EPILOGUE ONE
GIOVANNI
The sun filters through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the bedroom.
Liliana sits by the window, her belly heavy and round beneath the delicate fabric of her dress.
She is blossoming in a way that makes my breath catch every time I look at her — radiant, strong, as beautiful as ever despite all she’s endured.
Five months have passed since that dark day in the dungeon, and she’s come back to life in front of me.
I step inside quietly, returning from my first business trip since her kidnapping.
Leaving her alone was torture, every mile traveled a wound to my heart, but I needed to secure what our future demands.
Now, standing here in the warmth of this room, watching her, I am home.
Relief washes over me as her face lights up at my presence.
“Gio…Giovanni!” Her voice is clearer and stronger now. It's no longer the fragile, slurred whisper it used to be. Her therapist said that if she had been seen earlier in her life, she would have already improved significantly.
She walks toward me, hands reaching out, and I close the gap, pulling her into my arms. The scent of lavender clings to her hair, and I breathe it in deeply, memorizing how she feels in my embrace.
She presses a gentle hand against my chest, eyes shining, then pulls back and signs, “I missed you.”
I encourage her to use her words, and she does, no longer embarrassed to do so with me. The words catch in my throat because I’ve missed her with a desperation I never thought I’d feel again. Her voice is no longer just sounds; it carries meaning, life, and proof of her healing.
I brush my lips against her forehead, whispering, “I missed you more.” The weight of the past months is finally lifting, replaced by the promise of what’s to come.
Liliana steps back slightly, her hand resting protectively on her belly. “wo..wook.” She smiles, a mixture of pride and joy lighting her face. I can say it properly now. I have been practicing. She signs.
“What have you been practicing, you little minx?” I tease.
Then she opens her mouth and the sweetest words I have ever heard flow out. “I love you.”
The three words, simple and perfect, hit me like a tidal wave. I swallow hard, my throat tight, as tears prick at the corners of my eyes. Her voice is returning, bringing with it the person I fought so hard to save.
“I love you too,” I say, my voice rough with emotion. I reach out, pulling her close once more. “More than anything.”
Her fingers lace with mine, the connection electric. I kiss her slowly, reverently, tasting the promise of a future built on this fragile but unbreakable love. The room fades away until there’s nothing but us.
We sink onto the bed, wrapped in each other’s arms, a cocoon of warmth and healing. I trace the outline of her swollen belly, marveling at the life growing inside her. The twins move beneath my hand, tiny reminders of hope and resilience.
Her breath hitches against my neck as my lips follow a path of kisses down her shoulder, and I feel the stirring of desire tempered by tenderness. Liliana’s eyes meet mine, bright and clear, and she pulls me back into a kiss that is both gentle and urgent.
The world contracts until it’s just the two of us, the long months of fear and pain dissolving into the soft heat of this moment. Our lips part briefly, and she whispers, “Giovanni…”
Before I can respond, she gasps sharply, her body tensing beneath me. Her eyes widen with surprise and a sudden rush of panic. She signs frantically. My water… it broke.
The words hit like a shockwave, and I look down, seeing the dampness spreading across her dress, the reality crashing over me.
The twins are coming, now, and my heart races, a mix of joy and panic.
I scoop her into my arms, her weight familiar, precious, and move swiftly, calling for Maria as I carry her to the bedroom. She had opted for a home birth, and knowing her aversion to hospitals, I had agreed. I want my wife to feel comfortable when she faces the most important battle of her life.
“It’s time, cara,” I say, my voice steady despite the storm inside me, and she nods, her hands gripping mine, her eyes wide but trusting.
I lay her on the bed, the golden light of dusk casting her in a glow that makes her look like a goddess, and I kiss her once, fiercely, before stepping back to let Maria prepare.
The midwife is on her way, the estate buzzing with quiet urgency, but I stay by Liliana’s side, my hand in hers, my love for her a fortress against the uncertainty.
Our twins are coming, and with her voice, her strength, her love, I know we’re ready, that we’ve survived the worst to reach this moment, this beginning, together.