Chapter 14: The Heirloom Box
That night, after the guests had departed and the garden was illuminated by twinkling solar fairy lights, Diego took Mia into the library.
He placed a hand-carved mahogany box on the low coffee table.
""Mia,"" Diego said, opening the lid. Inside lay five matching gold buttons with the crowned falcon crest, resting on blue velvet beside the original button she had carried to the gate.
Mia looked up with wide, curious eyes. ""The pretty buttons?""
""These belong to our family,"" Diego explained, picking up the small, scratched button she had dropped on the marble floor a year ago. ""For fifty years, my grandfather told me these buttons were a symbol of power and nobility. But he was wrong.""
Diego placed the button into Mia’s small palm, closing her fingers gently over the gold.
""This button is a symbol of courage. It represents the bravest little girl in the world, who walked through a storm to save her mother and bring her father home.""
Mia smiled, her dark eyes shining with pride. She threw her arms around Diego’s neck, hugging him with all her small might.
""I love you, Daddy.""
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""I love you more than all the stars in the sky, my little falcon,"" Diego whispered, kissing her cheek.
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