Page 141 of Stronger Than Fate

EPILOGUE 2

“Love doesn't mean gazing at each other; it means looking together in the same direction”

—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

4 years later

“Daddy, daddy, Noah won’t let me play with the ball,” Olivia complained, as she ran stumbling and with an angry face toward Henry.

A year after we got married I had become pregnant with twins, Noah and Olivia. Henry was so in love with his children that he wanted to fill the house with kids, and at that moment I was three months pregnant again, expecting a boy.

We had moved to a large, beautiful house and we loved the backyard with its grass and trees. That’s where we were at that moment, lying on a blanket and enjoying the sun and our family. Henry was lying on the blanket looking up and I was beside him with my head resting on his chest.

“Our peace is over,” he said, laughing.

“Are you sure you want to have another one after the one on the way?” I asked with a smile, as we sat up to receive Oli.

“I have no doubts, look at them, they’re a little piece of us, although these two got the devilish part,” he commented, while opening his arms to receive his daughter as Oli threw herself at him and we all laughed.

“What’s happening, my little love?” Henry asked Oli, while stroking her hair, as black as his own.

The twins were a carbon copy of Henry, both with black hair and blue eyes.

In her father’s arms, Oli forgot her anger and began to cover him with kisses. Henry put her on his lap and started tickling her while she laughed and squirmed to break free. Hearing the laughter, Noah came running toward us and also threw himself on his father, who fell back on the blanket pretending to be defeated.

“You got me, I surrender, I surrender!” Henry shouted.

“Great! You beat daddy, you beat the champion!” I said, laughing.

The little ones came over to me, laughing and hugged me tightly, covering my face with kisses, then ran off and started playing ball together.

Henry looked at me and stretched out his hand for me to take it, then pulled me to fall into his arms.

“After this shameful defeat, am I still your champion?”

“You’ll always be my champion,” I affirmed, and gave him a soft kiss on the lips, but Henry deepened the kiss and it ended up being a passionate one.

“Will there ever be a day when we arrive and don’t find you like this?” said Niky, laughing, as she approached us along with my mother-in-law, who was also laughing.

“Hello, Niky; hello, Rose, how lovely to see you,” I greeted them, while moving away from Henry and getting up to welcome them.

“Hello, children. We came because we were in the area and really wanted to see you,” said Rose.

“And you did well. Can you stay a while watching the twins? Because Dalina is a bit tired and I want to accompany her,” Henry stated, and I looked at him surprised while Niky and his mother burst into loud laughter.

“Do you really think we’re so naive and innocent to believe what you just made up?” said Niky, laughing.

“Go, go, children. Take advantage that we’re here and ‘rest’ peacefully,” said Rose, giving us a wink. “What could be nicer than being with my grandchildren?”

“Thank you, mom,” said Henry, with a big smile.

“Excuse us. See you in a bit,” I affirmed, and Rose looked at me and smiled.

“Where are auntie’s little devils?” shouted Niky, heading toward the twins who were already starting to run in her direction.

Henry took my hand and began pulling me toward the house.

“Those two couldn’t have been more timely,” he said, smiling. “I’m going to take off that little dress you’re wearing because it’s driving me crazy with desire,” he stated, looking at me with that dark gaze I knew so well, and he picked me up and carried me to the bedroom.

When we arrived he placed me very carefully on the bed and got on top of me to kiss me sweetly.

“I love you, my Dalina, you are the love of my life, you are my life. When I have you in my arms I feel like the most powerful man in the world, and when I hear you say it to me, I know that I am. Your love makes me strong, makes me immortal. Say it to me.”

“I love you, love of my life, my champion,” I affirmed, caressing his face tenderly.

“I can’t ask for more from life, that’s enough for me.”

Henry smiled with that gleam in his eyes that he always had when I told him I loved him. He lowered his lips to mine and we kissed with open hearts, pouring into that kiss all the immense love and passion we felt, pouring our very beings into that kiss.