The Romani prince crashed into my life with his bad boy looks and reputation, invading my heart with his poetic and passionate soul... And then, he was gone...
I close my eyes and sigh. "This feels so good. Here, just like this..."
Luka caresses...
Mina brings one of the new puppies in front of the camera with a giant grin on her face.
"They're so adorable! I could eat them all up!"
I have to laugh.
"Please, don't. I'm too exhausted to get my ass on a plane and come bail you out of jail."
I stare at the laptop screen with a smile.
"Hah! Gertie would kill me first."
"And with reason, crazy girl!"
Mina kisses the puppy's nose before putting him down. "But, seriously, I want to keep them all!"
"That would drive your parents insane. Which one is yours?"
Mina seems to be searching for something around her feet. "Where's that little rascal?"
I laugh, again. "Ohmygod! You're even starting to sound like Gertie!"
Mona shows me her tongue. I miss her so much.
"Here!"
She brings another cutie to the screen. "Meet Bella. My baby."
Bella licks her nose and Mina coos, delighted.
Zed sniffs the screen with a little confused whimper.
I rub his ears and Zed opens his mouth in that canine smile of his.
"Zed and I can't wait to meet her."
Mina giggles, cuddling with the puppy.
"When are you coming home?"
Mina puts the puppy down on the floor and gives me a sheepish look. "Well, about that..."
"Mina?" I narrow my eyes at her.
"There's been a... development that will delay my departure just a little bit."
*Gasp*
"Did he?"
With a burst of giggles, Mina presents me with her hand in front of her face and an enormous engagement ring on her finger.
"Ohmygod! That's almost indecent!"
Mina studies her own ring. "I know, right? I could easily kill someone with this! I'm sooo happy!"
Mina bounces up and down like an excited little girl.
Placing a hand over my heart, I feel pure joy for two of my favorite people in the world.
I'm all "ooos" and "ahhs" as Mina tells me every detail of how Jeremy proposed to her.
"Mina! I'm so, so happy for you two! When? Where? I can't wait to help you plan everything!"
"I can hear you from outside. Who are you talking to? Gaby?"
"Jeremy?"
His handsome face comes into view when he drops a loud and sloppy kiss to Mina's cheek. The two stare at each other and the emotions I see pouring from their eyes tell me everything I need to know...
True love.
No contracts. No obsession.
Somehow, I believe that it was my destiny to bring them together and, as much as it hurts me to be reminded of what I lost, the love that I feel for their own love is so much stronger.
Still, I can't help but feel like a third wheel, all of a sudden.
"Guys? I got to go. I have a doctor's appointment in a couple of hours. When will I see you?"
"We'll be there in two weeks, Gaby. How have you been feeling?" Jeremy asks.
"You're not at the cottage, all alone. Are you?" Mina looks concerned.
I raise my eyebrows and slightly slant my head, looking for an answer that won't trigger the mother hen in her.
"Gaby!"
Too late.
"You shouldn't be there, all by yourself." Jeremy admonishes me.
"I'm perfectly fine, you two! Raul and his grandmother come to check on me every day. Stop worrying!"
"I don't like it and you know it." Mina pouts.
"Yes, mother, I know. But Camille will arrive in a week, and I... want to be here for as long as I can."
There's a moment of quiet acknowledgment... Of course, they understand.
Our little cottage... My little haven.
"Alright, then... We'll call you tomorrow, again. We miss you, little bird."
"I miss you too! So much! Send my love to Gertie."
We exchange more goodbyes and the call is over.
For a long and lingering moment, I stare at the picture on my screen...
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The tip of my fingers tracing the lines of the face that I miss more than anything in this world.
That familiar tug in my heart making its presence known, yet again.
How I miss waking up in his arms, in his warmth...
Losing myself into his loving eyes...
I close my eyes, hearing his whisper in my ear.
"This is us, dragostea mea..."
Yes...
Us.
I slide the laptop down from my lap to my side on the bed. My eyes still holding on to his image while feeling him all around me... and inside me.
Tenderly, my hands rest on the huge bump of my stomach, caressing it ever so gently.
