The Legacy (12 page)

As things get underway, I notice Ingo checking his watch
every few minutes. I understand the reason perfectly. Smiling
knowingly, my heart races at the thought of giving myself to
him fully. Heat rushes to my cheeks as his eyes hold mine,
making me again grateful for my brown skin. Taking my hand,
he leads me out onto the floor for a dance, holding me close as
we sway to the soft ballad.

“I love you,” Mr. Kelly. And did I tell you I love my new
name?”
“You did. I love it too.”
When our dance ends, we join Jessica at the table.
“Where’s Adagio?” Ingo asks.
“He’s out in the hall on the phone,” Jessica says. “One of
the chefs from his restaurant called.”
“Is everything all right?” I ask.
“I don't think anything was wrong.” She looks at us and
smiles. “You two are absolutely glowing.”
I squeeze Ingo's hand. “It's because I'm so happy.”
He raises my hand to his lips. “So am I.”
“Yes, it’s quite obvious. This is the first time I’ve ever
seen
my
nephew
grin
for
two
consecutive
hours
without
stopping. I think his face is stuck.”
We laugh. “I think you’re right,” Ingo says, massaging his
cheeks. He points a finger at his aunt. “But just remember, this
is all
your
doing.”
“I admit it. I wanted my two favorite people together. Is
that so terrible?”
Taking in her exaggerated expression of innocence, he
chuckles. “It’s not terrible at all.” Scanning the room for a
moment, he looks toward the hall. “Hmm, I think Adagio is
hiding. He’s had single women trying to attach themselves to
him all morning.”
“Poor Adagio,” Jessica says with a chuckle. “He hasn’t
had a moment's peace since he got here.”
“Did I hear my name?” Adagio sits down, looking at us
expectantly. I release an unladylike snort and Ingo and Jessica
snicker.
“What?” he asks, glancing at each of us.
“Oh, nothing,” Jessica says, patting his face in a motherly
gesture. “Ingo was just talking about how much your animal
magnetism is driving the single women wild and obliterating
their self control.”
“Uh huh. What is that American phrase you use? Oh, yes.
Whatever.” Ingo chuckles, patting his shoulder.
The music soon changes and an upbeat Marc Anthony
tune fills the hall. It is one of my favorite songs and I
automatically start snapping my fingers and moving to the beat.
Adagio is also snapping and grins at me. I guess he knows the
song as well.
“Ingo, I am going to take your wife for a spin on the
dance floor, okay?”
“Sure, but I think it will be the other way around.” Ingo
grins, winking at me. “Cisely, honey, try not to school the old
man too much. Let him keep up a little.”
“Who are you calling old? I am only a couple of years
older than you.”
“And in my book, that’s old.” Cutting his eyes to his aunt,
he smiles slyly. “No offense, Aunt Jessica.”
She laughs. “None taken, my boy.”
Adagio shakes his head. “I
have
danced a little, you
know.”
Listening to them banter back and forth, I realize the old
saying, '
Boys will be boys'
fits them perfectly. Ingo gives him a
humoring nod to go ahead and Adagio rolls his eyes.
“Come on, Mrs. Kelly,” he says, taking my hand. “Let us
teach this husband of yours a lesson.” Chuckling, I let him lead
me out onto the floor.

“Hey, he really is pretty good!” Ingo says.
“I must say I agree,” Jessica says as Adagio and Cisely
dance circles around everyone on the floor. “And how in the
world does she move like that in that dress?”
“I don’t know. She’s pretty amazing.”
Jessica shakes her head, smiling. She squeezes Ingo's
hand. “Do you have any idea how much you have changed her
life?”
“Probably as much as she has changed mine.” Sighing
deeply, he gazes out at Cisely for a moment. “I am the luckiest
man in the world to have her, Aunt Jessica. And seeing her
change has been amazing. But you have watched those changes,
too.”
“Indeed I have.”
“When we first met, she was a beautiful lost soul.” He
swallows, emotion welling inside him. “Being able to love her
and help
her
understand her
worth
has
been
the
most
meaningful experience of my life. And to actually have her as
my wife just . . . it just blows me away.”
“I am sure she feels the same. How could she not?”
He kisses Jessica's cheek. “Thank you for inviting her to
come and stay with you.”
“You’re very welcome.”

As the song ends and we stop to catch our breath, Adagio
squeezes my hands. “You are a special lady, Cisely, and I am
glad you and Ingo found each other. You two deserve all the
happiness in the world.”

He hugs me, adding, “Thank you for letting me share this
special day with you.”
“I'm happy you were able to be here. You just promise to
stay in touch. After all, you are family to me now.”
He smiles, hugging me again. “I promise.”

Ingo and I catch a flight to Los Angeles, then board a
Mexican cruise ship. I have always dreamed of going on a
cruise but never thought I would.

Our wedding night is magical. I never knew the act of
making love could be so emotionally consuming. Sharing that
kind of intimacy is a powerful thing, one that I will never take
for granted. As Ingo holds me in his arms afterward, I marvel
at the feeling of oneness between us.

We savor every moment of our honeymoon, spending
our days going ashore at each stop, shopping for souvenirs for
family and friends, and lounging on the sandy beaches.

I treat myself to a couple of afternoons in the ship’s spa,
and enjoy being pampered. We dine a couple of nights in the
formal restaurant on board the ship, but most of the time, we
order in room service and treasure our time alone.

When we finally return, Jessica greets us with a delicious
welcome home dinner. We tell her about our trip and show her
our photos. After dinner we unpack and give Jessica the gifts
we purchased for her. I make a mental note to send Adagio’s
gifts off to him the following day. He
will definitely find the
ones Ingo picked for him amusing.

The last few months have been the best of my life, and I
know this is only beginning. I am truly happy. I can't imagine
things ever being any different.

The months are passing quickly and Thanksgiving is fast
approaching. I can’t remember ever being more grateful at this
time of year. Marriage to Ingo has been amazing, and as Jessica
fondly says, '
We are as happy as clams.'

Since we have no money worries–a fact I still find hard to
grasp sometimes–I quit my job at the boutique. I'm able to
travel with Ingo to photo shoots. There is nothing we enjoy
more than being together.

Awakening
one
morning,
I
peel
my
eyes
open,
encountering a bedroom full of sunlight, and realize I've slept
in a little later than normal. When I sit up, I am hit by a wave of
nausea. I lay back against the pillows, close my eyes and
swallow hard, telling myself I can’t be sick now. Ingo and I plan
to take a trip down to Southern Utah in two days and I'm really
looking forward to it.

I make another attempt to get up when the phone rings.
Grateful for a reason to stay in bed for another moment, I
answer it and smile when I hear Adagio’s voice, despite feeling
sick. He is calling to say hello and catch up on what has been
going on with us. We have only talked a couple of times since
the wedding and both conversations were brief because he's
been so busy with the restaurant.

“So, how are things?” I ask.
“Things
are
good,
just
trying
to
keep
up
with
the
increasing traffic and keep the kitchen guys in line. They are
pretty crazy in there.”
“It sounds like you’re having fun.”
“I am. They are great to work with.”
“Well, I’m sure you are a pretty great boss.” I again close
my eyes and swallow against the queasiness.
“So, how’s marriage treating you guys?”
“Ahhh, sigh. We love it!.”
He laughs. “I can hear it in your voice. You two are great
together. Now all you need is a little one of your own to make
it complete. Uncle Adagio has a nice ring to it, do you not
agree?”
“I agree completely,” I say, chuckling. “I looking forward
to being a mom . . .”
Wait . . . My cycle is late.
With the haze clearing in my brain,
I quickly calculate the days.
I’m two weeks late . . . and I’m sick
. My
mind is reeling at the possibility. I have been so busy preparing
for our trip and doing other things, I hadn’t noticed.
“Hey, Cisely, are you still there?”
“I’m here,”
I answer,
embarrassed to
have
let
my
thoughts drift so far.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m okay.”
I’m better than okay!
“I should probably let you go, and I had better get back
over to the restaurant.”
“It must be nice to work from home, so to speak.”
“It is convenient and I do enjoy it.”
“I’m glad. Hey, I’ll tell Ingo you called, but only if you
promise to call him later. You know how much he looks
forward to your calls.”
“I know. He needs to hear my voice once in a while.”
“It’s the accent,” I say and he laughs. “Promise you’ll call
him.”
“I will.
Ciao
, Cisely.”
“
Ciao.
”
Hanging up the phone, I lay in bed a little longer and wait
for my stomach to calm some. I soon realize it's useless and
drag myself out of bed, making my way to the kitchen. After
searching the cupboards for crackers to no avail, I settle on a
piece of toast and a glass of juice. Within a few minutes I am a
little better and am able to take a shower. Then I make a quick
trip to the neighborhood pharmacy for a pregnancy test.
Grinning, I examine the positive result.
“I’m pregnant!”