Love is You

Chapter 1

Emelia

“Gregorio if it’s a boy, and Rosario if it’s a girl.”

“Hm,” Camila replied, smiling up at Alonzo as she sat beside him on the couch in his penthouse. “I like Rosario. I don’t know about Gregorio.”

“Okay, that’s fair.”

She had dropped the news of the pregnancy to him earlier that day, and they couldn’t stand to be away from each other after the revelation. Alonzo laid his hand on her stomach and rubbed her pelvis. They knew that they wouldn’t be able to feel it inside of her for months, but his hand still gravitated toward her belly where his child would grow.

“What about Arielle for a girl or Liam for a boy?” she suggested.

“I like those. Especially Arielle.”

“We seem to have an easier time with the girl names than the boy names.”

“I think that’s a sign that we’re going to have a little girl.”

The thought of a daughter drove Alonzo wild. He imagined a girl with a little, pink bow tied around her head, toddling around in a polka dot dress and baby shoes. “If we have a girl, I’m never letting her out of my sight,” he said and thought of holding the baby in his arms for the first time. “I’d never let her go.”

“I want to tell Flor so bad,” said Camila. “But I want to wait a while longer.”

“Anything you want,” he said. “Whatever you’re comfortable with.” He pulled her closer to him and kissed the top of her head.

“I don’t want to tell anyone until after I’ve been to the doctor and confirmed it. I want to make sure the baby is healthy.”

“I’m certain the little bean is healthier than ever inside this tummy.” He leaned down, kissed her stomach and tickled her. She giggled and tugged at his hair to get him to stop.

It was late afternoon, and Camila hadn’t had much sleep the night before. She had spent hours tossing and turning with nausea during, and then woken up exhausted. She lay her head on Alonzo’s shoulder.

“Hey, I wanted to ask,” he said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, “what do you think of this one?” He showed her a beautiful house listed for sale online.

“Do we need something so big?” she asked.

“The little peanut will need room to run around,” he said. “I just want to make sure that we have the perfect home for our family.”

She stared at the house. It was huge, but it had gorgeous architecture and was surrounded by trees and flower gardens. She stared at it longingly.

“And it’s right by my parents’ house.”

Her face brightened at the thought of being close to them. “I’ll think about it,” she said. “There’s no need to rush.” She sat up, yawned and stretched.

“Do you want to take a nap?” he asked, kissing her cheek.

“Actually, I was thinking I would take a short walk while you answered your work emails. I could use the fresh air. I think it will help me sleep better tonight.”

“One more thing before you go…” he said, still holding onto her.

“What’s that?”

“How about…Emilia?”

“That’s beautiful. But I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves.” They kissed one last time before she left the building, intent on taking a short walk around the neighborhood. She was eager for the smell of fresh air and to catch the last rays of sunlight. She instinctively cradled her stomach, just like Alonzo had held hers. She didn’t feel sick now. She felt refreshed and invigorated. There was a baby store a few blocks down, and while she didn’t want to go far—Alonzo didn’t like it when she wandered off alone—she wanted to take a quick peek. Even though she’d known it was there, she had never once thought to stop and look inside. Now, she was consumed with the thought of looking at the baby clothes.

She casually made her way to the shop and was disappointed to see that it was closed for the rest of the afternoon. She stood outside, peering in through the window. A crib was on display, along with some baby onesies, shoes, and an adorable plush lion that reminded her of the stuffed animals she’d had as a child.

The thought took her back to her life in Australia, and to the tragedy that befell when a drunk driver swerved out of his lane and killed her family. Her mother, her father, and her younger brother, Cayden. It brought back waves of emotion. But since she’d moved to Spain and had committed herself to Alonzo, she had found a new family with the Ortegas. The trauma of the past didn’t have the power over her that it used to. Especially now, with a new little person on the way. It was a long road ahead, but soon her family would grow again.

She put her hand to the glass, as trying to reach in and grab the lion. ‘Emilia,’ she thought. It was the best name they had come up with yet. But she didn’t want to be set on anything. She had already made a doctor’s appointment, but they couldn’t get her in for another three weeks. The wait was going to be torture.

She rubbed her stomach and looked from the lion to her own reflection in the window. She had started to cry and hadn’t even noticed. She didn’t know why she was crying. She wasn’t sad. She was overflowing with joy, or something like joy. It was an emotion that she couldn’t quite describe. One chapter of her life was now closed, and she was about to begin a new one.

She had a feeling that the story was just starting to get good.

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