My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)

"Maximus, what's going on? I don't understand..." Celeste said, looking worried.

"Come on! In a few minutes, you're going to meet Peter's real mother. It's a long story, but let's go. Peter is nervous and anxious-he ran out so fast that no one could stop him. He's probably in the foyer by now."

"Yes! Let's go."

"There'll be time later to explain everything, but for now, the most important thing is that you're by his side," Maximus said, noticing how lost Celeste looked.

"Thank you, Maximus," Celeste said, trying to stay calm.

Peter reached the foyer, breathless. His eyes landed on a young woman and a little girl standing in the room, and then... he saw her. Aria had her back to him, but when she heard footsteps behind her, she turned around.

Her eyes filled with tears, her chin trembled, and she found herself staring at the man from the photographs.

Peter's chest rose and fell rapidly. It was her. The woman in the locket-it was definitely her. His mother. And she was beautiful.

He wanted to speak, but the words were stuck in his throat. So instead, he did the only thing he could he took quick strides toward her, grabbed her arm, and pulled her into his chest, holding her tightly.

Aria felt the warmth of her son's body, his breath against her hair. She could hear it-the pounding of his heart. It was racing, almost on the verge of bursting. And as he held her, he knew. His heart couldn't lie. The eyes, the gaze, the color of her hair-it was her. There was no mistake. His intuition didn't fail him.

Tears streamed down Aria's face. The words she had kept inside for decades weren't words at all-they were sobs, raw and broken, the sound of a heartache she had carried since she was seventeen.

She pulled back slightly, looking up at him. He had inherited Leonardo's height, his hair, his sharp features. Aria let out shaky breaths, trying to inhale and exhale, trying to find her voice. She wanted to speak, to say everything she had never been able to say. But she couldn't. All she could do was cry-for the baby who once kicked inside her belly.

Her tears were for the child she had whispered to, the one she had cradled in her womb, protected by her own body. Her lips trembled, her words drowning in the grief, the longing, the sorrow, and the unbearable loneliness.

She was crying for the young girl who had been robbed of her right to be a mother.

She was crying for the woman who had never once held her son in her arms. "Sweetheart..." she finally whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Mom..." Peter choked out, pulling back just enough to wipe his own tears.

Celeste watched the scene unfold in

tched

silence, her own eyes filling with tears. She knew what it was like to

lose one's parents. She didn't know the fulbstory, but one thing was clear this woman had neverseen her son before today.

Maximus, noticing Celeste's emotions, gently pulled her aside.

"Let's give them some space. They need to talk," he said softly.

"Yes... Let's go to the garden," Celeste agreed, walking toward the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Magnus, Danielle, and Ellie left the room and headed outside. Danielle was still in shock.

That handsome man... he was Aria's son? The same Aria who had once begged for a job? The woman who, despite everything, had become her second mother?

"I still can't understand... Mr.

Magnus, how did she never meet her

son?" Danielle asked, her voicenoveldrama

heavy with disbelief. "Aria has been

with me for almost ten years.

I knew

her life hadn't been easy, but she

never mentioned a child."

"Life sometimes puts terrible people in our paths," Magnus said solemnly. "And in

her case, that's exactly what happened. The worst part is that the person who caused her the most pain was her own father."

"Aria and that man have a lot to talk about, don't you think?"

"They do. But now, they have the rest of their lives to spend together. And Peter-

he needs his mother now more than ever, especially since he just became a father himself."

"I see..." Danielle murmured, feeling a mix of emotions.

"Grandma Aria won't live with us anymore?" Ellie asked, tugging on Danielle's hand. "Where's her son?"

"My love... That man who hugged Grandma Aria-that's her son," Danielle explained, crouching down to meet her daughter's eyes.

Ellie's eyes widened. "That man is her son? But I thought he was a little boy..." "No, sweetheart... She became a mother many, many years ago."

"Wow!" Ellie gasped. Then, crossing her arms, she declared, "Well, I need to have a serious talk with him. He can't just take my grandma away! We have to share her—he can't keep her all to himself."

Danielle smiled. "First, let's give

Grandma and her son some time to talk and get to know each other. Then shell decide what happens next. But one thing's for sure, my love whatever she chooses, we'll support her. No matter what."

Ellie let out a little sigh, but her mother's words reassured her. Now that she was

calm, she could focus on something else—exploring the beautiful gardens.