Emilia sat up. “Tía Stephani . . .” Her little brows pulled together. “Is that what we should still call you?”
“If that’s what you
like.”
Max sat up, too. “We wondered if you wanted us to call you Mama,” he said quietly.
She sat down on Max’s bed, and looked over at Emilia in hers. “I love you both very much, and I would love to be your mama. But you don’t have to call me that if it feels wrong. I loved your mama very much. And we’re always going to remember her, okay?”
Emilia nodded quickly, and Max let out what sounded like a relieved sigh.
“Now, you two have had a busy day. Get some sleep, and your papa and I will see you in the morning.”
Once they closed the nursery door, they went hand in hand to his suite. “What you did just now . . .” Raoul said, shaking his head.
“It was okay?”
“It was perfect. They love you too, Steph. Giving them time and acceptance is just what they needed.”
They shut the door behind them. “And how about you? Do you need time?”
He shook his head, his dark eyes glittering. “I think I’ve wasted enough time being a fool, don’t you?”
She reached up and untied his bowtie, tugging on the ends gently, watching as his throat bobbed as he swallowed.
“So, Señor Navarro. ¿Como estas?”
He smiled down at her. “Muy bien, gracias, Señora Navarro. ¿Y tú?”
She cupped his face in her hands and drew him down for a kiss. “Yo me siento completa, mi amor.”
“Me too,” he whispered. “Me too.”