Chapter 9 - THE LONG WINTER THAWS
The recovery was long, but for the first time in Adrian Moretti’s life, pain brought no bitterness.
For three weeks, the grand west wing of the estate became a sanctuary of healing. Adrian refused to stay in the hospital, preferring to be nursed back to health in his own home.
Sofia rarely left his bedside. She changed his bandages with hands that were no longer rough from harsh cleaning bleach, but gentle and full of love. She brought him broth, read him the morning news, and sat beside him late into the night while he slept, watching his chest rise and fall.
Emma spent her mornings sitting on the edge of his giant bed, carefully showing him her colorings, explaining in great detail how Daisy the doll was supervising the planting of new rose bushes in the courtyard.
One late afternoon, as the gold light of early spring streamed through the high windows, Adrian woke up to find Sofia sitting in the armchair beside his bed, fast asleep. A book lay open in her lap.
Adrian watched her quiet face. The pale, hollow look of starvation and worry was completely gone. She looked radiant, beautiful, and deeply at peace.
He slowly reached out his uninjured right hand and touched her soft cheek.
Sofia stirred instantly, her brown eyes fluttering open. When she saw him looking at her, a warm, breathtaking smile lit up her face.
"How are you feeling?" she asked softly, placing her hand over his.
"Better than I deserve," Adrian replied, his voice still low and gravelly.
Sofia leaned forward, resting her forehead gently against his shoulder, being careful of his wound. "Don't say that. You gave us our lives back, Adrian. You saved us."
"You saved me first, Sofia," Adrian whispered, his fingers threading through her soft hair. "You brought light back into a house that had been dead for three years. I don't know how to be a normal man... I don't know if I can ever fully wash the blood off my hands. But if you'll let me... I want to spend the rest of my life protecting you both."
Sofia raised her head, tears shining in her dark eyes—not tears of sorrow, but of overwhelming joy.
She leaned down and pressed her lips to his in a quiet, deep, and passionate kiss.
May you like
When she pulled back, she looked down at the golden signet ring she still wore on a chain around her neck.
"We aren't going anywhere, Adrian Moretti," she said softly. "This is our home."
