Chapter Thirty-Four:
"Mmm," she moaned lightly. Rolling over onto her side. "Luis. Luis. Ali's crying again. Will you..." She left the question unasked. Gazing hopefully into his dark eyes. He sighed. Before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and leaving her. Walking down the hall to get their daughter from her crib.
She rolled back over on her back. Staring at the ceiling above her. Listening. Ali's cries quieted, and she could hear her husband's deep voice whispering assurances to her. A feeling of complete contentment washed over her. Despite the sleepless nights. Despite her fear that somehow she would mess things up. She closed her eyes and made a wish. A wish that she would always be this happy.
She opened them to find Luis standing in the doorway to their bedroom. Their four-month-old daughter in his arms. Pinning her with her impossibly blue gaze. "Awww," she said. Reaching for her daughter. "Mommy hates to see her angel cry," she said as she cuddled her daughter close to her body and wiped the remainder of her tears from her tiny cheeks.
She kissed her sweetly on the forehead before leaning back in Luis's embrace. Sighing softly. Before she began to sing. A lullaby that always calmed Ali. A lullaby she remembered her own mother singing to her when she was afraid. Luis stroked Ali's downy blond head. And kissed her shoulder while she soothed their baby.
Ali's little eyelids drooped from exhaustion. She fought sleep the entire way. She smiled at her tenderly as she ran a finger across her tiny features. Her baby. Her and Luis's baby was stubborn to a fault. She laughed quietly when she heard Luis whisper in her ear. "Just like her mommy. She's one determined little girl. But I love that in her. And you."
She turned her head to meet his kiss. "Like her daddy, too," she whispered. Careful not to wake their now sleeping daughter from her slumber. He smiled at her in the darkness. "I love you, Luis. So much. I love you and our little girl. And I'll never forget this moment. Not as long as I live. It's unforgettable."
"Unforgettable," she mumbled. Instinctively cuddling closer into his warm body. Sighing against his neck as he hugged her closer. He stared down at her. Thanking God for the millionth time for bringing her back to him. And Ali. He loved her with every breath, every fiber in his being. Nothing was ever going to come between them again, he thought as he placed a kiss on the top of her head.
He looked up. Startled to find himself gazing into his daughter's confused blue eyes. "Daddy," she whispered. "Why are you and Mommy sleeping on the couch?" He smiled at her appearance. Her tangled blond mane and the too-big pyjamas. Before answering her. "I don't know, AliCat. I guess I was so tired I just fell asleep on the couch without noticing it."
"Did Mommy fall asleep with you?" she asked. Running a tiny hand across her mother's hair with love. "Yes," he answered with a smile. Not believing that this was really happening. That it was real. "Daddy..." she began again. But he quieted her with a finger to the lips. Rising to his feet. Lifting his wife in his arms.
He carried her into his room. The bedroom they had shared so long ago. Laid her down on its softness and reached a hand out to Ali. Beckoning her to come closer. "Daddy?" she whispered. "Can I sleep with you and Mommy?" He nodded his head and pulled the covers back for her to crawl under them. She snuggled close to her mother. Kissing her cheek. And shut her eyes. Sighing happily. He ran a hand down her soft hair, hers and her mother's, and lay his head down. The last thing he saw before falling into a deep sleep the beloved faces of his two girls.
"Mmm," she moaned lightly. Rolling over onto her side. "Luis. Luis. Ali's crying again. Will you..." She left the question unasked. Gazing hopefully into his dark eyes. He sighed. Before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and leaving her. Walking down the hall to get their daughter from her crib.
She rolled back over on her back. Staring at the ceiling above her. Listening. Ali's cries quieted, and she could hear her husband's deep voice whispering assurances to her. A feeling of complete contentment washed over her. Despite the sleepless nights. Despite her fear that somehow she would mess things up. She closed her eyes and made a wish. A wish that she would always be this happy.
She opened them to find Luis standing in the doorway to their bedroom. Their four-month-old daughter in his arms. Pinning her with her impossibly blue gaze. "Awww," she said. Reaching for her daughter. "Mommy hates to see her angel cry," she said as she cuddled her daughter close to her body and wiped the remainder of her tears from her tiny cheeks.
She kissed her sweetly on the forehead before leaning back in Luis's embrace. Sighing softly. Before she began to sing. A lullaby that always calmed Ali. A lullaby she remembered her own mother singing to her when she was afraid. Luis stroked Ali's downy blond head. And kissed her shoulder while she soothed their baby.
Ali's little eyelids drooped from exhaustion. She fought sleep the entire way. She smiled at her tenderly as she ran a finger across her tiny features. Her baby. Her and Luis's baby was stubborn to a fault. She laughed quietly when she heard Luis whisper in her ear. "Just like her mommy. She's one determined little girl. But I love that in her. And you."
She turned her head to meet his kiss. "Like her daddy, too," she whispered. Careful not to wake their now sleeping daughter from her slumber. He smiled at her in the darkness. "I love you, Luis. So much. I love you and our little girl. And I'll never forget this moment. Not as long as I live. It's unforgettable."
"Unforgettable," she mumbled. Instinctively cuddling closer into his warm body. Sighing against his neck as he hugged her closer. He stared down at her. Thanking God for the millionth time for bringing her back to him. And Ali. He loved her with every breath, every fiber in his being. Nothing was ever going to come between them again, he thought as he placed a kiss on the top of her head.
He looked up. Startled to find himself gazing into his daughter's confused blue eyes. "Daddy," she whispered. "Why are you and Mommy sleeping on the couch?" He smiled at her appearance. Her tangled blond mane and the too-big pyjamas. Before answering her. "I don't know, AliCat. I guess I was so tired I just fell asleep on the couch without noticing it."
"Did Mommy fall asleep with you?" she asked. Running a tiny hand across her mother's hair with love. "Yes," he answered with a smile. Not believing that this was really happening. That it was real. "Daddy..." she began again. But he quieted her with a finger to the lips. Rising to his feet. Lifting his wife in his arms.
He carried her into his room. The bedroom they had shared so long ago. Laid her down on its softness and reached a hand out to Ali. Beckoning her to come closer. "Daddy?" she whispered. "Can I sleep with you and Mommy?" He nodded his head and pulled the covers back for her to crawl under them. She snuggled close to her mother. Kissing her cheek. And shut her eyes. Sighing happily. He ran a hand down her soft hair, hers and her mother's, and lay his head down. The last thing he saw before falling into a deep sleep the beloved faces of his two girls.