Epilogue: Isabella
Six months later…
The afternoon sun is hot on my skin as I sit by the pool, watching Lupo swim with Elena.
"Keep your arms straight. Like this." He demonstrates the stroke, patient and encouraging.
Elena copies him, her small arms cutting through the water with growing confidence. She's wearing bright pink floaties and a matching swimsuit, her dark hair plastered to her head.
"I'm doing it, Daddy! Look!"
"I see! You're doing great!" He stays close, ready to catch her if she needs help. But she doesn't. She's swimming on her own, proud and fearless while my husband watches.
My husband.
The word still feels strange sometimes. Wonderful, but strange.
We were married two months ago. A small ceremony here at the villa—just Ciro, Emilia, a few of Lupo's most trusted men. Elena was flower girl, thrilled to wear a fancy dress and throw petals everywhere.
I wore a simple white dress. Nothing elaborate. Nothing that would draw attention or require explanations.
Because that's our life now. Quiet. Private. Protected.
But unbelievably happy.
"Mama!" Elena calls from the pool. "Come swim with us!"
I set down my book and stand. The pool was intimidating at first. A symbol of wealth and luxury. I felt like I didn't belong.
But Lupo was patient. Gentle. He taught Elena to swim and encouraged me to join them. Made it feel less like a symbol of his wealth and more like just—a family pool.
A place where our family plays together.
I slip off my cover-up and walk to the edge. Lupo looks up and his eyes darken slightly as he takes me in. Even after six months, even though we sleep in the same bed every night—the separate bedroom didn't last a single night, I moved into his room before we'd even unpacked—he still looks at me like I'm something precious.
Something he can't quite believe is his.
I dive in, the water cool and perfect. When I surface, Elena is splashing toward me.
"Watch me, Mama! Watch me swim!"
"I'm watching, baby."
She does a lap, more like a few strokes then paddles to Lupo, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Did I do good?"
"You did amazing." He kisses her forehead. "You're getting strong."
"Can I practice my diving now?"
"Off the side, not the diving board. Remember the rules."
"I know, I know." She paddles to the shallow end where the steps are. "The diving board is for when I'm bigger and Daddy is watching."
"Exactly."
She climbs out and runs to the far end of the pool, careful on the wet stone. Lupo watches her like a hawk, ready to move if she slips.
But she's steady. Confident. This place has become home to her in a way I never thought possible.
