32. Epilogue

Epilogue

Daniella

Sofia’s laughter fills the air, a sound that never fails to bring a smile to my face. She’s a bundle of energy, always curious, always exploring. Lorenzo and I watch her from the porch, his arm around my shoulders and the ring on my finger catches the sunlight.

He proposed a month ago, in the most Lorenzo way possible—direct, sincere, and full of love. The ring is beautiful, a symbol of everything we’ve been through and everything we have to look forward to.

“You’re happy?” he asks, his voice soft.

I nod, leaning into him. “I am. Happier than I ever thought possible.”

He kisses the top of my head and I feel the warmth of his love enveloping me. “Good. That’s all I want.”

***

Renee and I sit in the garden, Sofia playing nearby. It’s peaceful, the sun shining down, a gentle breeze rustling the leaves. We’ve talked a lot over the past few months, working through the lingering issues between us.

“You know, even without the ulterior motive, I wanted to be friends with you the minute I saw you. I think it had a lot to do with the shoes you were wearing. Black Jimmy Choos, strappy.” Renee sighs, and I smile.

“I remember those shoes. Jeremy bought them for me as a birthday present.”

She smiles again, but it’s sad.

“I really am sorry about Jeremy,” she says, but I wave it away. I've put it all behind me. Mark, Jeremy, all of it. All I care about now is raising my daughter and being a good partner for Lorenzo like he is for me.

“It’s okay, Ren. The universe more than compensated me for it.”

“So, you're happy? My brother makes you happy?”

“He does. I've never been happier.

I look over at Sofia, who’s discovered a butterfly and is watching it with wide eyes. This is the life I’ve always wanted, a life filled with love, family, and peace.

I look over at Renee, seeing the storm that is always contained in her eyes. I know she wants to make her own mark, that she resents being female and being cut out of most of the decision-making processes in the family.

She feels my eyes on her, and looks up at me, her expression clearing. I see her fiddling with the ring on her left hand. Vincent proposed to her a few months ago. I know that he makes her happy, but I can tell that she still feels frustrated about her position as secondary to her brother.

“Thank you for being willing to help me plan my wedding,” she says to me, and I smile at her.

“Of course,” I say. “Anything for my best friend.”

She smiles, but her eyes are still haunted by that old pain. I decide I need to talk to my husband.

***

Later that evening, Lorenzo and I are getting ready for bed and just like he always does every night since that first one, he hugs me from behind, pressing me into him.

“Ready for forever, Tesoro ?”

I smile, looking at my wedding ring. I admire the unique design and the ridiculous size of it. I had told him it would be too heavy for my little hand and he had told me that was the goal. He wanted me to think of him every second of every day, even when all I was doing was brushing my teeth or pushing the stroller.

My heart was full. “Always and forever.”

I think of the perfect wedding we just enjoyed. A small corner of my mind had been worried about threats or danger, but everything had gone perfectly. I figured that we were due this one day of peace after so much strife.

“Husband,” I say to him, turning my ring on my finger as I think. “Renee deserves to be in charge of something important. She feels left out of the family decisions. I see the look on her face when she thinks we aren’t watching.”

He sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. “She has always wished that she could run the family business,” he says with a sigh. “That was the one thing that she gave up when she broke the betrothal to Massimo. She lost her chance to be in charge of her own crime family.”

“What if you hand over the club to her? She already knows everything about the business even though she’s been away. It could be the start of something big for her, give her something that truly belongs to her.”

Lorenzo smiles at me and then leans forward to press a kiss to my forehead. “My wife is always so thoughtful,” he says indulgently. “I will be happy to talk with my sister about taking over some of the family businesses. She deserves to be as happy as we are.”

As the sun sets on our perfect day, I know that we’ve found our happily ever after. It might not be perfect and we might not always see eye to eye, but our hearts were made for one another, and that’s enough for me.

The End