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‘Will you stay with me?’ Vito asked. ‘Give me another chance?’
‘Of course I will,’ Lily said, feeling tears of happiness start to well up in her eyes.
‘Why are you crying?’ Vito leant forward to brush his thumb across her damp cheek.
‘Because I love you too,’ Lily answered. ‘I’ve always loved you.’
A smile of incredulous happiness broke across Vito’s face. Then the next moment he was crushing her in his arms again.
‘I can’t believe it.’ Vito’s voice was muffled against her hair. ‘Last night I was despairing that things could ever be right—and now all my dreams have come true.’
His words reflected exactly how Lily was feeling, and she clung to him tightly, feeling like she’d never let go again. But a moment later a tiny, mewling cry from the cot interrupted them.
‘He’s awake!’ Vito’s voice was full of love and pride, as if waking up was the cleverest thing any baby had ever done.
‘Would you like to pick him up?’ Lily watched as Vito lifted the baby out of the cot. His gentle hands seemed almost as big as his son as he gazed down at the crumpled, newborn face with adoring eyes.
‘What does he need?’ Vito turned to her for advice.
‘I don’t know,’ she replied honestly. ‘I’m new at this. Perhaps I should try to feed him.’ She unfastened the top few buttons of her nightdress and held out her hands for the baby. Vito placed him gently in her arms, then doing the same as the previous evening, guided the little head towards her nipple.
‘Ah, that’s the idea. I like to see a little bit of teamwork.’ Lily recognised the doctor’s voice and lifted her gaze to see him walking into the room. ‘We have the results of the blood test,’ he continued. ‘Unfortunately it seems this little fellow is following in your footsteps with a rare blood-type.’
Lily looked at Vito’s face to see how he would respond to this physical proof that he was the baby’s father. To her surprise a worried frown marred his features.
‘That’s a blow,’ he said. ‘I was hoping he would have taken after his mother.’
‘There’s nothing to worry about,’ the doctor said. ‘Your wife and I talked some more last night, and she understands now that it won’t be a problem. It’s just something it pays to be aware of.’
He walked over to the bed and gave a satisfied nod as he saw how well the baby was feeding. ‘I’ll be back to check on you later,’ he said as he left them alone again.
‘I thought you’d be pleased,’ Lily said. ‘Pleased to have concrete proof of your paternity.’
‘I didn’t need it.’ He turned and held her gaze with serious eyes. ‘I have all the proof I need, in here,’ he said, placing his hand over his heart.
Lily felt her lips quiver again as once more her eyes filled with tears of happiness.
‘I love you,’ she said.
‘And I you,’ Vito replied. ‘With all of my heart and soul.’
EPILOGUE
‘MY GREAT-GRANDSON,’ Giovanni breathed, looking down at the little baby cradled carefully in his arms.
Lily sat next to him on his huge bed, feeling tears well up in her own eyes as she heard the tremulous notes of awe and gratitude in his voice.
‘He’s called Giovanni,’ she said.
The old man lifted his head to stare at her with sparkling blue eyes, momentarily speechless as the information sunk in.
‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘Thank you for making me very happy.’
‘It’s an honour to do so,’ Lily said, leaning forward to kiss his paper-thin cheek. ‘I can never explain what your kindness has meant to me. How delighted I am to be part of your family, and how much pleasure I have knowing that my son will carry on your family name.’
‘You are wearing the necklace,’ he said, suddenly noticing the exquisite piece of antique jewellery that was fastened round Lily’s neck. ‘When you never wore it I thought it was not to your taste after all.’
‘Oh no, I love it,’ Lily said, reaching up to trail her fingertips over the smooth beads. ‘Vito was having it checked by antique jewellery experts to make sure it was strong enough to wear. I didn’t want to damage it.’
