Dorian
I watch her as she approaches the glass, Chicago and Lake Michigan spreading right in front of her.
This woman entered like a wildfire in my life, survived hell, brought me back to life and turned all my dreams and hopes into reality.
This woman loves me.
Helping her accomplish her dream of having her own agency is the most satisfying investment I’ve ever made, although at first, she wouldn’t even accept the thought of financial help.
She’s so stubborn, sometimes.
I look at her petite, perfectly curved body—even more so after the pregnancies—and admire the woman she is today: passionate, self-assured, beautiful, intelligent, generous, loving… mine.
A sudden, familiar wave of heat rushes through me and I can only think of making her mine again, right here.
“So,” I say in a low insinuating voice as I shed my suit jacket. “Do you like the view?”
She turns, and I see that familiar spark in her eyes—the fire I’ll spend the rest of my life chasing.
“Is this why you told the staff we needed the office to ourselves?" she asks, an amused smile tugging at her lips. "Is this why you told them not to disturb us?”
“I just thought you needed to see this place as it is,” I reply, faking innocence while my eyes burn her and my fingers trace the curve of her hip, slowly gathering the silk of her dress. “Stripped of all the noise. Naked… you know?”
“Well,” she murmurs in my ear as she loosens my belt and her hand slides down “I’ve always appreciated a… strong… hard… intense first impression at the office.”
My mouth finds hers and devours. My heart beats with hers and endures. We lose and find each other in this moment, in every touch and every sigh.
* * *
Della
Today, we are celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary.
Our closest friends and family are joining us right here, at home—in our little universe. Just like at our wedding, and our kids’ birthdays.
Damian arrived on a freezing, cold winter night, in January and claimed the world with his first cry. The feeling of holding him in my arms, feeding him as he wrapped his little fingers around my index, was indescribable in words—right next to the sight of Dorian, with wet eyes, holding his son for the first time, whispering the most precious promises in the world.
Doria, his sister, our little surprise, came two years later, on a beautiful spring day and she conquered every breathing soul who came near her. She simply has this power of a gravity center and delights everyone with her kindness, angel smile, blue eyes and dark curls. She definitely has Dorian wrapped around her little finger.
Everything is ready for the party; Damian is overexcited about meeting Uncle David and unwrapping his gift—always the coolest one. Doria is overjoyed to play with her cousin, Eleni, and dance in her ballerina costume.
The guests will arrive in about an hour, so I take the kids outside to play, and I… I swing.
This is my life.
Feels and surely is a dream life.
Nightmare years are gone. After all the therapy with Dr Davis, and my own ongoing journey, I know that everything shaped and led me to this moment. This place.
“Mommy, mommy, I wanna fly!” Doria shouts, sprinting toward me.
“Me, too, Mommy. Me, too.” Damian adds, throwing his ball into the grass.
I pull them both onto my lap, one on each leg, and start the motion. They laugh as only children laugh, with all their being.
Dorian steps outside and watches us. I see him smile. He walks over, his silhouette framed by the house he bought to keep us safe. He grabs the ropes of the swing, his large hands steadying us.
“Looks like I need to build two more of these,” he says, a grin breaking across his face. “You ready to fly?”
