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“I can and I do” She took her own deep breath and then plunged into a pool she had never swum in before “I believe you love me, too I really do”

“I do love you, my precious wife I do Thank God you believethose thanks on the wings of angels and then opened theain have cause to doubt it I give you ain, her heart burbling with a kind of happiness she had never known

He leaned forward and kissed her It was theof their lips they had ever known, for it affirmed in a wholly nonsexual way that they were two halves of one whole Always

EPILOGUE

THE surgery was a complete success and, miraculously, so was the IVF procedure performed two months later Therese’s doctor was shocked it had worked on the first try, but she wasn’t After discovering Claudio loved her as she loved him, she didn’t find it all that difficult to believe in nancy was confir The entire fa seven and a half irl and two boys Although the babies were slightly prehter was the oldest and when King Vincente laid his hand on her head and confirenitor, Therese alht only et that archaic idea?” Claudio asked with a laugh “Just because Scorsolini babies are alhters to inherit We are ayou that”

“But…you always talked about your nephew inheriting”

“He’s the oldest”

“Oh So, she’s going to be a queen?”

“Just like her rinned, exhausted from the delivery, but happier than she’d ever been “It wouldn’t have mattered I would have loved her the same anyway”

“Of course you would…our children will know nothing but love from us all the days of their lives”

She smiled, her heart so filled with joy that some days she did not know if she could hold it all in He’d been showing her his love in ways she could neverhis brothers to share more of the burden of leadership while his father was convalescing so he could oversee her return to health with minute attention

He even stayed in the hospital with her and the tabloids had a heyday with it So that it was obvious this royal fa for convenience He had ether all the time and nohen he traveled, she ith hinant

She reached out and took his hand, loving the feel of his long, strong fingers intertwined with hers “I happen to know you are an expert at giving love, I have no doubts our children will know nothing but an abundance of that co Vincente smiled at therandchildren to know the blessing of love the Scorsolinis are known for”

Re used to believe it was, Therese felt tears fill her eyes “We’llof love, Papa”

And they did…all the days of their lives