Epilogue
Isabella
I wanted to tell Leo, but I didn’t know how to. He had been so busy lately with his business and I had been working hard with the charities. In the past year since we had been together, I had never kept a secret from him but now, I didn’t know what his reaction would be.
I believed that I knew my husband well. I knew that he was a good man, that he loved me more than life itself and Sofia was his rock. However, I also knew that he was a haunted man, troubled by his past and the things that papa had made him do. I knew that Leo had still not gotten over the brutal way that his parents were killed and how close he had come to losing me and Sofia, losing his own life.
I wasn’t sure if he would want to know the news I had to give him. I had been ill for a few days, and finally, the evening before; I had set up an appointment with my doctor for a checkup. What I suspected had come true and now I wasn’t sure if Leo would take the news well.
It was a Sunday and when I woke up, I could hear the voices of Leo and Sofia in the kitchen. I slipped on a robe and went to the kitchen and saw them at the kitchen table. Leo had an apron tied to his waist and he was flipping pancakes. Just seeing him and the way Sofia looked so happy, filled me with pride and joy. I rushed to him, kissing him softly on his lips and then I went to Sofia, showering her with kisses and hugs too.
“Pancakes for you, beautiful?” Leo asked, bringing over a plate of them to me.
I sat down beside Sofia while Leo made the coffee and I watched him moving around the kitchen.
Everything I had ever wanted in my life had come true in the last year. I knew that wherever mama was, wherever she was watching me from; she could see that I was happy…that I was leading the life she wanted to lead and the life she would have wanted for me.
“Daddy says that we can go to the zoo today!” Sofia squealed, interrupting my thoughts.
“He said that, did he?” I asked, looking at Leo as he brought my mug of coffee over. Leo shrugged and kissed me lightly on my forehead before he walked back to the remaining pancakes.
“We didn’t have any other plans for the day, did we?” he asked and I shook my head.
I had planned on telling him today, finding the perfect opportunity when we might find ourselves alone, but I thought now…it would have to wait another day.
***
At the zoo, Sophia ran ahead of us; just like she had on that day at the beach. Leo and I walked together, with his arm around me and I could sense him keeping a keen eye on Sofia. He was an overprotective father, always anxious if she was happy and safe at all times. Sometimes it broke my heart to think about the life he had led before this, how unhappy and sad he must have been as a child. How much he had trusted papa and looked up to him, and papa had made him do the most horrible things in turn.
Leo caught me looking at him and he kissed me.
“Something on your mind, beautiful?” he asked and I shook my head.
“No, just admiring my husband,” I replied.
Sofia stopped running, when she found the tigers enclosure and she stared through the iron rods at the tiger family, squealing with joy.
“Stay back, baby,” Leo called out to her as we walked in her direction.
“Mama! Daddy! Look! The lady tiger has so many babies. One…two…three…” Sofia was counting the tiger cubs and I felt my heart sinking as we watched her. Leo had a smile on his face as he looked at her daughter and I looked at him.
“I wish I had a brother or a sister too,” Sofia turned to us and pouted her lips. Leo chuckled and then looked at me, but I had been staring at him.
This was the moment, it had to be now. I gulped, feeling too anxious to keep looking at him.
“You won’t have to wait very long, baby, mama’s expecting a baby soon,” I said, looking at Sofia. I could sense Leo’s eyes on me. I knew that he was in shock. Sofia squealed with joy and hurled herself at me, wrapping her arms around my legs.
Slowly, I lifted my gaze up towards Leo whose eyes were fixed on me. He hadn’t said a word yet and I felt like my fears were coming true. He wasn’t happy.
But in the next instance, Leo’s face broke into a smile. He reached for my shoulders and pulled me close to himself, wrapping his big strong arms around me. He kissed my face, my lips, my eyes and then he was laughing.
“We’re having another baby?” he asked, staring into my eyes.
I couldn’t hold back the laughter either now and I nodded and laughed. Leo kissed me again and lifted me up in the air, twirling me around.
“We’re having another baby!” he shouted, making heads turn in our direction, while Sofia squealed and clapped her hands.
When he gently slid me back down, I kissed his neck. My face was flushed with excitement.
“I didn’t know if it would make you happy, Leo, I was afraid to tell you,” I said and he hooked a finger under my chin, lifting my face towards him.
“Are you crazy, Isabella? This is the happiest news you could have given me. I want nothing more than to grow our little family with you!” he exclaimed and as he held me in his arms, I knew everything was fine. The past was left behind and we were finally moving on.