When The Brazilian Returns

Epilogue Part 16

Davi stood back and watched his wife navigate the room at her Hong Kong book launch. Pride threatened to burst out of his chest and bounce around the room. She was finally fulfilling her dreams and he had watched with wonder as the woman he loved beyond earthly boundaries had flourished and bloomed with her success. She continued to amaze him with the depths of her love and passion and he told himself everyday how lucky he was that she had promised to spend her life with him.

Ava turned her head, searching for him in the crowd and finding him she beamed. But he saw the tiredness in her face and moved towards her.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, sorry to interrupt, but I need to take my wife home." His arm went around her waist and his free hand rubbed her protruding stomach protectively. "My very pregnant wife."

#

"Oh, god. That's sooo good." Her eyelids shuttered for a second before her gaze rested on her husband. "I hit the husband jackpot. You, my love, are the standard to which all other husbands will forever fail to live up to."

"I certainly hope you're referring to other women's husbands. Because just in case I haven't already made this absolutely, abundantly clear, I will never let you, my beautiful, talented, mother-of-my-child-to-be, go. Ever." He smiled at her, squeezing her feet gently, his eyes shining bright, projecting his love for her. Ava absorbed every angle of his handsome face, collecting another moment to remember forever.

"That's just as well, because I will never leave."

#

The next evening, they satin their favourite spot on the balcony watching the magnificent sunset over HongKong, basking in the dying warmth of the day. Ava was nestled between Davi'slegs on the huge outdoor lounger and he finally brought up the question he'dbeen avoiding for some time. "What do you want to do about yourfather?"

Ava sighed, torn between the conflicting emotions her father engendered. She had only engaged in an infrequent and stilted exchange of emails since the day he had told her the truth and she was finding it difficult to forgive him.

Davi wrapped his arms further around her, resting his large hands over her pregnant belly. "As our child grows inside you, my love for him or her is growing at a phenomenal speed. I already feel so protective about that little piece of you and me that I would do absolutely anything to protect it from even one tear of pain or sadness. It makes me understand the desperate lengths a man will go to give his child the happiest life they could possibly have." He kissed the top of her head.

"You think we should forgive him? Let him back into our lives?" His words had stunned her but she shouldn't have been surprised. This man's capacity for love, forgiveness and compassion was limitless. He was her inspiration.

"He has already atoned for his behaviour. He made sure we got back together. And whatever his faults, the underlying reason behind them is an all-consuming love. I think our child needs a grandfather with that much love to give."

Ava squeezed her arms tighter around her husband's powerful thighs and thanked god for bringing him into her life.

"Our child is going to be the luckiest in the world because you are already a better father than anyone could be. I love you, Davi Cavalcanti. They haven't invented a word yet to express how much. I'll email my father and tell him he can come to visit in a month, as soon as this little tike is in the world." She patted the top of his hands encircling her stomach.

Davi leaned his head forward over her shoulder, their cheeks pressing together as he addressed their unborn child. "Hey, little one, don't you stay in there for more than a month, OK? Mummy and Daddy can't wait any longer to meet you."

Ava pressed her cheek closer against his and released a sigh brimming with the happiness of her life. "There's just one thing we need to do to make life perfect."

"What's that, baby? Just name and it's done."

"Now that the final book launch is over, you're research centre is up and running, after we get settled with the baby, we finally need to decorate this house."

"Ah. Yes, we do."

"You know the first time you brought me here, I was surprised that you hadn't done anything to it."

Davi smiled. "Because this was our dream home. I was waiting for you, waiting us to be a family so that we could decorate our dream together."

Ava smiled and knew that she was the luckiest and happiest woman in the universe.

The End