Bonus Epilogue

Theo

Eleven Months Later

“T heo? Are you home?”

Danica’s voice carries through the house as she wanders downstairs, searching for me. Shit. Casting one last harried glance around the space, before shutting off the lights and sealing the room. Not wanting to be caught, I quickly make my way out of the closet. But not quickly enough, apparently.

“Theo? What are you doing in there?” Danica is standing in the doorway to our bedroom, a confused frown on her face as she watches me step out of her closet.

“Ah. . . um.” I hesitate, unsure of what to say. “You’re home early?” My words are more of a question than a statement.

“Yeah, my last appointment of the day was cancelled, so I figured I would come home to get an early start on getting dressed for our anniversary dinner.”

After several discussions on the matter, we decided to keep celebrating our original anniversary, rather than the anniversary of when we officially got back together, since they are only a few weeks apart. It makes things easier to keep track of.

I nod thoughtfully, as if considering her words. Well, this wasn’t exactly how I had planned for things to go, but I guess I will just roll with it. Straightening, I walk across the room to my beautiful girl. The last year has been so good to her. Without the threat of a crazed stalker looming over her, or the hollow space in her soul that was missing a piece while we were apart, she has blossomed. Gone are the shadows under her eyes and the worry that always seemed to be just under the surface. Now she is all smiles, laughter shining in her eyes. She is exactly the woman I knew she would become once the weight of the world had been removed from her shoulders.

Reaching her, I grab her by the waist and pull her close for a long kiss.

“Mmm.” She pulls back slightly, a wistful smirk pulling at her lips. “What was that for?”

“Can’t a guy just give his girl a ‘welcome home’ kiss?” I nip at her lush bottom lip and she moans softly.

“Mmm. I guess so. . .”

I kiss her lightly once more, taking both of her hands in mine. “Close your eyes.”

Danica laughs, shooting me a look of suspicion but does as I say. I lean into her, my mouth grazing along her ear as I deepen my voice. “Good girl.” She shivers, and I can’t help my responding grin. I love that I can still do this to her. I love that she has such visceral reactions to me, to a few whispered words. “Now keep your eyes closed.”

With her hands firmly in mine, I guide her across our room and into her large walk-in closet. I stop in front of one of the far walls, giving her hands a light squeeze. “You can open your eyes now.”

As she does so, she looks around her closet, confused. “What is this?”

Rather than responding, I just give her a devilish grin and wink, before turning to face her wall of clothes hanging neatly in a row. Pushing the garments off to one side, I run my hand along a seam in the wall where it meets the built-in shelving units. With a slight push of a hidden trigger, a hidden panel slides out from behind the shelves and the screen lights up. I place my palm to the pad and it scans before a soft click sounds and a discreet door that blends in with the walls slides away to reveal a hidden room.

From behind me, Danica gasps.

The lights are still off, and I grab Danica’s hand once more, leading her into the built-in room.

“Originally, this was designed as a panic room. There are several in different areas of the house, and over the years I have mostly just used this one for storage.” I squeeze her hand gently, before letting go to reach across her and flip the light switch.

“Oh my God! Theo!”

As sudden brightness fills the room, the large space is illuminated, revealing hundreds of blue and black roses. Taking a step to the side, I gesture for her to step more fully into the space. I watch as Danica makes her way carefully through the space, trying carefully not to bump into roses that line the shelves and cover the floor.

“Theo, what is all this?” Slowly, she turns in a circle, taking everything in before stopping to face me.

“One rose for each day we were apart. Blue roses for the rarity of our love, for all the unique challenges we have faced together and have come out stronger on the other side. Black roses for starting our relationship anew, after the hurt I caused and showing you how eternal my love is for you. My promise to never leave your side again.”

Danica’s eyes well with tears as I step forward, gently framing her face with my hands, I brush away a tear with my thumb as it slips free. Leaning my forehead against her own, I whisper softly “Ti amo pi ù della mia vita, il mio passerotto.”

Her tears fall freely now, and I brush them away once more as I kiss her forehead, her tear-stained cheeks, her lips.

“Come, I have something else to show you.”

She laughs incredulously, but follows me through the maze of flowers until we reach a wall lined with shelves. “The flowers weren’t enough of an anniversary gift?”

I look at her, a small smile on my face. “That is for this anniversary.” Reaching out, I grab her shoulders and gently guide her to stand in front of me, wrapping my arms around her waist as I pull her to lean back against my chest. Moving my mouth closer, I gently nip at her earlobe before continuing. “These? Well, these are for every missed milestone. Every anniversary. Every birthday. Every tournament win.”

Her breath hitches in her throat, and I kiss a path down her neck, feeling her wildly beating heart as she takes in the site before her. The shelves are lined with items, not overly expensive, like the accessories I filled her closet with. No, these shelves are filled with precious mementos from every missed moment, every broken promise of each important day I swore to be by her side but instead had to watch from the sidelines or shadows.

I hug her tighter as she reaches out a trembling hand to the first shelf. On it, a shadow box filled with a program of events from her first Olympic win, along with a picture of her wearing her gold medal and confetti that littered the floor at the celebration ceremony.

Tentatively, she runs her fingers along the frame, taking in the sight, before her gaze travels to a different shelf. Sea shells and a small jar of sand, along with a picture I took of her from a distance on her twenty first birthday. She had gone to Mexico with several of our friends to celebrate the special occasion, and I happened to catch her in a private moment where she stood along the water’s edge, staring at the sunset as the wind blew her hair. I remember the moment clearly, the painful longing to just hold her, the desire to let her know that I was there with her. Instead, I just watched from a distance, made sure she was safe while she celebrated in style with her friends. But I couldn’t resist capturing that picture, she was breathtaking.

Stepping out of my arms, she tentatively goes from one shelf to the next, and I watch the emotions cross her face like scenes in a movie as she processes what each item represents; which moments I was there to support her in, even if she didn’t know it at the time.

She gets to the last shelf, and pauses, frowning in confusion at the sight before her. Sitting a in the middle of the empty space is a ring box, open, with a single ring pop resting against the velvety material, and a Hershey’s kiss framing it on either side. Turning, she faces me and then steps back startled, and bumps into the shelves.

Kneeling before her, I reach out to grab the box and hold it out in front of her.

“Danica, you once gave me a Hershey’s kiss for luck before my game, and I have never been the same since. You have flipped my entire world upside down, and I don’t even recognize the man I was before you came into my life. I know I have hurt you. . .” I grimace, but press on, “more than once. And I know I broke your trust. But I never broke my promise to always be by your side, to celebrate your wins, and your big moments. Even if I was just your ghost in the shadows, I could never let you go. And I never will.”

“Theo-” Her voice is choked as she raises shaky hands to her mouth, and the tears well in her eyes once more.

“I know I still have a lot to make up for, and it’s going to take us time to figure everything out. But I said it once, and I will say it again. You are it for me, baby. You are my endgame. My world begins and ends with you.” I reach up to grab her left hand, and gently slide the ring pop onto her ring finger. “So, this is my promise to you, I will continue to be by your side for as long as you will have me. And someday soon, I will ask you to marry me and have babies with me. I want it all with you, il mio passerotto. You give me life. You make my life worth living.”

Surprising me, Danica drops to her knees in front of me, wrapping her arms around my neck. Green eyes meet mine, shining with love as she pulls my head down for a kiss. “I love you too, Hoodie Guy. And I accept your ring-pop proposal.” She kisses me again, grinning against my mouth. “And I expect your real proposal to be just as incredible as this.”

With a growl, I wrap my arms tightly around her, twisting to lay her back amongst the blue and black roses littering the floor. Her hair spreads out underneath her, framing her in sharp contrast to the fragrant backdrop. “It will be.” I vow, before slowly undressing her.