Secrets of Cinderella’s Awakening by Sharon Kendrick

EPILOGUE

MARNIEHADJUSTpositioned the final fondant dinosaur on top of the cake when the sound of movement outside the window captured her attention. With sunlight glittering off the nearby sea, she glanced up to see Leon approaching and thought—as she always did—what perfect timing he had. A visual feast in sawn-off jeans and a black T-shirt, he was running to keep up with two sand-covered little boys. Their sons. Their twin sons. Their two beautiful boys who would be four years old tomorrow, and who brought their besotted parents unimaginable amounts of joy. She swallowed, overcome with emotion which was never far from the surface—particularly during the last few weeks.

Every day she gave thanks for her life and her marriage because it hadn’t all been plain sailing. Conceived early in their marriage, and born seven weeks prematurely, Theo and Atlas had been terrifyingly tiny when they had been delivered in Athens. Their parents had kept a tense vigil on the neonatal unit and Marnie had been shocked by the waxen pallor of her husband’s face and the bleak terror she could read in his eyes.

But those little boys had come battling through and today were as healthy and robust as any of their friends, five of whom would be joining them tomorrow for a raucous birthday picnic on the beach, along with their aunt and uncle. Pansy and Warren were flying in later on Leon’s private jet, along with their russet-haired daughter, Bryony—who was a loveable little terror. Warren was now one of the most successful barristers in the country and Pansy had become a valued prison visitor in London. She was even on the lecture circuit, giving increasingly popular talks about the realities of women’s experiences in jail. As she was fond of telling anyone who asked—nobody knew the inside of a cell as well as she did.

Marnie sighed. Who would ever have thought that fate could have done such a satisfying flip-flop and allowed the two Porter sisters to find true happiness?

‘That was a very big sigh,’ came a silken comment from behind her and Marnie felt a shiver of inevitable expectation rippling down her spine as she heard Leon’s voice.

She turned round, her heart clenching with pleasure. His blue eyes were bright against the bronzed gleam of his skin, but these days his raven-dark hair was styled a little longer and looked very sexy. She cut it herself, of course. In fact, lots of his friends had asked if she would cut theirs, too, but Marnie had resisted. She had loved her time as a hairdresser but other things beckoned to her now. With the help of their beloved nanny, Christina, she took an inordinate amount of pleasure from being a mother. She was on the board of trustees of a children’s home and, assisted by the philanthropic arm of Leon’s pared-down business, she hoped she was helping to make a real difference in the lives of those children. In fact, next week a tiny orphaned baby girl they were fostering was coming to the newly decorated pink nursery upstairs, which had been prepared just for her. She bit her lip. Well, that had been the theory.

‘It was a sigh of contentment,’ she informed her husband as he slid his arms around her waist.

‘But also one of faint concern,’ he noted as he traced the tiny frown on her brow with the tip of one finger.

‘Where are the boys?’

‘Christina has insisted they remove all that sand in the bath and, afterwards, they’ve decided they want to make welcome cards to give to their new baby sister next week.’

She grinned. ‘Aw. That’s so sweet.’

‘Mmm. And then they’re going to “play” chess.’

Marnie grimaced. ‘I hope they don’t start fighting again.’

‘Only time will tell.’ He smiled. ‘Which gave me the opportunity to come and find my beautiful wife, to admire the birthday cake she’s made and to wonder why she’s looking a little worried.’

He was so perceptive! Marnie touched her fingers to his shadowed jaw—treasuring a moment she’d prayed for but which she’d thought would be denied them for ever. Because even though the doctors had told her it was fine for her to have another baby, up until now it had never happened. She had convinced herself she was okay with that, and revelled in the fact that she had lots of blessings to count. Twin blessings, actually—as well as an adorable baby girl who was soon going to be joining their family. But now...

‘I’m pregnant, Leon,’ she whispered, watching the series of emotions which crossed the face of a man who no longer kept his feelings hidden away. She could see hope and fear and joy—all those things which most people felt every day of their lives. ‘I’m... I’m having your baby,’ she said, just in case it hadn’t registered. ‘Are you happy?’

Leon hoped his tight embrace reassured her on that point and as he pulled her closer he could hear the combined thunder of their hearts. ‘Agape,’ he said shakily, coming to terms with what she had just told him before uttering a silent prayer of gratitude. Because he had never imagined life could be like this. With his loving wife and two amazing sons, they had created the perfect family. He had thought things couldn’t get any better, but he had been wrong. But then, he had been wrong about so many things before he had met Marnie.

‘Am I happy?’ he echoed slowly. ‘Let me tell you that my happiness is right off the scale.’

‘But we’re going to have two new babies in the house now! And four children in total.’

‘Shh.’ He kissed the tremble of her lips. ‘We’ll cope. We coped with our two boys, just as we will with little Athena and her new brother or sister. We have enough love between us for an army of children in our lives, Marnie. Surely you know that?’

She nodded, smiling through the tears he recognised as tears of joy. He thought of all the ways he could respond to her news. Later, he would take her to their room and pay homage to her with his body. He would spoil her and cherish her and insist she rested. But for now there was only one thing she needed to hear, which happened to be the only thing he wanted to say.

‘I love you, Marnie. Se agapo. For the rest of my days, and beyond.’

Their kiss was slow and very passionate, interrupted only by a furious accusation from upstairs, shouted in perfect English.

‘Atlas, you’re cheating!’