Extended Epilogue

PENELOPE

Ten Years Later

I t’s quiet. Too quiet.

Not the usual morning rush with our daughter singing and dancing through the house while Harker’s on his third business call before breakfast is served. But something’s going on if he lets me sleep in this late.

Shit, it’s 8 AM. Did I miss helping Melina get ready for school?

In a frantic panic, I jump out of bed and pull on my gown. I start rushing for the door, but before I reach it, I can hear their whispers from beyond.

“She’s up. Are you ready?” Harker asks.

“Uh-huh, uh-huh,” Melina snickers.

“Three, two…” Harker can’t get to one before the door bursts open and they enter singing Happy Birthday.

Melina walks in first with a tray resting on both her arms. A plate of waffles, a cup of coffee, and a glass of orange juice swish precariously as her arms rattle and shake from excitement. Harker is close behind, with our baby boy Zachary nestled in his arms.

Even though he’s wearing a pair of tracksuit pants, his top half is covered in an expensive blazer.

The singing comes to an end after the hip, hip hoorays , and Melina sets the tray down on the bed. A mix of coffee and orange juice layers the bottom of it.

“Happy birthday, momma.” She sprints into my arms and gives me a big bear hug. I wrap my arms around my daughter and kiss the crown of her head.

“Thank you, baby girl,” I say. An overwhelming feeling of love washes over me. Tears well in my eyes and my heart echoes pure happiness throughout my body.

It isn’t the first time I’ve thought about it since Harker and I disappeared from our old lives, and it won’t be the last, I’m sure. But seeing him and all these little things he does to make me feel special fills me with so much joy and love.

My mind rarely wanders to my own father and how difficult he made my youth. But seeing how Harker manages to keep his children happy, while simultaneously continuing with work, shows me that there was a chance for it. Unlike Harker, my father was rotten to the core. He only cared about himself, and now…

Well, he’s paying for it.

“Happy birthday, my love,” Harker says, holding Zachary up to me. “The little man got you something.”

That’s when I spot it. The little pink box resting atop the wrappings of Zachary’s blanket.

“It’s not much, but we thought you might like it,” Harker adds.

It’s become part of tradition now. Every birthday, he dons the same blazer he wore all those years ago, finds a box that matches the very same one he used that night, and presents my gift inside it.

And every year, it makes me fall deeper in love with him.

Baby Zachary coos in Harker’s arms as I take the little box from him. I crack it open to find another heart-shaped pendant. Once again, ancient Greek is scrawled into the gold.

“What does it say?” I sniff and wipe away a few of my tears.

“What it should have the night I met you.” Harker leans over our daughter to give me a gentle kiss. “Love of my life. Light of my world.”

I tear one arm away from Melina and snake it around Harker and Zachary. I can’t hold back the tears, and it only brings more smiles to my family.

“It’s perfect,” I say. “All of it. You, our family, this life.” I press my face into his jacket, trying to dry my face. “I love you.”

“I fucking love you,” Harker whispers to avoid Melina hearing.

Her young ears pick up on it, and she pulls away from our family hug to parade around announcing from the top of her lungs. “Dad said a swear.” She giggles, repeating the statement in a sing-songy way.

“Oops, I did something bad,” he mutters under his breath. This time, she doesn’t catch it.

“You did,” I tease, giving him another cheeky kiss. This one lasts a little longer than the first. “I’m gonna have to punish you later.”

“And it will be my delight,” Harker says, giving me a half bow. “My Queen.”

The End.

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