Page 97 of Temptation and Tyranny

The next hour was a whirlwind of torn wrapping paper, exclamations of surprise and delight, and heartfelt thanks. Steele and Ashlynn loved the weekend getaway to a luxury spa, along with the promise of free babysitting that Allegra and I had gifted them, while Colton was thrilled with the vintage law books I’d managed to track down for him.

When it came time for Allegra and me to exchange gifts, I noticed Dad watching intently from his wheelchair, which Colton had positioned near the fireplace. As Allegra handed me a carefully wrapped gift, I could see a mixture of excitement and anxiety in her eyes.

“Open it,” she urged softly.

With careful fingers, I unwrapped the gift. Inside was a beautiful wooden box, hand-carved with grape vines and leaves. When I opened it, I found a single wine bottle, its label clearly custom-made. “Moreau Family Reserve,” it read, “Expected Vintage: Coming in August.”

I looked up at Allegra, confusion wrinkling my brow. “August? But that’s like eight months from...” The realization hit me like a thunderbolt. My hands began to shake as I turned the bottle, reading the smaller text beneath: “A very special blend, crafted with love by Cooper, Allegra, and Baby Moreau.”

“Allegra,” I breathed, my voice trembling. “Are you...?”

She nodded, tears shimmering in her eyes as she took my hands and placed them on her still-flat stomach. “I’m pregnant, Cooper. Our own little winemaker is growing right here.”

For a moment, I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. Then, with a cry of joy that echoed through the walls, I swept Allegra into my arms, spinning her around as tears of happiness streamed down my face.

The room erupted in cheers and congratulations. Steele clapped me on the back, his own eyes suspiciously bright, while Ashlynn and Allegra hugged, both crying happy tears. Colton looked on with a wide grin, shaking his head in amused disbelief.

“Have you told Joanna the news?” Ashlynn asked as she handed Allegra a glass of water instead of the offered champagne. “She must be excited! A baby shower to plan!”

“We video chatted last week,” Allegra smiled. “But I haven’t told her yet. She’s still running the frontdesk at the clinic, but she’s threatening to visit Tuscany this spring. Says she misses our coffee dates. I’m going to try and recruit her for our front desk manager position when she comes.”

“Dad,” I said, moving to kneel beside his chair. “You’re going to be a grandfather.”

His hand trembled as he reached out to touch my face, and for a moment, I saw complete clarity in his eyes. “My boy,” he whispered, his voice rough with emotion. “My boy’s having a baby.” Then he smiled—a real, full smile that transported me back to childhood, before illness had taken so much from him.

Colton came to stand behind Dad’s wheelchair, placing a hand on our father’s shoulder as tears slipped down his cheeks. We were all together—the past, present, and future of our family merged in one perfect moment.

“A baby,” I kept repeating, pressing kisses to every inch of Allegra’s face I could reach. “We’re having a baby...”

Allegra laughed through her tears, the sound mixing with the crackling of the fireplace and the distant calls of birds in the vineyard. “I thought it was fitting,” she said, touching the wine bottle. “Our little one will grow up among the soil, just like I did. Learning about the vines, helping with the harvest...”

I pulled her close again, overwhelmed by the vision of our future she was painting. Our children running through the rows of vines, learning the rhythms of the seasons, carrying on the legacy of the land that meant so much to both of us.

“Thank you,” I whispered against her hair. “For this gift, for our family, for everything.”

The winter sun slanted through the windows, casting a warm glow over the scene as we stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, dreaming of the future that was growing within her. Our own little vintage, indeed.

As the excitement died down and we settled back into our seats, I kept one arm firmly around Allegra, my other hand resting gently on her still-flat stomach. The future I’d once feared now stretched out before me, filled with promise and joy.

“Merry Christmas, everyone,” Steele said, raising his glass in a toast. We all echoed the sentiment, our glasses clinking together in the warm glow of the Christmas lights.

Later that night, after the nurses had come to take Dad back to the facility, Allegra and I lay in bed in one of Steele and Ashlynn’s guest rooms. I found myself unable to sleep, my mind racing with thoughts of the future—of tiny fingers and toes, first steps and first words, and regular visits to a grandfather who, even on his bad days, would love our child unconditionally.

“Cooper?” Allegra’s soft voice broke through my thoughts. “What are you thinking about?”

“Everything,” I admitted with a soft chuckle. “The baby, our future...how different my life is now compared to where I was just a couple of years ago.”

Allegra tilted her head up to look at me, concern flickering in her expression. “Good different, I hope?”

“The best kind of different,” I assured her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I never thought I could have this, Allegra. A family, a normal life...happiness. Real, uncomplicated happiness.”

She smiled, her fingers tracing patterns on mychest. “I’m glad. But you know it won’t always be uncomplicated, right? Babies are a lot of work. Our lives are going to change dramatically.”

I nodded, a mixture of excitement and nervousness churning in my stomach. “I know. But we’ll figure it out together, right? Just like we’ve figured everything else out.”

“Together,” Allegra agreed, leaning up to kiss me softly.

As we lay there in the quiet of the night, I found myself thinking back to earlier in the evening, to the moment when Allegra had told me about the baby. The joy on her face, the love in her eyes—it was a moment I knew I’d cherish for the rest of my life.

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