Susanne enveloped Miranda in a warm motherly hug. ‘You helped,’ she said. ‘I don’t know what we would’ve done without you, especially in the early days. But you’re right. It’s time to move on. For all of us.’
James stepped forward for his hug. ‘You’ve been marvellous,’ he said. ‘I’m not sure Mark would’ve been as loyal if things had been different. Susanne and I are looking into fostering kids in crisis. We’re ready now to be parents again, even if it’s only in temporary bursts.’
Miranda smiled through her tears. ‘Wow, that’s amazing. You’ll be fantastic at fostering. You’re wonderful parents. Mark was so lucky to have you. I’ve been lucky to have you.’
‘You’ll still have us,’ Susanne said, hugging Miranda again. ‘You’ll always have us. We’ll always be here for you.’
Miranda waved to them as she left, wondering if she would ever see them again, but then decided she would.
They would always have a special place in her life, just as Mark would.
* * *
Leandro couldn’t put it off any longer. He had to pack up Rosie’s room. Everything else had been seen to: the paintings had gone; the antiques were sold—apart from a few things he couldn’t bear to part with. His father’s walnut desk and the brass carriage clock that sat on the bookshelves nearby and gave that soothing tick-tock of time passing steadily by. The villa was an empty shell now everything had been taken away. The floors and corridors echoed as he walked along them. The rooms were like cold caves.
All except for Rosie’s room.
He opened the door and the memories hit him like a tidal wave...not of Rosie so much, but of Miranda standing in there with him. Of her standing with him, supporting him, understanding him. Loving him.
His eyes went to Flopsy. The silly rabbit had fallen over again. Leandro walked over and picked the toy up but, instead of putting it back against the pillows, he hugged it against his chest where a knot of tightly bound emotion was unravelling.
He had let Miranda leave.
How could he have done that when she was the only one he wanted to be with? She was the only one who understood his grief. The only one who understood how hard it was to move on from the past.
But at least she’d had the courage to do so.
He had baulked at it.
Seeing those pregnancy tests on the bathroom counter had thrown him. It had thrown him back to the past where he hadn’t been careful enough, not diligent enough, to protect his little sister.
But Miranda was right. It was time to move on. He hadn’t done anything deliberately. He had been a child—a small, innocent child.
He finally understood why his father had left him his most treasured possessions. His dad hadn’t been able to move on from the past but he had known Leandro would have the courage to do so.
He had the courage now. He had it in spades.
He was an adult now and he wanted the things most adults wanted. He wanted to love and be loved. He wanted to have a family. He wanted to build a future with someone who had the same values as he did.
Miranda was that person.
He loved her. He loved her with a love big enough to overcome the past. He loved her with a love that could withstand whatever life dished up. How could he have let her leave? Why had it taken him this long to see what was right before his eyes? Or had he known, always known, but shied away from it? Hadn’t he felt it the first time they kissed? The way her mouth met his, the way her arms looped around his neck, the way her body pressed into his, the way she responded to him with such passion and generosity.
He had been a fool to let her go. He had hurt her and the very last thing he wanted to do was that. Her pregnancy scare had thrown him. Terrified him. Shocked him into an emotional stasis. He had locked down. He hadn’t been able to process the enormity of his feelings. All the hopes and dreams he had been suppressing for all those years had hit him in the face when he’d seen that pregnancy test. It had been like a carrot being dangled in front of his nose: this is what you could have if only you had the courage to take it.
Speaking of carrots... Leandro smiled at the floppy-eared rabbit in his hands. ‘I think I’ve just found the perfect home for you.’
* * *
Miranda was on her way out to her car to meet Jaz at the boutique when she saw a dark blue BMW pull up. Her heart gave a little leap when she saw a tall figure unfold from behind the wheel. Leandro was carrying something in a bag but she couldn’t see what it was. She wondered if she had left something behind at the villa, as she had packed in rather a hurry. She didn’t allow herself to think he was here for any other reason. Her hopes had been elevated before and look how that had turned out.