was excited and that he was really trying to do right but it still made her anxious that they were going to talk alone. Her eyes widened as her mom pulled her away, chatting her ears off already. Dave caught her looking back over her shoulder and winked.

Once in his study, Donati grabbed a bottle of his own wine and held it up. "This is my greatest creation," he said proudly.

"And why is that?" Dave grabbed the wine glass being handed to him and waited for him to answer.

"Because it took care of my family. Sage didn't tell you?"

Dave shook his head, "Not that much."

"When I was younger my dad had plans for me to be better than he was, an Italian man who felt like he couldn't climb the ladders in his own country. When I was twelve, New York became my city," he stopped to pour a little more wine in his own glass and took a sip, "Obviously, he was successful at it and raised an even better son, the rest was history." David felt like he was listening to an Italian version of the OG's he grew up with. His respect for him heightened in that moment as he listened to the background of the Baglio family.

"That's one of the biggest accomplishments I heard of," he said.

"Grazie, son. Now sip on the wine, how does it taste?" Wine was not Dave's preferred alcohol, he loved things stronger that made him feel even more invincible. Liquor he can actually mix with his coke and get a kick out of but firstly, that wasn't in his life anymore and secondly, this was Sage's father whom he respected so he tried it. "Tart?" The warm feeling slid down his throat and the bitterness danced on his taste buds, he nodded.

"This wine? Garnet colored and full-bodied which means you can already tell before tasting it how it'll taste...in other words, bitter, sour and so forth. This is a man's drink," Donati shared with him and they chuckled.

"How'd you get into wine?"

"It's a feeling, I remember how I felt taking my first sip at 12 years old, I tell you that was my biggest year. Wine is meditarranean culture. It kept me from being another statistic in New York as another Italian Don or mobster, even though during my time it was almost destined." He took a sip from the wine glass and sat on his pecan colored desk.

"I became a statistic. Maybe I should've sold a staple in Caribbean culture though, for real." The pair laughed at the joke but deep down inside Dave was serious. He wished he had a dad to guide him the right way, but that was never the case unfortunately. Even if the man didn't manage to get himself arrested for homicide, David wasn't confident he'd have the great leadership the men in the Baglio family had.

"So this business you run, not so professional?" Donati questioned but he already knew the answer. He had his suspicions since the lunch date he had with his daughter. For a while, he's been on a journey accepting things that he could not change. He sensed there was an alteration in his daughter's life after she fled their home. He wasn't mad or disappointed anymore, at himself or Sage, but he wondered where he went wrong for a long time.

He set a foundation for an even better life than the one he had but he understood the burning passion of true love. Him and his wife were a testament to it, although they didn't have Sage until they were well into their thirties. Donati brought a black woman home to his traditional Italian parents at the tender age of 18. One thing about him was that he was stubborn, something he clearly passed on to his one and only daughter. While his parents learned to accept Ezra for who she was and look at her beyond an outsider as the years went on, he felt that the beginning stages of the relationship disappointed them but made himself proud for being who he was authentically, to everyone. He was sure this is where Sage was in her life and he had to understand her now more than ever before their relationship worsened.

"Yeah...Ion know what she told you but all I know is I got myself into some shit way before I met her and she made my heart bleed. I never felt that way before," he said earnestly. There was no trace of sarcasm or wit, just a statement as raw and vulnerable which takes a man of maturity to profess.

"She didn't tell me much but she left our abode for you, I'm sure she felt safe. Thank you for that...for this. I missed her," Donati confessed. "I'm not sure of your story but you don't have to die by those numbers. You don't have to live as a statistic forever." And right there David thought Maybe some fathers are good, like he was going to be. He was sure of it.

***

The dinner table had so much food and an array of drinks, including Mr. Baglio's favorite wine from his own collection. Conversation was flowing between everyone as Ezra arranged the main course and appetizers in an aesthetically pleasing way. Sage couldn't help but miss her mother's cooking, she learned from her the skill of creating food with love and perfection but it's never the same. David placed his hands on Sage's thigh, giving it a small squeeze causing her to shoot him a warning look as if to say behave.

"I remember Sage was eight years old when I took her to the stable for the first time. I mean I had appointments lined up for the whole day so she could be taught, but she just would not get on the horses," Donati started as he placed a dinner roll on his plate. "Me and your mother cancelled everything for the rest of the day..."

"Yes and finally after five hours you decided to try riding the horses and you fucking loved it," Ezra finished for him.

"I actually miss horseback riding," Sage said matter of factly.

"Yes, figlia, you absolutely excelled and enjoyed it for years. Why'd you ever stop?"

"I don't know but we should all go take a visit. Dave, how'd you like to go?" Ezra nodded at her suggestion to revisit the old town in upstate New York. It was like an escape from the city when all three of them would go.

"Of course I'd go. Them guys scare me though yall gon' have to teach me." The members of the table erupted with laughter.

"Now what did you kids have to tell us folks?" Ezra asked peering up from her glass of water. The anticipation of the news was eating her up and she was ready for it now that priority things were discussed.

"Well.." Dave started but he was starting to believe maybe Sage should take the lead for this. It was hard because it was her parents but both of their baby.

"We're pregnant!" She rushed out before gulping down some sparkling water out of nervousness. In that moment, she could feel her heartbeat pulsing in her eardrums and her palms clamming up. She was going to rush to say more but she was at loss for words, what else is there to say?

"There's gonna be more of us," Ezra said as tears flew to her eyes again. She took the napkin from on her lap and patted lightly around her eyes, trying to absorb the tears without ruining her mascara.

Perhaps the most surprising reaction of them all was her dad who had a small smile chiseled on the corner of his lips. "I want nothing more but to be a part of my grandchild's life, if you let me, figlia..."

Dave's thumb went up and down her thigh, letting her know he had her support with whatever she chose. "Yes of course, dad." She knew that her relationship with him wasn't ever going to be perfect and she knew that they had to relearn each other and make up for lost time but in that instant, she needed to hear those words. For once he was regarding her feelings and gave her a choice in her own right for the first time ever.

"I love you, Sage. We both love you," he reminded her. He reached out his hand and she met him halfway.

"I love you guys too," and the tears came. Happy tears, tears of relief, and peaceful tears.

Endnote: Did you expect her parents' reaction at all? I actually enjoyed writing this chapter.