Epilogue

Clara

Turnsout that my jewelry was a great fit with Mia’s fashion line. As a result, I spent a lot of time at the Italian vineyard where Mia and Elliot lived as much as they could, which made me happier than anything.

It was Easter, and tables lined the courtyard for the feast we were putting on for the village. Elliot and Mia provided a lot of jobs to the town and had become close to a lot of the couples in the little, Italian village. I barely recognized my formerly cold brother anymore. When he came here, he left the corporate world behind him, rolled his sleeves up, and went about with a straw hat on, picking grapes and olives, drinking red wine at lunch, and speaking Italian like a local. Elliot Winter had come to life, and the reason for it all was dancing across the courtyard right now, in a red twenties tea dress with white hearts. Mia danced under the canopy of wisteria, in her father’s arms. Right next to them, Martha and William danced to the 70’s love song playing from the grainy radio. Their forever and a day love was clear as ever. Turns out that while William Dawson didn’t want to sell his humble house in Queens, he had no problem letting Jack buy him and Martha a beautiful house in the village, where they came three or four times a year.

West St. Vincent came out of the villa, with a struggling Angel over his shoulder. She was laughing, as he started to dance, hefting her weight effortlessly.

“Stop being such a barbarian!”

“You like it when I’m a barbarian,” West growled at his wife, before lowering her in a slow slide down his huge, Viking body. Angel grinned up at him.

“True,” she whispered, before lowering her head against his chest and letting him sway her to the melody.

The smells of Easter lunch filled the air. Lamb with mint, buttery roast potatoes, and pasta, so rich and aromatic, it made my mouth water. The huge Columba cake that sat to the side on a table was shaking. I approached it and stared at it. Small brown fingers wiggled around the side.

“Jack, I think there might be a mouse at the cake!” I called loudly. Jack, who was halfway up a ladder, hanging bunting, jumped down lightly.

“Is that right? Well, we can’t serve people cake with mice bites out of it, I better find these mice and see what’s up,” Jack said, tiptoeing behind the table, and reaching down to pounce. A flurry of giggles rose, and two dark blond heads poked out from under the table cloth.

“Help! I see the mice!” I cried as Jack chased our trouble-making three-year-olds out from under the table. Another dark head popped out, Angel and West’s two-year-old, and chased after our twins.

Jack took off after them, and I saw him calling to Elliot, who was talking with some locals. Elliot moved to cut them off, his arms spread wide. The children screamed bloody murder.

“It’s too hot to be so energetic,” Mia announced, as she left the dancefloor, and lowered herself into a chair. Her rounded, pregnant belly held her pretty vintage dress out.

Dominique, her business partner, and someone I had become really close to while working together folded her arms across her chest, and stared at the men and the kids.

“You’ll feel better this time next week,” she said to Mia. Mia scrunched her face.

“Yeah, when I lose all ability to handle work and have to leave you running everything alone,” she complained. Dominique laughed.

“I hate to break this to you, but sweetie, since you married Elliot, I’ve been doing most of the work anyway. That’s how I like it,” Dominique said. None of us mentioned the things she didn’t say… that she had no other family in her life to focus on. She always said that being part of the big rambling found family Elliot and Mia had formed here at the vineyard, was enough for her. But, I secretly hoped she’d meet someone great, who would sweep her off her feet if that’s what she wanted.

“Mummy! Help!!” Lizzy, one of the twins, was screaming, as Jack got hold of her, and headed toward the pool.

“Sorry, baby! No can do!” I called back, laughing as I watched Jack pretend to throw our daughter in the pool, to her absolute delight. He left her playing tag with her brother and approached me.

“Now that mice problem is all cleared up, a dance, Mrs. Dawson, before we have company?” Jack asked, extending his hand to me. I smiled up at him. I gestured around at the people, milling about, dancing, laughing, eating, under the warm Italian spring sunshine.

The cobbles of the courtyard were warm, the canopy was blooming, and the sound of soft conversation filled the air. I felt completely alive at that moment. Alive and perfectly, beautifully happy.

“We already have company,” I pointed out, even as I put my hand in his and followed him to the makeshift dance floor.

“No, this is family,” Jack murmured, pulling me against his chest, and swaying with me across the cobbles. I melted into his embrace, leaning my head against his strong chest, hearing his heartbeat under my ear.

My world, in that sound.

“You are my family, Clara Dawson, and this is the world we made,” he continued, turning me under his arm, just to pull me tightly in against his chest, and press a soft kiss against my lips. “You are my home, honey. For forever and a day.”

The End