He kissed her forehead. She kissed the side of his mouth. They met in the middle and pressed their lips together.
“So this is your first time meeting her, huh?” Siara chuckled softly, leaning back so Silky could see their daughter. “This is Silia. Your baby girl.”
Silky stared at her for a few seconds before tears began to fall from his eyes. He laughed as his head shook.
“She’s beautiful.” Silky laughed again before he muttered, “She looks just like us.” Siara smiled, wiping away more of his fallen tears. “And she got my hair. Can I hold her?”
Nodding, Siara gently placed Silia into his arms. “Is Casanova…”
Silky nodded as he kissed the center of Silia’s forehead. “Dead.”
She waited a few minutes before speaking, needing to gauge his reaction. This was his brother, his twin brother. Upon their first time meeting, it turned into their last.
“Did Anthony fill you in on everything?”
“Yes. And I’m paying my parents a visit first thing in the morning. But tonight, I just want us to go to a hotel somewhere and…”
His head shook as he released a shaky breath. Siara pouted as she pulled him into her arms. She couldn’t imagine how overwhelming this was for him. As he cried, all she could do was hold him and cry herself.
Not only had he been in jail for almost a year, but his twin brother had successfully taken over his life. All Siara could do was thank God that she eventually followed her intuition because her family was finally free and safe.
Six Months Later
She’d dreamed he was dead – and it damn near scared the life out of her. But this time, her dreams weren’t about her husband; they were about the baby boy growing inside of her womb. Finding out she was pregnant with Casanova’s baby was one of the hardest pills Siara ever had to swallow, but she’d decided to keep the baby and give him a better life than Casanova ever had.
Casanova’s death hit her harder than she thought it would. Without God and therapy, he never really stood a chance. All the love his parents tried to give him did nothing for the hate in his heart. All the crimes he committed and violence he released was proof of that. As evil of a life he’d lived, there was something about him… maybe the softness he showed her as Silky, that made her cry at his funeral.
Still, Siara was happy that her life was back to normal. As Silky wanted, the next morning, they went to confront his parents. They told the whole truth and admitted to giving Casanova up because he was sick. Out of everyone, they took his death the hardest. Knowing that he’d been out there, alive, and suffering all those years really made it hard on them.
It took a few months for Silky to readjust to life, but with constant prayer and support and counseling, he was able to do so with ease. He supported Siara’s decision to keep the baby and promised to be as good of a father to him as he was to Silia. He’d taken the rest of the schoolyear off to focus on his family, but he was still having online sessions with his students, including Herbert, who he’d convinced to apply to a few colleges in and out of state.
Julia and Taylor’s families finally were able to have a bit more peace knowing who was responsible for their deaths, and even though he was conceived through deception, Siara was looking forward to meeting her little man. Siara’s counselor helped her understand that the dreams she had of their baby boy dying were a symbol of rebirth. Casanova’s rebirth. His chance to live through his son. A part of Siara felt like the nightmares came when Casanova was visiting their son.
Whatever the case, Siara did as she normally did when the dreams plagued her – snuggled up a bit closer to her husband.
Siara curved her body next to his and held him close. Caressing his chest, Siara inhaled a deep, shaky breath.
“I love you so much,” she whispered, squeezing his arm.
“I love you more,” Silky replied, voice gruff and thick with sleep.
“I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Silky’s arms wrapped around her. He placed a kiss to the top of her head before releasing a hard exhale. As Silky cleared his throat, Siara tossed her leg over his to get closer.
“We’re so deeply connected that I feel what you feel. You don’t have to wake me up, I’m always alert when it comes to you. And Silia.” His hand went to her belly. “And Simeon.”
Siara placed a kiss to his chest as her hand ran up and down it. Sometimes, it felt like they were the ones who were twins. Or twin flames, at least. Deeply connected at the soul with a bond that nothing or no one would ever be able to break. Siara may have temporarily been held captive by a criminal’s heart… but her heart would always be safe in Silky’s care.