Gently, Gael caressed my stomach as soon as he made it to me. “I think Sophia missed her daddy.”
“She’s been active this morning.”
Being seven months pregnant, Gael became more protective by the day as the birth of our child neared. He’d been very protective all along, but wanted to dote on me every chance he got. I was barely cleared to fly next week. Since I’d had an easy pregnancy, the doctors thought it’d be fine. Of course, Gael was worried
, but after enough research he’d come around to the idea. When we’d found out we were having a girl, we’d decided on the name Sophia Danielle Stowe.
The baby kicked up a storm as she felt and heard Gael. His eyes roamed to mine and were filled with love. He never tired of feeling her move.
“She did miss you. I think she’s already a daddy’s girl.”
Keeping his hand on my stomach, he kissed me. Our passion never faded for each other. “What did you want to show me?”
I flipped back over the picture. In it, a woman sat on a couch with a man beside her, a hand on her stomach. The look of love was the very same I’d seen moments ago in my husband’s eyes. Besides my lighter hair, I was a replica of Sophia. Gael favored Daniel even more so.
Excitedly, I rambled, “Gael, that’s Daniel and Sophia the day before he left on the ship. It’s them. It’s really them! I can’t believe we had this and didn’t know about it.”
“Wow.”
For a moment we looked at the couple in complete silence that was almost reverent. Their journey was unlike any other. As I ran my hands over their faces, I relived the moments from their life. Daniel and Sophia’s first meeting in the park, their tryst in the Garden, the time at Tybee Island, and their last beautiful moments they had before she was taken from this world.
Because of them, I had my happily ever after—the life I’d never dreamed of.
I was loved.
As I had done a million times before, I silently thanked Sophia and Daniel for all they had sacrificed for two hearts later in life to become one.
Gael finally spoke. “I feel like I know them.”
“Me, too.”
We looked down at my stomach and I realized Gael was in the same position Daniel had been in the picture. All had come around full circle. After all, weren’t all destinies predestined?
Three years later …
“DADDY! DADDY! DADDY!” Sophia ran into Gael’s Place to see her father before Erica and Dave came to pick her up. Tonight was the first time we would both be away from her while she stayed with them.
In a fluid movement, Gael caught Sophia and spun her around while little giggles erupted from her before Gael gave her a kiss on the cheek. She had Gael’s brown eyes and my features. To me she was the perfect combination of what I imagined Daniel and Sophia to look like.
Holding her close, Gael said, “Hello, princess. Are you headed to Gramma and Grampa’s?”
“Yes! I a big girl now. I get to sleep there. All night!”
Inside I was a nervous wreck, but knew it was time. A week ago, we planned the sleepover and since then that was all Sophia had been able to talk about.
My in-laws were fantastic and understood why I hadn’t been ready to let her stay overnight yet. With all that happened with my parents, I wanted to be there for Sophia. But I understood the importance of family. It was a balance. Once or twice a week, they picked up Sophia to take her on grandparent/grandkid dates.
She loved it. They loved it. I loved it.
It was good for us to have some time apart to allow Sophia to blossom. Plus, I had enrolled Sophia in a mother’s day out program twice a week in the mornings to meet friends and learn other social aspects. That was when Gale and I spent uninterrupted time together.
All I wanted to do was provide for the family I never had. And I was happy—truly happy.
Gael looked over at me and smiled. That beautiful smile always brought a flutter to my heart.
He kissed Sophia again. “You are a big girl.”
“And a big stister.”