CHOSEN. EVERY DAY

Chapter 7: The Honeymoon

Part 1

The plane took off at 8am.

Hope stayed with Mrs Delgado. Lily and Leo waved from the gate like they were sending us to the moon.

Damian held my hand the whole flight.

Nervous, he asked.

No, I said. Just happy.

We landed in Santorini at sunset. White houses. Blue doors. The sea so clear it looked fake.

The villa had three rooms. One bed. A pool that looked over the cliffs.

Damian dropped our bags and pulled me to the balcony.

Mrs Cole, he said.

Mr Cole, I said.

He kissed me. Slow. Like we had all the time in the world.

The first three days we did nothing. Slept late. Ate bread and olives. Swam. Napped.

Damian learned to make coffee. He was terrible at it.

This is awful, I said after the first sip.

I know, he said. He kissed me anyway. Tastes better now.

On day four we went to the beach. The water was cold. I screamed. Damian picked me up and carried me in.

You’re insane, I said.

You love it, he said.

I did.

That night we walked through the town. Cobblestone streets. Lights. Music.

Damian bought me a bracelet from a small shop. Silver. With an H on it. For Hope.

She’ll like this when she’s older, he said.

We sat by the water.

Can I ask you something, he said.

Yes.

Do you ever think about five years ago, he asked.

Sometimes, I said.

Regret it.

No, I said. If we hadn’t left, we wouldn’t be here now.

He nodded. I was so angry at myself, he said. For waiting. For letting fear win.

Damian, I said. You were grieving. You were protecting your kids.

I should have protected you too, he said.

You did, I said. By calling me back.

He looked at me. I love you Elena, he said.

I love you too, I said.

We stayed until the stars came out.

Week two we rented a boat. Damian drove it badly. I laughed the whole time.

We went to a vineyard. Drank too much wine.

Damian told me stories I’d never heard. About his first job. About meeting Claire. About holding Lily for the first time.

I told him about my mom. About why I became a nanny. About being scared of being alone.

We cried. We laughed.

One night it rained. We stayed in. Damian burned the pasta. We ordered pizza.

We played cards. He cheated.

You’re a terrible liar, I said.

You’re a worse one, he said.

We ended up on the floor by the fire.

Elena, he said.

Yes.

I don’t ever want to go back to how it was, he said.

We won’t, I said.

Promise me, he said.

I promise, I said.

He kissed me. Long. Deep.

Part 2: The Talk

The last three days went too fast.

We took photos. Lots of them. Damian in the sun with his shirt off. Me with my hair in the wind. Both of us stupid and smiling.

We sent them to the kids.

Lily: mom you look happy

Leo: dad looks 10 years younger

Hope: gaga

Damian framed one on his phone. Us on the balcony.

My new lock screen, he said.

On the last night we didn’t sleep.

We sat outside and watched the sun come up.

I don’t want to leave, I said.

Me neither, he said.

But we have to, I said. The kids.

I know, he said.

He pulled me onto his lap.

When we get home, he said.

Yes.

I want to start trying, he said.

For what.

Another baby, he said.

I stared at him.

Damian I’m 27. You’re 67.

I know, he said. Do you want one.

I thought about it. About Hope’s tiny hands. About Lily teaching her to read. About Leo teaching her basketball.

Yes, I said. I do.

Good, he said. He kissed me. Then we’ll try.

The flight home was quiet. We held hands.

Landed to chaos.

Lily ran at me. Leo picked up Hope and Hope screamed for us.

The house was messy and loud and perfect.

That night after the kids were asleep Damian came to my room.

How was it, he asked.

Perfect, I said.

He lay next to me.

Me too, he said.

We lay there.

Elena, he said.

Yes.

Thank you for choosing me, he said.

Always, I said.

Two months later I found out I was pregnant.

I was in the bathroom. The test had two lines.

Damian, I yelled.

He ran in.

What, what’s wrong.

I held it up.

He went still. Then he dropped to his knees.

Are you serious, he whispered.

Yes, I said.

He started crying.

Another baby, he said. Our baby.

Yes, I said.

He picked me up and spun me.

Careful, I said.

I don’t care, he said. I’m going to be a dad again.

That night he told the twins.

We’re having a baby, he said.

Lily screamed. Leo picked her up.

Another one, Leo said.

Yes, Damian said.

Grace, Lily said immediately.

What, Damian asked.

If it’s a girl. Name her Grace, Lily said.

Damian looked at me.

Grace, he said. I like that.

The pregnancy was easier this time. I was less scared.

Damian was better too. He didn’t hover. He just loved.

He came to every appointment. He learned the baby’s heartbeat.

Lily helped pick names. Leo said if it was a boy he had to play basketball.

We found out it was a girl at 20 weeks.

A girl, the doctor said.

Damian grabbed my hand.

Grace, he said.

Grace, I said.

We started setting up the nursery.

Damian painted the walls himself. Light yellow.

You didn’t have to, I said.

I wanted to, he said.

*Part 3: Coming Home - ∼870 words*

Grace was born in spring.

It was raining. The kind of rain that makes everything feel new.

Damian didn’t let go of my hand once.

Breathe Elena, he said. You’re doing it.

And then she was here.

Small. Loud. Perfect.

A nurse put her on my chest.

Hi baby, I whispered.

Damian touched her head. His hands were shaking.

Hi Grace, he said.

She opened her eyes. Gray. Like his.

Lily and Leo were in the waiting room. They ran in as soon as they could.

She’s so tiny, Lily whispered.

Can I hold her, Leo asked.

Yes baby, I said.

He held her like she was glass.

She’s ours, he said.

She is, Damian said.

We stayed in the hospital for two days.

Damian didn’t sleep. He just watched her.

You should rest, I said.

I will when she’s older, he said.

At home the house changed again.

Diapers. Bottles. 2am feedings.

Lily became the expert. She showed me how to swaddle.

Like this mom, she said.

Leo built a crib with Damian. It took them 6 hours and three arguments.

But it was perfect.

Grace had Damian’s nose and my mouth and Lily’s attitude already.

She cried loud. She ate a lot. She slept in 2 hour chunks.

Damian took the night shifts.

I’d wake up at 3am and find him in the rocking chair.

Hey, I’d say.

Hey, he’d say. She likes you better.

No she doesn’t, I said.

She does, he said. But she likes me second best.

One year after the wedding we went back to Greece.

Just us. Again.

Same villa. Same balcony.

Damian looked at me.

Still choosing me, he asked.

Always, I said.

He smiled.

Good, he said. Because I’m not going anywhere.

We kissed.

Below us the sea was blue.

Above us the sky was clear.

And inside me, in the place that had been empty for so long, there was nothing but love.

We talked about the future.

College for Lily. Basketball for Leo. Preschool for Grace.

Do you think we did okay, he asked.

With what, I said.

With all of this, he said. The age gap. The kids. The second chance.

I thought about it.

I think we did better than okay, I said. I think we did good.

He nodded.

I choose you, he said. Every day.

I choose you too, I said.

The sun came up over the water.

And for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t scared of tomorrow.

Because tomorrow, we would choose each other again.

Chapter 7 End