Page 82 of The Billionaire's Baby Surprise
“No, no, no,” Maria interjected then, having arrived with Raf to catch the tail end of their words. “Nobody else is moving to New York. London is far enough. Moricosia acceptable, because of circumstances,” she conceded to Sofia. “As for Singapore, that’s completely impossible to bear,” she aimed at Salvatore and Emme, softening the rebuke with a small smile. Though things had long ago been patched up, it was known that Maria felt a deep, abiding regret for having tried to break up Salvatore and Emme because of an ancient feud. “Italy is best of all.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear you say that,” Elodie murmured, as Raf moved to the empty seat at her side and draped a hand over her shoulders. “Because I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be, right now.”
“You mean for your honeymoon?”
She turned and looked at Raf, reading his face. They hadn’t really discussed what came next. He had homes all over the world, their options were plenty. And yet, Elodie knew where they belonged, where her heart wanted to be.
“No, I think I mean to live.”
Raf smiled at her and nodded, but whatever reply he was going to make was swallowed by Maria’s whoop of joy.
“And you’ll be so close to me. I can help with the babies.” She clapped her hands but then quickly dropped them, as her eyes landed on Elodie’s parents. Elodie winced inwardly at what might have been perceived as thoughtlessness, in announcing an international move without checking with them first.
“Oh, we are thrilled,” Genevieve Finch said, lifting a hand placatingly. “All we’ve ever wanted is for Elodie to follow her dreams. Her own dreams,” she added. “Besides, we can come visit.”
“You are welcome any time,” Elodie said, and Raf echoed the sentiment a moment later.
“Oh, yes,” Maria said, clapping her hands together. “And you must come and stay with us as well. You will have two homes in Italy to use whenever you wish. We have plenty of space.”
“Yes, you must come often,” Gianni called, from the piano. “Becausefamiglia…”
“è tutto,” the whole crowd chimed in, laughing at his well-known phrase, laughing with happiness, and love, and a warm sense of absolute belonging wrapping around them.
Elodie sighed, her contentment more than she’d ever really hoped for, more than she’d known possible. But with Raf, anything and everything was possible. Just by being together, they’d opened up the entire world to each other—love was, and always would be, their guiding light.
The babies were borna month early, two beautiful girls, only six minutes apart. They named one Aria, for the songs that Raf so dearly loved to hear Elodie sing, and the other Stella, for the stars that had imprinted on Elodie’s soul, when in the Italian villa, and they’d spent their nights by the pool, staring up at the heavens.
All of their family travelled for the births. Though the babies spent the first two weeks of their lives in an Italian hospital, needing a little help with their breathing, they were strong, healthy and robust, and when they came home, they had frequent visitors to act as spare pairs of hands to hold them. Elodie was, in her heart, happiest of all when it was just Raf and herself, along with their girls, but of course, she also loved having their family visit. Finally, though, a month and a half after the twins’ birth, all of their visitors left, and it was just the four of them.
“My family,” Raf said, cuddling in beside Elodie, who was watching the two girls sleep in their bassinets.
“They’re so perfect.”
“You all are. My girls.”
She sighed and turned to him. “Isn’t it strange, that I already feel like I want another one?”
He arched a quizzical brow. “Another baby?”
“Not right away,” she hastened to add. “But when I look at them, I just feel so much in my heart, I can’t imagine not feeling that again and again. I…always wanted a big family,” she said, though he knew that, because of course they had discussed everything that was in their hearts and their pasts.
“And you know I want what you want.”
“But do you really want it?”
“Darling, I feel as you do. I look at their perfect little faces and think I want ten more. At least.”
She laughed. “Okay, go easy. Not that many. Maybe two more. Or three.”
“Let’s get to five and see how we feel.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal, Mr Santoro.”
“I’m glad to hear it, Mrs Santoro. Now, how about that foot rub?”
In the end,it turned out five was the perfect number. After Aria and Stella came Luca, Fiero and a dainty little Maria, named for her great Aunt, a beloved, important person to all of the Santoros. The family kept growing, reshaping and expanding. Over the years, Salvatore’s wife Emme’s relationship with her own family thawed, to the point it became warm, and then close again, and it was the most natural thing in the world for her to insist on both the Valentinos and Santoros moving past the ancient blood grudge that had separated them for so long. The historic enmity was laid to rest, and out of the embers of that rivalry came a great business partnership. Dante Santoro and Max Valentino were reluctant, at first, but the more they worked together, the more they saw a shared view of the world, complementary skills, and their similarities turned into respect, and then, true friendship.
As for Genevieve and Frank Finch, they travelled to Italy so often that Raf insisted on building a house on their estate, so that they could be on hand to see the children grow up. All five of their little ones would run the not-short distance across thefields to Nanny and Poppy’s house, to have afternoon tea with scones, jam and cream.
About a year after Elodie and Raf’s wedding, when they were in the throes of coming to terms with rapidly-growing twin babies, she received word that Aaron was engaged to the woman who’d been helping him run lines, on the very afternoon Elodie and Raf finally admitted their love. A fellow aspiring stage actress, she and Aaron might have lived a life of struggle, were it not for a generous benefactor who funded a production just off West End, and insisted on them both being cast as leads. It was the birth of their careers—the show was a success, no doubt in part because the same generous benefactor also pulled strings to get every reputable newspaper reviewer, as well as online influencers, attending the glamorous and lavish opening night. The show became a sensation, tickets were impossible to get, and two stars were born.
All was right in the world, for the Santoros, the Valentinos, and especially for Elodie and Raf.
THE END