Chapter 14 - Sunlight in the Gardens
Six months later, the private gardens behind the Caruso family estate felt a world away from the glass-and-steel canyons of downtown. Lush green lawns rolled down toward a quiet stone fountain, surrounded by beds of late-summer hydrangeas in shades of deep blue and white. The afternoon sun filtered warm and golden through the weeping willow trees, casting dancing patterns of light across the manicured grass.
I knelt on the soft turf, wearing a light summer dress, my hands outstretched as I coaxed our daughter forward. Grace let out a triumphant squeal, her blue eyes wide with fierce concentration as she balanced on her white-socked feet, taking one, two, unsteady steps forward in her peach-orange dress, her pink bow headband tilted slightly to the side.
"That's it, sweetheart," I whispered, my heart swelling with a fierce, quiet joy. "Come to Mama."
With a final, laughing lurch, Grace tumbled forward right into a pair of strong, familiar arms waiting to catch her. Dominic laughed aloud, swinging her up into the air as she squealed with delight, pressing a loud kiss against her chubby cheek. He looked effortlessly relaxed in a light linen shirt and slacks, the dark beard and mustache trimmed neatly around his smiling mouth.
I stood up, brushing a stray blade of grass from my skirt, watching the two of them with a deep, abiding peace that I had once thought entirely out of reach. Dominic walked over to me, setting Grace gently on her feet to toddle around the grass while he closed the small distance between us.
"She has your stubborn streak," Dominic murmured, wrapping his arms securely around my waist and pulling me against his chest.
"She has your determination," I countered, smiling as I rested my hands against the front of his linen shirt, feeling the steady, strong beat of his heart beneath my palms.
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"We won, Hannah," he said softly, his dark gaze searching my face with a tenderness that still occasionally took my breath away. "The past is behind us. Julian's name is restored, and our family is finally whole."
"It's only just beginning," I whispered, leaning up to press my lips softly against his. The wind rustled through the willow branches overhead, carrying the scent of damp earth and blooming flowers, sealing the truth of our new life together under the open sky.
