Epilogue
Two Years Later
Anastasia
Maui in December is beautiful.
The small town decorates with Christmas lights including a large twenty foot Christmas tree in the center of the market square. My favorite is my home. My tiny two story home. A little hit hideaway surrounded by palm trees secluding itself from the rest of the neighbors. The closest neighbor maybe five miles away.
There are two paths, a path leading to the house, very much hidden and hard to find. The other, a stone path leading straight to the beach. From the living room window you can see the ocean and with the window open you can smell the ocean. In front of the window is a small six foot tall tree decorated with silver bulbs and red lights. The silver tree at the top was given by a local to celebrate this being the first Christmas spent in Hawaii. It’s one of my favorite gifts I’ve received, I cherish it just as much on my second Christmas as I have the first.
I wrap myself in my cardigan and head outside bare feet as I take the path to the ocean. The water is beautifully blue and the sky doesn’t have a single cloud in sight. It had been raining for the past week and I’ve missed sun. My toes bury themselves in the sand as I stand staring at the hills and mountains in the distance.
Getting closer to the shoreline I stick my toes in the water. I close my eyes letting this moment sweep me away. I was struggling for so long but here I am finally free. It’s peaceful here, none of the push and shove of everyday traffic or people crowding the streets. There are no big sky scrapers only the large mountains. The air isn’t polluted but smells like fresh morning dew mixed with salt water. The flowers in the garden adding a touch of a floral scent.
I look down the shoreline and see a silhouette emerging. Limping with his cane, Angelo takes a walk on the beach every morning to clear his head. He’s come so far. The sand gives him trouble walking, but he’s stubborn and has always liked a challenge. The doctors say it was a miracle he survived having a bullet through his head. At first they weren’t sure if he was going to have any long term effects, but it seems the only thing that it left him with was trouble with motor movement on his left side and complete hearing loss, not fixable with a cochlear implant. The bullet had hit his cochlear implant attached to his head destroying the piece as well as damaging some internal structures for auditory processing.
When he gets close enough he crouches and sits in the sand with me. We stretch our legs out and let the waves tickle our toes.
“You look beautiful this morning,” Angelo leans over to kiss my cheek.
“How are you feeling?” I ask. For a while he struggled with PTSD from his accident. He was in constant fear of the Bratva or Mafia finding us. As things have calmed down in two years, we are no longer paranoid. This is our secret haven.
“Like I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
I place my hand on top of his. My engagement ring sparkling in the sunlight. “You are.”
“Is Enzo still sleeping?”
I nod my head. “You tired him out last night.”
“And how are you feeling?”
“Better,” morning sickness hasn’t been kind to me. I was lucky with Enzo, he was an easy pregnancy.
Angelo was still in the hospital when I found out I was pregnant. He was still healing and learning to walk and learning to process imagery and thoughts when I gave birth. He was unplanned, but a pleasant surprise. I didn’t know if I ever wanted kids especially not while we were on the run. I realized then that I didn’t have to fear for just my life and Angelo’s but I had to fear for our child. That’s not mentioning it was hard seeing Angelo struggle. He spent almost a year at the hospital doing physical therapy, balancing that and a newborn, I hate to say I feared I wouldn’t be able to take care of both of them. It was exhausting but rewarding.
Angelo wanted a second child. He begged every night and it wasn’t long before I gave in. He’s come a long way. The only difference about him from before the accident is the limp and cane, but none of that stands in his way. He’s still strong and active, he runs and plays with Enzo every morning. He’s happy and resilient, romantic and just as passionate as he has always been. Two years ago when I was captive in his apartment and I was falling deeply in love with him, this was exactly the life I fantasized for us.
After a moment shared, Angelo and I head inside. While Enzo is asleep we decide to spend some time together. Our bedroom is about the size of the bathroom Angelo had in his Boston penthouse. It’s quaint and perfect and one thing I’ve realized is that we don’t need much, just each other.
The second the door is shut Angelo has me against the wall. His body grinding into mine as he ravishes me with an all consuming kiss. He tastes like citrus and I can’t get enough. I help him out his clothes and I know he hates help, but with his limp and his balance being off, it’s better I help him than having him fall. A year ago we wouldn’t be able to do this, but he’s been getting better. He’s been working hard at being better and I couldn’t be more proud. He’s come a long way.
Naked and eager, he uses all his strength to pick me up. I wrap my legs around his waist as I rub my body along his. His skin is warm against my mind. My body shivering as he presses soft kisses on my neck and suckles the sensitive skin there. I run my hands through his sandy colored hair feeling the scar on the side of his head.
He pulls back to look at me. Holding our gaze to just stare. This was once a dream and now it’s reality and sometimes we can’t believe it’s all come true. We can’t believe we escaped. The Mafia and Bratva finally have no hold over either of us and our children one day will never know the ruthless world. They will never have to kill or worry or train to be strong. They can be whoever they wish to be.
Angelo inserts himself inside of me. Impaling so deep and hard that my body convulses in an intense release. I hold him close as I ride out the waves of my orgasm. He doesn’t stop thrusting inside of me. I’m swollen and throbbing for him and he drags another orgasm out of me. He suppresses my moan with his mouth on mine. His hips pounding into me, my back banging against the wall behind me.
Our love is all consuming and passionate and the world shatters around us as we send each into oblivion. Our type of love knows no defeat, knows no boundaries, and will never die. It is a once in a lifetime love and has the power to last until the end of time. Our life is infinite. Through the darkness we pulled each other out.
With one last powerful thrust, he hold me close spilling inside of me. His breath warm on my neck as he rides the wave of his orgasm triggering my own. We stay there, pressed against the wall, trying to come back to reality.
Angelo kisses my forehead setting me back on my feet as we both gather our scattered clothes from the ground.
“I’m going to check on Enzo,” he signs after buttoning and zipping his pants up. While he wakes up our sleepy boy, I go out front to grab the mail. I shift through various bills until I stumble across a letter. On the white envelope reads our address but it not addressed to anyone specifically and there’s no return address.
I open the letter pulling out a handwritten page.
A&A,
Don’t wonder or worry how I know your address, it isn’t important-just know I will never tell another soul. I went to great lengths to keep this letter from going into the wrong hands. Many times I have wanted to write asking how you are but have feared I might expose your location and ruin your happiness. I do hope you are happy, it is all I have ever wanted for you. Things are bad back home. Domenico Moretti has taken over Boston and is starting war with Chicago and New York. If you have ever considered coming back home and seeing me or seeing your niece and your other new niece, Elia, now would be the time. Antonio will pardon you, but in return you take over Boston. It’s fallen apart without you. I understand that I’m putting you to make a decision that might put you in an uncomfortable position. Don’t feel you have to do this, I know this life was never what you wanted. If you wish to remain under the radar and hidden for the rest of your lives then I hope it is happy and fulfilled. This will be my last letter to you, I love with all my heart and now that I have always wanted what is best. Your secret is safe with me. I miss you always.
-L
P. S. Don’t write back. It’s too dangerous.
“What’s that?” Angelo signs after he sets Enzo in his high chair at the kitchen table.Content © copyrighted by NôvelDrama.Org.
“A letter,” I sign. My jaw is still dropped. I feel speechless. Shocked.
“From who?” He takes it out of my hand inspecting it.
“Your sister.”
***
THE END
***