Chapter 77

• The atmosphere in the house is considerably lighter when I return from dropping Angela off at the airport. The change in atmosphere is not due to her departure, but to the certainty of knowing that Valentina is there, even before I walk through the door, knowing that she will always be there.
• She showed her commitment when a tough obstacle stood in our way. I have no doubt that she will be by my side through thick and thin. She is the kind of woman any man can only dream of having as his wife.
• I am glad that Sophie and Noah happened. I love those kids more than life itself. But it's more than that. When Valentina told me she wanted to have an abortion, a part of me was disappointed, but I understood the implications of having a baby alone and in the conditions I had left her in. I respected her wishes and the future she had ahead of her. I would never have reproached her for that decision, but I am grateful that she didn't. I can't, and don't want to, imagine a life without my children, but even without them, as sure as I breathe, I would have found a way back to Valentina.