Page 146 of Family Bonds- Gabriela & Luca

“I love you, Luca. I’m worried about you. Or I was. I guess I still am, but not as much.”

He laughed. “Make up your mind.”

“I am, but I think seeing you, I’m better. I know you’re not hiding behind something else.”

He shook his head. “No. I’m not doing that again. It hurts. Last night… I won’t lie and say how bad it was in the moment. Even thinking of it now. It will take time, but it will lessen. It wasn’t meant. That doesn’t mean there isn’t another day for that hope though.”

She smiled, her arms going around his neck. “That’s right. My mother called me this morning. The news reached her. I thought to myself how lucky I was to have that kind of support in my life. That you had the same.”

“I do.”

“And I was going to make damn sure you knew I was there for you too. For whatever it was you needed from me, I’d be there. But I won’t be giving you space. If you need me to be your funny sidekick while you process everything, I can do that. If you needlots of hugs, I’m right there too. But I’m not letting you do it alone.”

He leaned in to kiss her. “You were just as invested as me, Gabriela. I know it. Admit it. You were seeing this baby as yours. As ours.”

She held her fingers up in a pinch. “There was a part of me that was starting to feel it, but I told myself not to get caught up... not yet.”

“It didn’t work though, did it?”

She blew a breath out. “No. But you were closer to it. Closer to Taylor.”

Because she’d stepped back and let him go through the process without interference to prolong it.

“I was, but you were right there with me. You’re grieving just as much and trying not to let me see it. It won’t trigger me. I promise you that. We’ll get through this together.”

“We will,” she said, pulling him into her arms, glad to know she didn’t have to try to hold back for him. “Because we’ve got each other.”

“We do.”

“My mother worried that this was a big thing in our relationship. The first. And how we’d handle it. I have complete confidence in our ability. Do you?”

He laughed. “You’re not cocky in the least.”

“Nope. But in all seriousness, Luca. Laughing now doesn’t mean it’s over by any means.”

“No. It’s going to come in waves until we move to the next step. It takes time, but time we’ve got.”

“And I’ll give it to you as you’ll give it to me. And in between those waves, don’t hold your breath. Don’t worry you’ll drown. I want you to reach for me. I want you to know I can be your life vest.”

“And I can be yours,” he said. “I didn’t have this before in my marriage. Not like I should have. I carried us both. I was used to doing it.”

“Don’t get used to it. That’s not how I work. We can shoulder it together.” She flexed. “I’ve got some pretty sick shoulders here. And this guy I’m in love with, he’s been teaching me how to lift properly now.”

He tapped her on the nose. “It’s because this woman I love, she’s a fast learner.”

“Which is why we are so perfect for each other.”

“Through the ups and downs,” he said.

Her hand went to his cheek. No laughter. No jokes.

Nothing but love.

“Because that’s life. And as long as there is love, there is hope.”

“And there is us.” He lowered his head and kissed her with all the tenderness that she’d never experienced before and it was more powerful than the lust they shared.

Because this was what love truly meant and she finally found it!