One Month Later..
It was a beautiful day. The kind of day where the sunlight dripped through the canopy like warm honey, and the forest hummed with the lazy contentment of early summer.
Leona walked down the forest path, and in that golden light, she looked almost otherworldly.
Her skin glowed with that infuriating, effortless radiance that made mirrors weep with joy.
Her blue eyes carried a spark, a mischievous, lively spark that had not been there a month ago.
Her long, straight hair shimmered like spun gold in the sun.
She was, by any measure, even more beautiful than when Luca had first laid eyes on her.
But there was one very, very noticeable difference.
Her belly, which had once been flat and perfectly toned, now bulged forward with unmistakable pride!
She couldn't help but smile and caress it from time to time, her fingers tracing gentle circles over the swell.
