The next morning, Carlos awoke to some one knocking on the door. He grabbed his robe and ran to open it. There stood Urs with his mouth hanging open with a shocked look on his face. Siobhan stood there just laughing at Urs and the way he was staring at Carlos.

Carlos showed them in and closed the door behind them. Urs sat the bags down near the door and looked around at the house and staircase. Carlos invited them into the kitchen where the cook was already making coffee and breakfast.

Urs was still in shock that Carlos would have such a place for just him and Cyd and the baby. It was the biggest house he had ever remembered being in for a long time. He just couldn’t see Carlos and Cyd living in a mansion. Carlos had his coffee in his hand when Urs walked over and slapped him on the back. Carlos, not expecting the reaction, watched as his coffee and cup and went flying across the floor. He turned and looked at Siobhan who was doing all she could not to laugh at them. Carlos took one look at Urs and busted out laughing. Seconds later, Urs joined in too.

After they all finished their coffee and Carlos his breakfast, they toured the grounds and the house. They saw the area where Camille would be lodged and the zoo had been built. A few hours later, they went inside and looked through the house itself. Both Urs and Siobhan were impressed at what he had been able to get done before the baby arrived and kept every detail from Cyd. Urs wandered off to the bar to check out the Video Equipment. He noticed it was just like what Sebastien had set up at his home in the states. They would be able to see the babies and keep in touch while either on tour, during the CD signings or Promotions. He and Siobhan wanted that for Seb and Carlos.

Carlos ran upstairs, leaving Urs and Siobhan to explore the house. They found they really loved the huge house and how it had been decorated. They decided to freshen up, so the housekeeper showed them to their room. As Carlos was getting ready to leave for the hospital to pick up Cyd and Leila Elena, he stopped off at the Nursery and took one last look around, checking to be sure everything was in its place. Smiling contently to himself, he whispered, “It is ready for our beautiful daughter to come home to.”

He arrived at the hospital as Cyd was finishing dressing Leila Elena. Carlos stood in the doorway and watched as mother and daughter interacted, knowing in his heart he was the luckiest man on the earth. He watched a moment, carefully tucking the loving scene into his mind to savor later. He walked in and gave Cyd a kiss that said how much he had missed her. Before she could ask a thing, he went over to Leila Elena and picked her up. Cyd hugged herself as she watched her tiny family before her, as Carlos gave Daddy kisses to their daughter, snuggled warmly in his arms. Clara, Dr DeLuca’s OR nurse, had stopped by that morning to check on Cyd and Leila Elena. While she was there, she took a few pictures of Cyd and Leila Elena with Cyd’s camera she had carefully packed before leaving for the hospital. Cyd was hoping to surprise Carlos with at least one of them as soon as she could. Reaching for the camera, she quickly took a few pictures herself of the magical moment as tears welled in her eyes.

They were ready for the trip home. The fans at the forum had been sending cards and flowers for days; the house, villa were covered and the hospital too. Cyd had asked the flowers be sent to the children and elderly in the hospital and the others would be sent to the nursing homes in the area. They went down to the car. Carlos put Leila Elena in her car seat as Cyd settled into the front seat.

The ride should only be a few minutes to the villa but Carlos said he wanted to make a detour on the way. They drove through a real posh neighborhood. As she looked around in amazement Cyd became more and more confused. She had never seen this part of Madrid before and wondered who Carlos knew that would live here. The pulled up in front of this Beautiful Mansion on top of a hill with the lawn was spread out across the front and sides. Cyd was very confused when Carlos pulled into the driveway and got out leaving her and Leila Elena in the car. Her mind raced faster as she watched him casually walk to the front door.

Cyd watched as a neatly dressed, older woman answered the door. Seconds later Urs and Siobhan appeared through the doorway and headed toward her. “…they don’t live here… so what had Carlos done… and why are they here? “Cyd really didn’t care at the moment as they arrived at the car door and helped her out. Seconds later they began hugging each other. Leila Elena was sleeping in her car seat. Urs just had to open the door to see this little beauty. He sat down beside the sleeping child, letting his eyes scan her small, delicate features. A calmness he hadn’t felt before had seemed to settle in as he sat there with Siobhan at his side.

Carlos came down to stand next to Cyd. Beaming at the sight of his wife and daughter, he told her, “The house you see will never compare to you, our child, or the feeling I have in my heart, but it is where we shall raise our mariposita (little butterfly,) Leila Elena together. It just needs two very special things… you and her to be here… nothing else.

Cyd couldn’t believe what he had just said. She began to hug and kiss him and thank him for giving them their own home. They got Leila Elena out of her car seat and carried her into the house. Seeing that Leila Elena was still sleeping contently, Cyd began to look around at the place; stunned was the best way to describe her reaction. She loved everything and the place, but she wanted to see was the nursery. She had seen the one at the villa but had no idea this was the same thing. She saw the baby clothes and everything set up and ready to be used.

Urs laid the baby in her bed and she never woke up. Uncle Urs had carried her from the car and she never made a sound. Siobhan watched Urs as did Cyd and Carlos. They all knew maybe someday he would be a dad too. Carlos and Urs stayed in the Nursery as Cyd and Siobhan chatted quietly as they explored the top floor level of the house. Both Carlos and Urs smiled as they watched the baby, cuddled snuggly under the blanket Aunt Siobhan had made for her. Carlos lovingly kissed his sleeping daughter and lightly touched her tiny hand before she tucked it tightly under her chin.

Urs smiled, still amazed that she was such a lovely, small child. He hadn’t been around a newborn, other than Seb and Dori’s twins and it was still hard for him to imagine. Yannic and Allie had been the first babies he had seen, but with so many other people around, it just didn’t seem real then. “Now, just a few adults and one child… Carlos and Cyd’s child… a beautiful baby… so tiny, so quiet… so peaceful… so perfect.. yes a little Angel…” Urs thought. He decided to call her his little Angel.

After making the round through the rest of the house, they all settled in the living room and Carlos explained to Cyd about the outside grounds, Camille being born and David making a present of her to Cyd for all the work she had done on the farm while they helped Dori out. Cyd was overjoyed at the idea of the zoo for the children and couldn’t wait till she could go down and see it for herself. The talk was interrupted by a meow. Cyd looked down to see a baby kitten, as Carlos told Cyd her name was Twinkle. The kitten was sitting at Cyd’s feet. She reached down and picked her up, cuddling her close. Cyd was home and she had all she ever dreamed of right there within her grasp.


That night, Cyd settled in with Carlos and the Baby sound asleep in the next room. Life was great for the Marin family, as Cyd and Carlos fell asleep in each others arms.