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Kate had spent the last few weeks trying every avenue to talk to Emile and tell him the news about the triplets. Unsurprisingly, it was very difficult to contact a member of a foreign royal family without prior approval and she’d been politely declined by everyone she had spoken to. Her emails had gone unanswered and she could only imagine that her letters had never made it beyond the palace gates.
“Are you even allowed on a plane in your condition?”
“I’m only a few months along, the doctor says it’s fine for me to fly.”
In truth, she was incredibly nervous about the trip. She didn’t even know that she would be able to see Emile if she made it all the way to Charcieux, but she had to try. Kate had never even been to Europe, and somehow she was going to try and get into the palace to speak to a prince? It seemed like a madcap plan but she was otherwise all out of options. She had to hope that turning up on the palace doorstep, visibly pregnant and begging to see the prince, would at least get her on his radar, if nothing else. Carrying triplets meant she was already rocking a larger-than-average bump, and she was known to cry at the drop of a hat these days, so she fancied her chances at tugging on the heartstrings of at least one palace employee when she got there.
“Okay, well at least let me give you a ride to the airport.”
“That I will definitely do.”
There was only a short window left before she would no longer be fit to fly, so she booked tickets for the very next day — maxing out her credit card in the process.
After barely sleeping a wink, she was a nervous wreck on the ride to the airport.
“I wish I could come with you,” Laura said as she unloaded Kate’s suitcase at drop-off.
“Me too. I’m scared.”
“Babe, you’ve got this. I’ll be at the other end of the phone the entire time. The worst that happens is you have to come home again and then we make a plan to raise these three cuties together.”
Laura bent down to talk to Kate’s protruding stomach. “You hear that, babies. Aunty Laura’s gonna get all up in your business, just you wait.”
Kate let out a feeble laugh. There was no doubt that her babies were going to be loved, no matter what happened, and that was some comfort.
“What if I get, like, arrested, for trying to infiltrate the palace?” It didn’t seem likely, but the thought had crossed her mind during her sleepless night. “Or I get lost because I can’t speak the language and never make it home?”
“If either of those things happen, I will be on the phone to the American embassy so fast. You know I’ll get you out of there, girl.”
That was one thing Kate could rely on at least. There was no way that Laura was going to let her stay stranded in a foreign country. That didn’t really quell the nerves as she hugged her friend goodbye and watched her drive away.
Feeling more alone than ever, she made her way into the airport, her nerves firing on all cylinders. There was so much riding on this trip and she only had one shot to get it right. Nothing she’d ever done before felt as important as this.
She wasn’t used to flying, so the first hurdle was to find her check-in desk. She paused in the crowded lobby, staring around and trying to find her way. It would be just typical if she got lost before she even left the country…
“Kate!”
The sound of her name snapped her back to reality. It sounded like… no, it couldn’t be. Her stressed and heartbroken brain was just playing tricks on her.
“Kate!”
There it was again. A flutter of hope started in her chest as she searched the crowd, only to see Emile pushing his way through a group of tourists. Kate blinked, not wanting to believe her own eyes. He washere? In Arizona?
But there was no mistaking it. Emile was striding towards her through the airport and when he reached her, she fell into his arms as if nothing had happened.
They stood like that for a long while, Kate sobbing into the fabric of his T-shirt and Emile stroking her hair until the hiccuping sobs subsided.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” she sniffed, burying her head into his chest. “I’m so sorry for kicking you out. I was so scared that you were going to go back on what you said and I just went nuclear. It wasn’t fair and I’ve regretted it every day since.”
“I’m sorry, too. I should have stayed. I should have fought.”
Kate pulled back so she could look at his face, so familiar to her even after their separation. “But you came back.”
“And you were coming to find me, I assume?” He pointed towards her bags.
“Yes, although I’m glad you came back first. I didn’t fancy my chances of getting in at the palace.” Kate laughed. Maybe the first genuine laugh since Emile had left.
“I’ll always come back, Kate,” he said. “This is my home. I meant what I said up in the hills. I’ve never been accepted anywhere the way I have here. I’ve never felt the way that I do when I’m with you. And I am never going to leave your side again.”
