Chapter 9
Upon arriving at the dining room, Valeria found her parents embracing each other with affection. The young woman, seeing that scene, feigned a cough to catch their attention. Maximiliano and Renata separated immediately, and Valeria smiled at them mischievously.
"How was your afternoon?" she asked as she took a seat at the large, perfectly decorated table.
"Wonderful, darling," Maximiliano responded with a playful tone, which made Renata blush.
"I see," Valeria said, and after a brief pause added, "Father, can I ask you a somewhat indiscreet question?"
Maximiliano looked at her with curiosity and, after thinking for a moment, nodded.
"Did you never think about having more children?"
Maximiliano, surprised, only smiled and looked at Renata, who was blushing more and more.
"We have thought about it, darling, but God only blessed us with you."
"I understand," Valeria responded, "but… did you never consider adoption?"
"The truth is, no, my heaven. When we discovered that Renata could no longer get pregnant, we stopped trying. We already had you, and that was more than enough. But tell me, why the question now? Did it never bother you being an only child?"
"It is not that…" Valeria spoke with sincerity. "It is just that, seeing how young you are and how stable our family is, I wondered… why are there no more children running through the house? It would be lovely to see one or two more siblings."
Valeria was serious. She would like to have at least one or two siblings; she knew what it was like to grow up in an orphanage without a family. Furthermore, she knew her parents' economic stability and decided to try to convince them. She also feared that if something happened to her, they would be left alone, as happened in the original novel.
"It would not be a bad idea," Maximiliano said, smiling. "We promise to think about it, darling. Now finish eating."
Dinner passed between talk and laughter, until everyone retired to their rooms.
In the bedroom of the Dukes
"Love, what are you thinking about?" Maximiliano asked.
"About what Valeria said. She is right; we could adopt a boy or a girl. Make our family grow… what do you think?"
"Are you serious? Of course I agree. I always wanted more children, but I thought you didn't…"
"Darling, do not cry. Why did you never tell me? I would do anything to see you and our daughter happy."
"I know, it is just that I never imagined our daughter would also want siblings."
"Neither did I… but apparently she does. So, what do you say?"
"Of course I want to, my love."
"Then it is decided. Tomorrow we will give the news to our daughter."
"Very well. I love you more every day."
"Me too, my life."
They kissed passionately, shedding their clothes slowly until they reached the bed. There they joined their bodies in a dance of love, passion, and tenderness that lasted almost until dawn.
In the morning
Valeria was sleeping peacefully until Clara shook her gently.
"Alright, Clara! I am awake," she said, still face down, with a thread of drool.
"Miss, you must get ready to have breakfast with your parents."
"Alright, I am coming," Valeria responded, slowly sitting up in bed and opening her eyes. She found it hard to wake up early; in her previous life, she worked at night in a bar, so she was still adapting to the change in schedule.
Clara prepared the bath and helped Valeria dress in a simple navy-blue dress. Then she styled her hair in front of the vanity.
"Miss, you look very beautiful. Come, they must already be waiting for you for breakfast."
"Thank you, Clara. Let's go."
They went out to the garden, where Renata had decided to serve breakfast in the kiosk from the previous day. Five minutes later, Maximiliano and Renata arrived, smiling.
Valeria stood up and hugged them.
"Good morning, mother. Good morning, father. What has you so happy today?"
"Good morning, heaven. And responding to your question, there is something that will make you very happy," Renata said, smiling.
"What is it?" Valeria asked, intrigued.
"We have decided to grow our family."
"Truly? You do not know the joy this news gives me. When shall we go look for my brother or sister?"
"Calm down, darling. First let us have breakfast, and then we shall all go together. We have already sent a letter advising them that we would be making a visit today."
"Then, what are we waiting for? Let us sit down for breakfast."
The parents were happy to see their daughter's enthusiasm, something they never imagined. After breakfast, they prepared the carriage and departed for the orphanage.
Upon arrival, a lady of about fifty years came out to receive them.
"Welcome, please come in. The director will be here shortly to attend to you," she said while guiding them to a living room.
Five minutes later, another woman arrived, also of a similar age.
"Welcome, your excellencies. I am Rosa Molinari, director of the orphanage. How may I help you?"
"You see, we have decided to grow our family and… that is why we are here."
"I understand. Accompany me for a tour of the facilities, and in the process you can interact with the children."
They spent the entire morning playing with the little ones until Valeria found a group of four children: a seven-year-old girl, two five-year-old twins, and a three-year-old baby girl.
Valeria approached with a smile and took some candies from her bag.
"Hello, my name is Valeria. Do you want to play with me and my parents?"
The children nodded timidly. One of the twins took a step forward.
"Hello, my name is Tomy, he is my brother Lucas, she is Sofia, and the baby is named Mia. Yes, we want to play with you and your parents."
(Valeria's POV)
Tomy seemed to be making an effort to overcome his shyness, which I found adorable. My parents were resting after running after the children, still with a smile of satisfaction. I approached them with the children following me.
"Father, mother, I want to introduce you to some friends: Tomy, Lucas, Sofia, and Mia."
The children greeted them clumsily, until Mia surprised us with her words.
"Excuse me, are you an angel?" she asked while pulling on my mother's skirt.
Renata, surprised, tried to play along:
"Mmm… what do you think?"
"I think you are; you are very beautiful, like an angel," Mia responded with innocence.
"Or perhaps a fairy."
"Are you really a fairy?" the girl asked with bright eyes.
This time Maximiliano intervened:
"Yes, she is a fairy, but shh… do not say it so loudly, no one can find out."
The four children nodded, promising to keep the secret. Afterward, we decided to play a bit more, until the director approached.
"And well… how was your day?"