Epilogue
Lucia
Two years later…
Ismile at Alejandro as he approaches Mia and me.
We’re having one of our picnics by the lake. I still kept up the tradition even though we have a part-time nanny who takes care of her while I’m at work.
As soon as I get home, this is what we do. We escape into our world of fantasy, and I wait for my prince to come home.
Mia runs to Alejandro as soon as she sees him.
He picks her up and spins her around, then my husband sets his gaze on me.
The smile he gives me is the one he gave me on our wedding day.
One year ago, as we took our vows, he smiled at me like I was his world. I only hope he thought the same of me because he is mine.
I have news for him I think he’ll like.
I get up and walk over to him to, and he pulls me close to his heart and straight to his lips for a kiss.
“How are my girls?” he asks.
“Perfect.” I nod.
“Please tell me you took time off work to go to the doctor’s.” He gives me a pensive stare. “Your father is going to have my head if he calls tonight and you’re as sick as you were last night.”
I giggle. “He won’t.”
“Bonita, he thinks my cooking poisoned you.” He pretends to pout. That makes Mia and me laugh. It’s funny to see him when he’s like this, not the big, bad Cartel King everyone else knows him to be. “I know it didn’t. I did everything right, and the rest of us are fine.”
“It wasn’t your cooking that made me sick,” I rub my nose against his.
It wasn’t the food at work that made me sick either, like I originally thought. I work as a language teacher at St. Nicholas, one of the international schools in São Paulo. Dad works with Alejandro at Equibras. He sold the house with all the painful memories in New York and moved here to be closer to us. That means he’s here for dinner once a week. Last night was that night, and my father tends to panic when I get sick.
“I did go to the doctor’s,” I add.
“And what did they say?” His eyes hold me still.
“I’m pregnant.”
The expression on his face is one I’ve never seen. It’s a mixture of happiness, shock, and everything he ever wished for coming true.
“Oh my God. You’re pregnant.”
I nod. “I’m three weeks. The doctor wants me to go back in for more tests, but if all goes well, we should have another baby next year.”
“Mama, can I hold the baby?” Mia bubbles. I never corrected her when she started calling me Mama, and I never will.
“Yes, baby girl, you can.”
“This is the best news,” Alejandro says, pulling me closer. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to us. To me.”
“You, too. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”