“My sweet baby girl,” she cooed while the nurse covered the baby in a blanket. She then sent Tarek a worried look. “Are you disappointed she’s not a boy?”
He laid his palm on his daughter’s tiny back, experiencing an abiding love he never expected to feel. “Not in the least. Boys create trouble wherever they go. I am proud to have two daughters.”
Kira touched his cheek. “Two beautiful daughters. I can’t wait for Yasmin to see her as soon as she’s finished with her lessons.”
“She will be quite pleased we have given her a sister.” As he was quite pleased that he had given her his name, and an outstanding mother.
Ignoring the flurry of activity and sounds coming from the hospital halls, they remained that way for a while, bonding as a family, marveling over the new life they had made. Tarek experienced an abiding love, an emotion he’d never expected to feel so deeply until he had allowed this woman into his heart, and his adopted daughter into his home, though he had once been reluctant to admit it to himself. That was no longer the case.
“We’re going to take the baby now to weigh her and examine her,” Maysa said, interrupting the emotional interlude. “We won’t be gone long.”
Kira seemed hesitant to let her go. “Hurry back,” she said after she relinquished their child to the nurse.
Tarek pulled a chair up to the bedside and took his beloved wife’s hand. “You were braver than most men.”
Kira released a cynical laugh. “I turned into a sniveling, whiny wimp.”
“Understandable since you were in pain.”
“Yes, that was some pain. But now that it’s over, what are we going to call her?” she asked.
A debate that had been ongoing for some time. “I believe we should go with what you prefer. Using our mothers’ middle names.”
Kira looked as if he had handed her the key to the universe. “Then Laila Anne Azzmar it is, although Yasmin will insist on calling her Annie.”
“I have no issue with that.”
Either name would suit her well. This life suited him well. He had come a long way as the son of two commoners who had learned he was the son of a king. He had built a fortune, achieved resounding success, yet nothing could compare to his greatest accomplishment—learning to love. From this point forward, he was prepared to continue this greatest of adventures with the treasured woman whom he loved with all that he was, or would be.
And as the nurse returned their beloved child and placed her in his arms, Tarek Azzmar, billionaire mogul, knew what it meant to be truly blessed.
Epilogue
Kira had discovered a long time ago that Mehdi family gatherings were quite an adventure, though before she had been on the outside looking in. Before there weren’t quite as many Mehdis, either. As she sat at a table beneath a copse of olive trees on the palace grounds, holding her sleeping six-week-old against her breasts, she took a quick look around and smiled at the scene. Yasmin and Cala were attempting to climb a brick retaining wall, ignoring the fact they were wearing party dresses. Joseph stood nearby, egging them on and calling them babies when they couldn’t quite achieve their goal.
In the distance, Adan held his toddler son, Sam, while his wife, Piper, cradled their three-month-old, Brandon. And standing beside them, the formerly-widowed Mehdi military cousin, Sheikh Rayad Rostam, had his hands full with yet another newborn son who carried his father’s name, while his new wife, Sunny, looking exhausted, rested her head on his shoulder. Rafiq entered the picture, chasing after young Prince Ahmed, who’d just learned to walk, while Maysa trailed behind him, laughing. But Kira had yet to locate Tarek, who had disappeared twenty minutes ago.
Elena, Zain and Madison soon arrived with a tray of refreshments that they placed on the lengthy table nearby. After shifting Laila to her shoulder, Kira came to her feet and joined the group for the festivities.
She then felt two strong arms come around her from behind and a kiss on her neck. Missing husband found. “Where have you been?” she asked him when he moved to her side.
He took the baby from her grasp and held her against his broad shoulder. “I had to finalize the purchase on a new yacht.”
“We have a perfectly good yacht.”
He gently kissed Laila’s cheek, causing Kira’s heart to take a little tumble in her chest. “This one is child-proofed and has more cabins. We need extra room to house the children. I predict we will have a son very soon.”
“I’ll get right on that.”
He had the gall to grin. “We can begin tonight.”
“We can pretend tonight. I’d like to wait until this little one is out of diapers before we make another one.”