Hidden in the Sheikh's Harem: Christmas at the Castello

‘Luca, this is my husband Leo. He came here to meet you.’

The other children had filtered into the room, all their attention on the man with the yo-yo. Leo continued to delight the children with more tricks and Luca sat resolutely by his side, telling all the other children that ‘the yo-yo man’ had come to meet him.

Before they knew it, the children were called to have lunch. As much as Dara wanted to stay there all day, she knew that now it was time for the official part of their visit.

As the lunch bell rang Luca’s eyes turned wide and he ran to her. He looked up at her with that uncertain expression she had come to recognise so well after more than three months of visits.

‘I promise that I will come back,’ she said solemnly.

Luca was a child of abandonment, so he regularly made her promise that she was coming back in their same special way. Dara held out her pinkie finger, letting him lock it with his own tiny one.

She felt a hand at her waist. Leo stood by her side, watching the exchange with interest. ‘Is this some secret handshake I don’t know about?’ he joked.

‘I can teach it to you too,’ Luca said quietly.

As Dara watched, her husband got down on his knees and promised the young boy that he would return. She felt a swell of love for this man who had helped her to overcome so much.

Leo straightened, and they waved as the boys ran in single file towards the lunchroom. Luca was the smallest of the lot.

‘It was so good of you both to visit us today.’ The friendly matron smiled as she welcomed them into her office. ‘I couldn’t help but notice your interest in little Luca,’ she said speculatively.

Dara turned to the woman, meeting her gaze. ‘My visits here haven’t been as selfless as I’ve made them out to be.’

‘You are a very kind woman, Dara. I don’t believe that you came here out of your own interests.’

‘Maybe not at first, but it has definitely become that way.’

‘I have watched your progress with Luca intently. You know his history. He came to us a very scared and lonely boy. Since your visits he has changed. He talks more with the other children...he is more confident. Your attention did that for him.’ She smiled again.

Leo stepped forward, taking Dara’s trembling hand in his own. ‘My wife and I would like to start proceedings to adopt Luca.’ He felt the enormity of the words as he spoke them.

The other woman’s eyes lit up with emotion and joy. ‘Oh, after yesterday and today I confess that I had started to hope. But our hopes get dashed here far too often.’

‘Our intentions are genuine. We would like to become Luca’s parents,’ Dara said. ‘We know that the process is long, but we believe he will be happy with us. That we can give him a good home.’

Tears filled the old matron’s eyes as she took one of Dara’s hands in her own. ‘You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you to realise that, Signora Valente.’

* * *

Dara stood by the fireplace, straightening the stockings and biting her lip. Was she jumping the gun by adding one smaller stocking beside their own two? She worried at her bottom lip for a moment, before making a final sweep of the living room. Piles of gifts lay stacked under the tree, ready to be torn open by eager little hands. She had wrapped each box painstakingly in bright paper with intricate bows. She wanted to make today as special as it could possibly be.

‘Dara, stop worrying. The place looks amazing.’ Leo strode into the living room, his hair lightly ruffled from being outside. ‘You’re going to have to get used to less organisation around here.’

‘I know. I’m just keeping busy.’ She sighed.

‘He’ll be here soon. You’ll be kept very busy for the weekend. Last chance... You’re sure you don’t want to hire a nanny?’ He smiled mischievously.

‘We will do just fine on our own.’ Dara laughed as Leo swept her into his arms. ‘He’s just one little boy—how much work could he be?’

‘I have feeling those are brave last words.’

She felt the excitement and the nerves coursing through him just as they did inside her. Leo pressed his mouth to hers softly, tracing the outline of her lips with own. She twined her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck and sighed as he deepened the kiss, moulding his hands tightly to her waist. He shaped his body closely against hers, the warmth of him pressing hard against her.

She wanted to remember this moment for ever. Kissing the man she loved, here, in the home they had created, as they waited to welcome their son to his new home for the first time.