It felt unnatural as it was not something I was built for, but for the first time in years, I found peace with this beautiful creature tucked into the side of my chest.

Something told me that peace would extend to everyday thereafter.

Epilogue

ACCEPTANCE.

Vittoria

Ana was fussing.

I bounced her on my hip and tried desperately to get dinner prepped before she went down for her nap. “Come on, honey,” I moaned quietly as she rubbed at her little eyes. “I have to do this. I thought you liked watching me in the kitchen.” And, dramatic as she was, her lips trembled, her eyes watered, and then she threw her head back and wailed, demanding my full attention.

Of course, she got her way and the second I gave it to her, lifting her high and smiling wide, her attitude completely changed. The gummy smile she wore was so damned adorable, I couldn’t help myself from pulling her close and kissing her little chubby cheek a thousand and one times. “Lord help me. You are even more demanding than your father.”

“I seriously doubt that,” Ella muttered as she walked into the kitchen, right up to me and plucked Ana from my arms, smiling down at our chunky chicken. “I’ll put her down if you want.”

Who would have thought Ella would have come to be my savior over the past year?

There was no doubt Ella loved her sister, and Ana loved her right back. Her little legs bounced as Ella rocked her from side-to-side and it might have been all the post-pregnancy hormones, but I often became overwhelmed watching them together.

I could see it already. Ella would be the sister I desperately craved, but never got.

And although the boys adored their little sister, they were still young and Ana did things that didn’t intertest them, like barf, cry and poop.

Sometimes, she managed to do all three at the same time.

Some would call her talented, but her brothers would not be those people.

As I watched the two sisters with a soft smile, the back door opened and in he strolled. I fought a sigh and said, “Tor isn’t home.”

But Daniele just said, “I know,” already making a beeline for his target.

When Ella rolled her eyes and held her sister out, Daniele clapped his hands then reached out for his little doll. Ana’s mouth rounded in excitement and her tiny hands clenched and released as her favorite person in the entire world took her into his arms. “How’s my little angel doing?”

When he smiled down at her, Ana was blinded to everything else and although Daniele and I didn’t always get along, that didn’t matter to me so long as he treated my baby right.