Delphine looked down at her hands, fingering the edge of the tablecloth, as her nerves got the better of her. They’d talked often about what their lives might look like when they were free to be together. He told her that he would always treat her children as if they were his own, and that she would be able to run the household as she saw fit, and make the decisions for her children without his interference. But one thing they had never discussed was whether they would have children of their own. She’d presumed it was something he would want, but now she was hoping she hadn’t made a mistake in that regard.
‘I, well…’ She swallowed, nervous about his reaction as she stumbled over her words. ‘I have something to tell you.’
Florian leaned forward and took her hand in his, their fingers interlinked as he leaned forward. ‘Let me guess,’ he said. ‘You’ve decided which sapphire you want for your ring. If you’re worried about the tiara, I’ve told you, I want to take the stone for you.It’s the only thing I can think to do, to make you understand how important you are to me.’ He lifted her hand and kissed the spot where her new ring would go.
She’d purposely left her engagement ring at home on her dresser these past few months, wearing only her gold wedding band when she was out in public. But tonight, she’d even taken that off, and she felt strangely bare without it.
‘No,’ she said, sucking her bottom lip against her teeth as she tried not to smile and give away what she was about to tell him. ‘It’s not about the sapphire, but thank you.’
‘Don’t leave a man in suspense then,’ he said, his brows pulling close together. ‘What is it you have to tell me?’
‘Florian, I’m pregnant.’
He stared back at her for a long second, unblinking, before a smile lit his face. ‘You’re pregnant?’
She laughed, unable to hide her joy even as she saw his surprise. ‘I’m pregnant. Can you believe it?’
He immediately called for the waiter and ordered champagne, and for a second she feared he might announce their news to the entire restaurant, he appeared so excited. But instead, he leaned forward and showered her hands with kisses as he held them, his face alive with excitement, telling her she’d been wrong to doubt his feelings for even a moment.
‘Delphine, this is the most wonderful news. We can start our new lives together with our first child on the way.’
They both knew the divorce proceedings would have to be hurried along, neither of them needed to say it, but Florian did settle her nerves by bringing it up.
‘I’ve already hired the best lawyers in Switzerland, and I have a meeting with them the day after tomorrow. You have nothing to worry about, Delphine. You just look after our little miracle, and I’ll handle the rest. You’ll be divorced in no time. We both will be.’
The champagne arrived then and the waiter poured them both a glass. When they were alone again, Florian held up his glass and she did the same, clinking them together carefully.
‘To our little one,’ he said.
‘To our little one,’ she repeated, placing her free hand flat to her stomach as she took a small sip, the bubbles cascading all the way to her belly and making her feel as if there were butterflies there. She was pleased she’d had a taste, but she wasn’t sure whether she’d be able to stomach the entire glass.
‘You’ve made me the happiest man in the world, Delphine,’ Florian whispered.
She basked in his affections, still not used to the way he loved her, the way he made her truly feel as if she were the most important person in the room. His eyes never left hers as they sat in their little corner of the restaurant, tucked out of sight.
Delphine was worried about how her family would react to her news, about how the divorce might affect her children, but she knew that Florian would stop at nothing to protect the three of them. All she had to do was trust him. Giovanni had always made her believe that he was important, especially in the business world, but now that she was with Florian, she was no longer scared of his influence. She doubted anyone could rival Florian and his wealth.
‘Here’s to spending the rest of our lives together,’ Florian said, lifting his glass again.
Her heart skipped a beat. It was as if she’d waited her entire life to feel like this, glowing from the attention of a gorgeous man who would move mountains for her. And the little miracle growing inside her was only going to bring them closer together.
Later that night, as they sat in his car, Delphine kissed Florian one last time, lingering with her lips barely parted from his. Shewished she could have stayed with him one more minute, one more hour, but she knew she needed to leave him and go inside before they were seen.
‘Come to the lake house tomorrow?’ Florian whispered.
She nodded, stroking her fingers down his cheek before reluctantly pulling away. ‘I would love to.’
‘I’ll have a picnic prepared, and we can spend the entire time deciding what to call our little one. And you can finally tell me which sapphire you’d like.’
She smiled and leaned in for one more kiss, before groaning and reluctantly opening her door. She stepped out, poking her head in at the open window to smile at him. ‘Until tomorrow,’ she said.
‘Until tomorrow,’ he repeated.
Delphine walked away, slipping through the gate to her flat, looking over her shoulder one last time and giving Florian a little wave even though she couldn’t see him in the dark. She heard the engine start once she was at the front door—he always waited with his headlights on to make sure she made it safely into the house—before driving away.
She listened to him go as she quietly shut the door behind her, leaning her back against it, her heart racing and her smile wide. Being in love with a man like Florian, it took her breath away sometimes, made her wonder what the future would hold. She only wished they’d met years earlier, before life had become so complicated for both of them, so difficult to untangle themselves from without hurting others in the process.
And if they had, they wouldn’t have had to spend so much time apart, and she wouldn’t have to keep her special news a secret. Her fingers danced across her stomach as she smiled, imagining all the names they would come up with.
