Chapter 16 - The Return to Chicago|
Three weeks later.
The autumn leaves had turned vibrant shades of crimson and gold across the grounds of the DeLuca estate in Chicago.
The dark clouds that had hung over the grand stone house for four years were completely gone. The heavy velvet drapes were pulled back, allowing bright morning sunlight to flood the marble corridors, the grand ballroom, and the private family quarters.
I sat in the sunlit breakfast nook on the second floor, wearing a comfortable cashmere sweater, reviewing Sophie’s new educational schedule.
Her hearing had been re-evaluated by top specialists in Boston, and she had been fitted with state-of-the-art digital hearing aids that allowed her to distinguish speech sounds far better than before. But American Sign Language remained our private, beautiful bridge.
Sophie ran into the nook, wearing her school uniform, carrying a new drawing she had finished that morning.
She set it on the table in front of me with a proud grin.
It showed three people standing hand-in-hand in front of the grand DeLuca estate: a tall man in a dark suit, a little girl with purple butterflies in her hair, and a woman with auburn hair wearing a blue dress.
Above the figures, in neat, dark crayon letters, Sophie had written three words:
OUR REAL FAMILY.
My eyes filled with tears as I pulled her into a warm hug, kissing her dark curls. “It’s beautiful, sweetheart.”
Footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor.
Gabriel walked into the nook, wearing a fresh tailored navy suit, looking handsome, rested, and utterly commanding.
He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss against the top of Sophie’s head, then reached out, his hand resting gently against the back of my neck, pulling my lips up to meet his in a slow, sweet morning kiss.
“Good morning, my love,” Gabriel whispered against my mouth.
“Good morning,” I smiled, resting my hand over his dark tie.
“Are you ready for tonight?” he asked, his dark eyes sparkling with quiet excitement.
Tonight was the formal opening of the Elena DeLuca Children’s Hearing Foundation—a multi-million-dollar charity Gabriel had established to provide free speech therapy, hearing aids, and ASL education to low-income families across Illinois.
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“I’m ready,” I said, holding his hand. “Your mother’s facility is officially fully funded, by the way. My mom called me three times yesterday crying happy tears.”
Gabriel smiled, kissing my forehead. “She deserves it. And so do you.”
