Peter and Aria held each other for a long time. She still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that this was really happening. It had been so many years—an entire lifetime, really. There was a whole life’s worth of stories to tell, and they wouldn’t be able to share them all in just a few hours or even a single night. They would do it over the course of the days to come. This was the best day of their lives, and they wanted to leave the tears behind. For Aria, the pain—the pain of never having seen her son—was something she wanted to move past.
“Mom, I want you to meet your whole family,” Peter said, standing up and holding her hand, leading her toward the garden.
Aria nodded and rose to her feet. Peter held her hand tightly, as if afraid the wind might take her away.
When they stepped outside, everyone was there. Maximus had called Alden ahead of time to make sure he didn’t enter through the front door. He would explain the details later. He had also asked the driver to bring Laura and all the children. They, too, needed to meet the newest member of the family.
Peter took in the sight of the entire Palmer and Evans families gathered together. Aria, on the other hand, only saw unfamiliar faces—so many children, mostly young ones. But when her gaze landed on two beautiful young women, her heart clenched. They reminded her of herself, back when her whole life had ended.
“Mom, I want you to meet Celeste. She is—and will be—the future mother of all my children,” Peter said proudly, his smile beaming.
Aria looked at the young woman. She was no longer a girl, but in her eyes, she was absolutely stunning. A deep sense of happiness washed over her.
Celeste, who was carrying Martina in her arms, stepped forward. She embraced Aria, trying to ease the tension, show respect, and establish a connection with the woman she knew would be one of the most important people in Peter’s life from now on.
“I'm Celeste Mason. Welcome home, ma’am,” Celeste said respectfully. “This little one is Martina, your granddaughter. Would you like to hold her?” she asked, extending the sleeping baby toward her.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)