He sobered again. “You really think I can do this?”
“You saved me from a monster in Nawaka, you saved me from gunmen on Althea, and you saved me again tonight. Fatherhood will be a piece of cake.” She kissed away his doubt, then kissed him again for the pure joy of it.
“Baby?” He rubbed his forehead against hers.
“Hmmm?”
“Why the hell are your fingers crossed? I can see them in the mirror.”
She quickly uncrossed them. “I’m part Irish. Crossing fingers is a tradition for luck.”
His gave a husky laugh. “We have a tradition in Greece, too.”
“Yeah, what’s that?”
“Before you contemplate parenthood, you need to practice often. Very, very often.” He toppled her back onto the bed and proceeded to relieve her of her robe.
“Hmm, I think I like that tradition.”
When they lay sated hours later, she toyed with the hair on his chest.
“How many babies do you want, when we get around to it?” she asked dreamily.
“Four is a nice figure—two boys, two girls. I’m not fussy in which order. And we get to choose their names with absolutely no input from your parents,” he replied with a grin.
Bliss seeped soul-deep. “I’ll make sure my parents are kept out of the name choosing. But…four children, that’s a lot of work. You know that, don’t you?”
“I feel confident we’re more than capable of rising to any challenge.”
She couldn’t stop tears of joy trickling down her face. “God, Nick, I love you so much it hurts.”
“Which is exactly how it should be, agapi mou, because it’s the same way I love you.”
She closed her eyes and knew perfect contentment.
Her dreams had all come true.