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“I love you too, Camila Godoy. I never knew love like this, but you and Ava have shown me that love is possible for me. I can be a better man because of you. You’re my entire universe.”
We kiss, unhurriedly, letting our emotions flow as I ease myself into one of my favorite places in the world: inside the woman of my dreams—my wife.
Chapter 28
Camila Flores
The warmth of Vicente’s body still lingers on my skin as I slip out of bed, wrapping his shirt around me. The moonlight streaming through the curtains casts a soft glow over our tangled sheets.
My body hums with satisfaction, but my heart tugs me toward the one person I need to check on before I can rest.
Ava.
I quietly step out of our room, walking down the hall toward hers. As I push the door open, I find her curled up in bed, her plush duckie tucked beneath her chin.
Just as I’m about to turn to leave, she moves. Her sleepy eyes blink up at me before she reaches for my hand.
“Mummy, do you think Vicente really likes me?” she asks, her voice small and unsure.
“Ava,” I whisper, holding her cheek in one of my palms. “Of course he does. I don’t think he could be such a good actor and fake the way he enjoys spending time with you.”
She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
“Ava, baby, you need to tell Mummy why you think he doesn’t like you?”
Panic starts rising through me. Has he done or said something for Ava to think this way?
“It’s just…” she starts but doesn’t continue.
A million alarm sirens going off in my head.
“It’s just that he calls you ‘wife,’ but he still calls me ‘duckling.’ He doesn’t call me ‘daughter,’” Ava says, her voice breaking as she dissolves into sobs.
My heart shatters into a million pieces. My sweet baby is feeling left out.
I’d love for Ava and Vicente’s relationship to grow stronger, for them to have a true father-daughter bond someday. But everything has happened so quickly, I don’t want to pressure Vicente into something he’s not ready for yet.
Ava’s cries echo through the house, sharp and heart-wrenching.
“Duckling, are you alright?” Vicente barrels through her bedroom door, his voice filled with concern.
Ava’s sobs intensify, and his panic quickly mirrors mine. He crosses the room in seconds, settling on the other side of her bed.
“What’s going on?” he asks, his eyes darting to me.
I can’t seem to speak, the lump in my throat feels like it’s choking me.
Ava looks at me with questioning eyes, and I nod. It’s best to tackle this head on. Him being here can only mean one thing.
After wiping her eyes, Ava grabs the plushie duck Vicente gave her. Looking up at him through her lashes, she says, “I was telling Mummy that I’m not sure if you like me.”
The panic on Vicente’s face melts into something tender. This man—he’s incredible.
“Why would you think that?” he asks, curiously.
Ava turns to face me instead. I sit down on her bed, and she immediately climbs in my lap.
“Can you tell him, Mummy?” she asks, wrapping her little arms around my shoulders and hiding her face in my chest.