Epilogue
Bianca
Four months later
The wails of her first cries bring tears to my eyes.
“Here she is, Mamá,” Dr. Fernando says, placing my baby girl on my chest.
“Oh, my baby,” I whisper, gliding my finger over her rosy cheek, her sweet nose, her little chin. “Oh, you’re perfect.”
“You did it, Bee,” Niko says, brushing my hair back from my face and peering at our daughter.
“We did it,” I whisper, not taking my eyes off her.
“What shall we name her?” Niko asks, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.
“Athena,” I say.
“The Goddess of War?” he recalls my words from long ago.
“And wisdom,” I remind him, catching his gaze.
Niko smiles, his blue eyes bright with emotion. “Athena,” he repeats.
“Alice,” I add. “Athena Alice. After my mother.”
“A beautiful name for a beautiful babe,” Niko breathes. He rests his hand on top of Athena’s back and for a moment, peace washes over me.
This is my family. My entire heart. Something I never could have imagined, but now that it’s here, I could never want for anything more.
“I’m going to go update the waiting room,” Niko says a few minutes later.
I grin. “Luca must be a nervous wreck.”
“Pacing the halls,” Niko agrees. “My mother is still flip-flopping between MarMar and Mimi. Baba, Dimi, and Carla are playing Uno. And my sister is calling every five to seven minutes to check in.”
“Go tell them our wonderful news.”
Niko leans down and presses a kiss to my forehead before dipping lower to kiss Athena. “Welcome to the world, my little honeybee. We’re going to have the greatest adventure.”
I watch him slip out of the hospital room and adjust Athena on my chest.
“Hi, baby girl,” I coo. “It’s me and you for always, okay? Me, you, and your daddy. How lucky we are.”
As I snuggle my daughter and breathe in her sweet scent, I relax into the moment.
I’ve made peace with my past and have let the shame and guilt go.
I’m fully engaged in my present, wanting to soak up every moment with Athena.
And I’ve never been more hopeful about my future and the life Niko and I are creating together.