DELLA

epilougue

One Year Later . . .

THE waves rocked and crashed onto the large rocks. I closed my eyes and took in the soothing sound, and salty brisk air. Christopher's hand slid to the small of my back. I opened my eyes and met his gaze.

Christopher dropped his eye into a wink, breaking into his dashing smile. I stroked his face and laid my head on his shoulder. He planted his chin atop of my head. A wave of fatigue had befallen me as I wrapped my arms around his torso.

The sky was still darkened, the world yet to wake from it's slumber. It was unbeknownst to me how a year has passed since the day Christopher asked me to be his wife. We held our small wedding ceremony at Papa and I's cottage.

It warmed my heart that Christopher suggested it to be there. All of his family was present, even my extended family. It was clear that Lady Stratford was still stuck in her own bitterness, but nonetheless I was happy she was there to witness the happiest day of my life.

All I could do was show her kindness, no matter how difficult she made it. She was still my mother's older sister.

After we got married, the Duke and Duchess of Brent were very generous in letting us live in one of their estates in the country. It was on a secluded cliff, alongside the ocean. Christopher and I decided to name it Rosewood.

It was perfect to even accommodate Papa as well. He lives in his own space on the third floor. I was grateful for the way Christopher's parents treated Papa and I. No doubt they both possessed a heart of gold.

Just as their son.

Every now and then Christopher had me read to him one of my love letters. He absolutely adored them. To this very day he was still laughing at me! But all I could do was break into a smile.

"Darling?" I felt the vibration of his deep voice. I hummed in reply as I opened my eyes.

"Will you sing?"

I lifted my head and looked at him with a slow curving smile, "Of course."

Christopher laid back on the cotton blanket that we were sat on, and I followed suit. He moved closer to me, laying on his side.

"Sing to us Lady Arlington," He laid a gentle hand on my stomach. My heart still fluttered at the sound of my new title.

I put my hand atop of his and began to sing the little lullaby by my mother. Since I only remembered very
little of the words, I filled it with my own.

I was only a couple weeks pregnant. But Christopher and I vowed that when we bring a child into this world, it will be into a home full of love. My stay at Moonriver was not an easy one, however it resulted in my self discovery.

The meeting of my husband, and a family bond that could never be broken. It was something that I would never forget. Something I wished to tell my unborn child one day. When I opened my eyes, Christopher was still staring at me with adoration. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I smiled.

Then, the sun rose.

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A/N - THE END

I really hoped you enjoyed Christopher & Della's love story! Thank you so much for the awesome, supportive comments I've received for this story.

I still have to go back and fix some mistakes I might have made, but I hope I did a decent job with writing this historical fiction.

This is my first time ever writing something like this.

I know I kind of fell off the grid for a while but I truly hope the ending makes up for it 😭

~ Kya V. Hill