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"I don’t know how I’m going to cope with being away from her the whole day," he groaned, and I laughed and shook my head.
"You’ll find a way," I replied. "You know how important this is …"
I was right. Today was seriously important, especially for me. When I had contended with joining the Caroni family as Alex’s partner—soon to be wife, when we finally found the time to marry, though we were in no rush—I'd wanted to make a difference with the power and influence I had at my fingertips. And I knew there were so many women out there who were likely in the same position I had been in, forced into marriages they had no choice but to endure. It was trafficking, abuse, violation of the highest order, and I wanted to do everything I could to make certain nobody had to go through what I did at the hands of Gregor.
Paulo, Alex, and I had been working closely with other families in Bianco to crack down on this trafficking, rescue women from these forced relationships before they could get lost to the legal system, bound to some hateful man in a marriage they wouldn’t be able to escape. I had been lucky, but I wasn’t stupid enough to think that everyone would have the same luck in escaping that nightmare. It was going to be a long time before we had the infrastructure fully in place to make it happen, but when we did, I was sure we were going to make a real difference in these women’s lives.
I wanted everyone to have the same choices I did—everyone to have the control and freedom I had longed for over so many years. Now, it was intoxicating, the vastness of the opportunity in front of me—so much so, I hardly knew where to start. But, with Alex by my side, I knew I would be able to achieve anything that came my way.
Having his support made me feel like I could take on anything in the world. He still adored me, still treated me like I was the most important person in his life. Well, apart from Isla, of course, who he had fallen in love with on sight. He was so curious about fatherhood, so willing to embrace whatever it threw his way, and seeing him parent her had made me fall in love with him all over again. He wasn’t trying to dictate how her life or her personality should look; he was supporting her in becoming the person she was meant to be, just like he had with me.
"I’ll get her changed into her outdoor clothes before your mom gets here," he offered. I dropped a kiss on his cheek and then nuzzled into Isla’s cheek.
"See you soon, baby girl," I told her, and she giggled as she was trapped between us, wrapping her little arms around her father’s neck.
"God, she’s such a daddy’s girl," I teased, and he shrugged.
"Can you blame her?" he replied. "You know how I love my girls."
"I do," I agreed, and he flashed me a playful smile before he headed out of the room. I watched him as he went. It was still hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that he was really mine, after all these years. My savior, my lover, my best friend, the father of my child, my partner in all things.
And the person who had allowed me to become the woman I’d always wanted to be. That was the part I would always be most grateful for.
