CHAPTER 10

She took a quick look and then closed the book with a smile on her face. Then, getting up from the bed she walked to the balcony; she breathed the fresh air of that place, that place she had fallen in love with the very first day she was there and that now could proudly call home. She rested her elbows on the railing and looked down. The biggest smiled shown on her face as she observed the three people she loved the most in the entire world having fun in the swimming pool.

"Look how I dive dad" Emma exclaimed before jumping into the water curled up into a bomb-form. Ross chuckled, a gesture that was instantly imitated by the baby in his arms. Rosslooked at him amused "did Ema make you laugh too, little guy?" he said as he kissed his thin brown hair sweetly making the baby giggle again. Emma emerged from the water and swan as good as she could towards the swimming pool steps where her father was sitting; she clung from her father's neck and sat on his lap as she observed her baby brother, who was happily splashing the water with his chubby little hands.

"Can I hold him daddy?"

"I don't know honey…he's till very little..."

"But I'm a big girl now! I'm seven!" Ross chuckled at her serious expression.

"Okay...but be careful." Emma nodded and smiled.

"Come here brother!". She said excited as she opened her arms for her little brother, who immediately wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her. Ross, holding both of them tightly on his lap, smiled with delight. He was amazed by how great she had accepted her baby brother; she had never felt a little bit of jealousy of him, instead she was always playing with him, observing how he slept or even helping her mom feed him. The little guy had come into the family nearly a year ago, when he was only three weeks old, bringing with him pure happiness.

"Nico stop doing that!" Emma whined with her eyes tightly closed so the water he was splashing wouldn't get in them. The little boy giggled once again and then kissed his sister's cheek in the tenderest way. Rachel laughed at the beautiful sight she was witnessing; Rachel finally noticed her presence up in the balcony and smiled lovingly.

"Hey beautiful! Come bathe with us!"

"No thank you…I'm good here..."

"Mama!" Nico exclaimed when he heard her voice, he looked around desperate but he couldn't find her, which made the rest of them laugh out loud.

"Up here honey!" Rachel said aloud, Ross helped him by rising his chin and the moment his eyes spotted his mommy he smiled widely and started splashing water as he repeated "mama!" over and over again, melting Rachel's heart.

"See? I'm not the only guy who wants you here! C'mon down now!"

"I'm sorry to disappoint my men but mom doesn't feel like swimming today" Ross frowned and looked at Nico.

"C'mon buddy, let's give her the puppy dog eyes, that never fails!" he said to him but loud enough in order for her to hear it. Rachel laughed again.

"I'm sorry but that won't work today."

"Oh C'mon! we miss you here! Do I have to go up there and get you?"

"Do it dad!" Emma encouraged grinning.

"Emma!"Rachel reproached.

"Shall we go get mommy, Nico?" Ross asked him in a funny voice, the baby let out a thrilled scream, his way to say he saw he was serious when he got out of the swimming pool with the baby in his arms.

"Oh no no no no! Ross! don't you dare to come up here!" she threatened him but he was determined to go.

"Emma, stay right here okay?" the girl nodded and saw his father disappear into the house.

Rachel entered her bedroom again, looking for a place where she could hide. But he was too fast and she had no time to even get out of the room as he was already bythe door, looking at her with a naughty smile.

"DON'T" she said pointing at him in a threatening way. "oh my god, Ross you're soaking! Look at the floor!" he looked down and shrugged giving a step forward. "Don't dare to get closer!" she said as she took a step back from him.

"What are you gonna do if I do?" he said with a mischievous grin while baby Nico was blabbing with his arms extended towards his mother, wanting for her to hold him.

"You don't want to find out…" she said in a threatening tone, Ross let out a loud chuckle.

"You have no escape sweatheart…" he said as he walked closer, pushing her towards a corner of their room. With a quick movement he grabbed her with his free hand, causing Rachel to let a loud yelp.

"Ross! Let go of me! You're soaking me!" she demanded in a serious tone while trying to space his tight grip. Nico, who was between the two, giggled along with his father.

"You too Nico? That's not fair" she stopped fighting and stared at them, but soon her face smoothed and a smiled appeared on her lips, she couldn't get mad at them no matter what they did. "Look at my clothes! They're dripping..." she said looking down at her blouse.

"Well, now you don't have any excuse" Ross said smiling victoriously, Rachel sighed.

"Ugh you're such a pain in the ass!"

"But you love me" he said grinning.

"That's what you think" she said sticking out her tongue to him making him frown "now let me hold my favorite little man. "the baby immediately threw his arms around his mother's neck hugging her tenderly. "awww my prince."

"Your favourite man, huh?" he said placing his hands on his sides seeming hurt.

"Yeap" she quickly said faking to be ignoring him while cuddling her son sweetly. She always enjoyed teasing him.

"Give mommy a big kiss" she said rounding her lips for her baby boy, who happily placed a little kiss on them and filled the room with happy baby laughter.

"Hey, those lips are mine!"Ross said frowning.

"Are you jealous of your own son?" Rachel questioned in a chuckle.

"Maybe..."

"You're silly!" she said amused by his expression "for your information this little guy gives me the sweetest kisses in the world" she stated while brushing her nose with the baby's.

"Oh yeah? I bet your little guy can't kiss you like this" he said before pulling of her and surprising her with a wild, breathtaking kiss. Their baby boy, who was between the two, observed them not sure of what they were doing. "Huh? Was that a "sweet" kiss or what?" he said proudly, Rachel smiled and licked her lips, taking a deep breath after that kiss that, although she wouldn't admit it, had made her knees weak.

"You are soooo easy to tease..." she said smiling while placing her free hand on the back of his head and getting on her tiptoes to kiss him again, not caring about his dripping body anymore. He gladly welcomed her lips while his hands encircled her waist and brought her closer. They sunk so much into the kiss that they almost forgot their son was between them, hugging his mama tightly. Ross walked some steps back towards the bed bringing her with him and when his legs came up to the border of the bed he let himself fall backwards with them in his arms.

"Ouch!" He complained when his back collided with a hard surface "what the hell is this?" he said reaching under his back to take the annoying object out. Rachel pressed her teeth together as a sign of guiltiness since she had forgotten the album was there.

Ross looked at it and then to Rachel, questioning with his eyes.

"It's a book…" she said as she tried to get up with the baby in her arms. "I added a little something for you…" she said shyly. He lifted an eyebrow surprised.

"That's why you've been up here almost the entire day?"

"Yeap…" she said while straightening her clothes and start walking.

"Hey hey where are you going? We weren't finished here" he said pouting.

"I'm gonna go downstairs to check on my tornado girl…" she said sweetly running a hand through his wet messy hair. "and bathe this little guy. He has started shivering and I don't want him to catch a cold."

"Okay."

"Hope you like it" she said with a wink. "I'll be waiting for you downstairs for dinner." she added before leaving the room.

He sat up on the bed and looked at the book in a curious way. When he opened the first page he realized it was the album he had made for her, just few weeks before she was diagnosed with cancer. The album was now full of pictures, not half way as he had left it, she had filled it with pictures that summarized the last three years of their lives. He smiled widely and resting his back on the head of the bed he started passing the pages.

The first bunch of pictures was from the first time they were at that house they were now, just after her birthday. They were there only for a week but long enough to fall in love with that place. He smiled, she was glowing of happiness in every picture and he loved that. He knew she had loved that place, away from the big city and every worry, perfect for his family. That's why he decided to buy it for her as a surprise for her latest birthday, three months ago. She had loved it so much that they moved in right that week and they hadn't left yet. He was proud of his own decision since even their kids loved being there. Their main home was still in Manhattan due to their work, but they determined they would spend as much time as possible in that wonderful place.

From the rest of that year weren't many pictures, just some from the very beginning of her treatment, when she was still positive about it and even appeared smiling widely in most of them; the rest of the pictures were from Emma's birthday party in Disneyworld; his eyes illuminated just looking at those pics and how happy his little princess was that day. His eyes fixed on a specific picture, the one he had taken that day: Emma was on Cinderella's arms, hugging her and smiling broadly while Rachel was on her side, smiling the same way. He stared at that picture for several minutes, amazed by how much they looked alike. Even though Rachel always said otherwise Emma was the spitting image of her mother: same thin lips, same joyful smile, same breathtaking blue eyes and same smooth honey-colored hair and as the years passed she looked more and more like her.

He couldn't believe his little girl was going to be 8 very soon, time flew and he couldn't deny he felt kind of nostalgic wishing she was a baby again, but watching her grow up was the most amazing thing.

He observed carefully the rest of the pictures from that day, now he could see her tired expression and a wave of sadness invaded his body, feeling guilty again for not having noticed it back then. If he had he may not have lived those three horrible days, the worst of his whole life. He felt a pinch in his stomach as he remembered her laying in that hospital bed and then her heartbreaking words. Those words coming out of her mouth killed him slowly and painfully; but he had strength enough to fight, he didn't know where it came from but he thanked god he didn't give up insisting.

His eyes watered remembering how hard the two following years were, and how many times he had wished he was the one bearing with all that pain. But she fought, she fought with all her strength against that cancer, and not once had she thought about giving up again. Something that made him feel even prouder of her.

And now there she was, completely recovered. They were given the news about half a year ago, the most thrilling news they had ever received, and her happiness could be seen in the next pictures. Her hair was long again and her gorgeous eyes had gotten its natural shine back.

He smiled from ear to ear with the next pages; which were filled with dozens of pictures of their baby boy Nico. From the very first day they held him when he was only three weeks old to pictures form last week, when he had started giving his first steps alone.

His eyes filled with tears, tears of happiness as he gazed at one of the pictures. It showed Rachel in their bed, just woken up but as beautiful as could be, holding Nico in her arms when he was little older than a month. Emma was kneeling down next to her looking at her baby brother with amazement while stroking his chubby cheek. The happiness showing in Rachel's face was heart-melting; that little person had indeed filled their home with more happiness.

He watched the rest of the pictures in amazement until he got to the last page, where he found a letter which he started reading attentively.

"Surprised? I hope so :)

I was going to continue that beautiful tale you wrote for me a few years ago, but then again I suck at telling tales. So I found this old, incomplete photo album the other day and decided to finish it myself as a thank you.

Where do I start from? I have so many things to say and yet I don't know if I am going to be able to put into words what you've been for me these past few years.

First of all, I love you. I've said it many times and I'll say it over and over again until I lose my breath because that will never change. I've never felt such deep, pure love for anybody else before that's why I know this is going to be forever. But, above all I admire you. Your strength and courage amazes me every day. If you hadn't been so supportive, holding my hand in the worst moments, fighting even when I had already lost my faith, I wouldn't be here, alive, completely recovered and married to the most amazing guy in the world, with two lovely children that mean the world to me.

It's still quite unbelievable that we got all that! Who would've said, back when we re-meet in Central Perk many years ago that we would end up married and with two kids. Life is definitely a box of surprises.

So I thank you to no end for having been by my side, supporting me, giving me the strength I didn't have during those three years I was invaded by that awful bug called "Leukaemia". These years have been the worst of my life as well as the best ones, because they've served me to realize how blessed I am for having you in my life. I have no idea what great thing I did to deserve such a caring, loving, wonderful, handsome (and on and on and on) man as my husband. Yeah! Husband! (I am smiling ear to ear as I write this.) Because who would've thought that my best friend's brother, that boy who got all nervous whenever I entered a room and could barely form a sentence when I talked to him, would propose and marry me? I am so glad he did, because I feel the luckiest woman on the Earth and I cannot wait to share my life with him.

That beautiful, sunny Saturday we got married was certainly one of the happiest days of my life, seeing you at the end of the aisle, gazing back at me felt so surreal. But it wasn't. It was real and it was amazing.

But the night I will never forget is that night you came back and told me all the beautiful plans you had for us. You cannot being to imagine how scared I was that day, thinking you'd never return and I had lost you forever and…when I saw you appear through that door, I felt alive again.

That night as you made love to me I made a new decision: I would fight. I would bear the pain for you, because you deserved it. I needed to fight for all the effort you had made to take care of me, taking days off work to be with me; taking care of Emma most of the time even when your work kept piling up…but none of this kept you from thinking about our future and our present, something I had forgotten to do.

And then…him, our baby boy despite what blood says. I won't have enough days to thank you for having brought him into my life, our lives. Our lovely son, the boy of my eyes; he stole my heart the moment I held him in my arms, so little, so gorgeous. Thanks to you I have more than I ever imagined having. And if it hadn't been for you and your courage this family may have not existed so…THANK YOU.

THANK YOU for loving me the way you only know.

THANK YOU for giving me the most beautiful, wonderful children.

THANK YOU for standing by me in the rough moments.

THANK YOU for not giving up, for keeping me sane and giving me the strength to go on.

THANK YOU for sharing with me the most amazing moments of my life.

THANK YOU for being my friend, my confident, my lover, my husband and biggest love. I could go on like this for the eternity…but I don't want to bore you so I am going to sum this all up in three words…

I LOVE YOU

Emma, Nico and I looooooooooooove you! Don't you ever forget it.

He closed the album teary-eyed, caused by her beautiful, sincere words. That letter had gone straight into his heart.

He sighed deeply, trying to compose himself, he couldn't believe how much he had gotten to love that woman; he had always felt something for her, even the first day he set his eyes on her when he was just a teenager, but now he loved her to a point he never thought it existed. She had all his heart in her hands and loved her so much that he would give anything just to see her happy. She and their two kids were his world, a world he wouldn't trade for anything.

He smiled widely as he heard loud laughter coming from downstairs; Emma seemed to be playing with Nico while Rachel tried to get them to sit on their chairs for dinner. He stood up ready to join them. He put the album carefully on his bedside table, his eyes shining with happiness.

He knew that after that tough moment they had to get through everything would be fine, nothing would break them apart. They would be a happy family forever.

THE END

I hope you have liked it. Thanks for reading.