41. Epilogue A Happy Ending Rafael
T he auditorium is buzzing with applause and cheers, but I hear none of it. My eyes are fixed on Mila. She’s walking across the stage, her black gown flowing around her like a queen’s robe, her chin held high, and her face glowing with pride. My Mila. My wife. My obsession. My reason for living. My everything.
I sit in the front row, my hands gripping the armrests of the chair as I watch her accept her degree—her master’s in physics. She worked so damn hard for this, pouring herself into late nights and more equations than I care to count. And now, she’s proving to the world what I’ve always known. She’s unstoppable.
When she steps off the stage, her smile lights up the entire room. She moves toward Elliot. He congratulates her with an innocent hug, but my jaw tightens all the same. My hands curl into fists, and it takes everything in me to stay seated.
“Reel it in, caveman,” Layla murmurs from beside me, her tone amused.
I glance at her, my glare half-hearted, and she raises her hands in mock surrender. But she’s right. I don’t need to make a scene. Mila doesn’t look at anyone the way she looks at me. She’s mine, and I know it. Still, I don’t like anyone else touching her, no matter how innocent the gesture.
As the ceremony ends, she steps off the stage. Sam and Mary are the first to greet her. They both graduated before her since she had to take prep courses to qualify for the program, but they made sure to be here today. Sam wraps her in a brotherly hug, murmuring something that makes her laugh, and Mary follows with her own embrace.
I can’t wait any longer. I surge out of my seat and move toward her, ignoring the crowd, the noise, the stares. She spots me, her lips parting in surprise, but before she can say a word, I grab her by the waist and kiss her.
Right there, in front of everyone.
She melts into me, her hands gripping my shoulders as if she needs me to steady her. The world blurs. It’s just us.
Sam and Mary are grinning like idiots when I finally let her breathe, and Sam lets out a low whistle. “It’s not fair for a couple to be this in love. You’re setting unrealistic expectations for the rest of us.”
“Agreed,” Mary says, swooning dramatically. “You’re making the rest of us look bad, Mila.”
Mila laughs, her cheeks flushed, and she hugs Layla.
“You did it, Mila,” Layla whispers, her voice thick with emotion. “Mom would be so proud.”
Mila smiles, her eyes glistening, and she squeezes Layla tighter. “Thank you for everything. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Layla sniffs, wiping at her eyes. Her gaze darts to me, her lips curving into a teasing smirk as she sees how much I want to snatch her sister back, and she just winks at me.
I steal her away, leading her outside where the cool air wraps around us.
As soon as we’re alone, I press her against the nearest wall and kiss her all over—her forehead, her cheeks, her jaw, her lips. My hands frame her face, and I murmur against her skin, “My sweet, genius, hardworking wife. Do you have any idea how proud I am of you?”
“I think I have an idea,” she teases softly.
I kiss her again, slower this time, savoring her. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her. For Mila, I’d wait forever.
When I finally pull back, I rest my forehead against hers. “Remember your promise?”
She blinks up at me, feigning innocence. “What promise?” she asks, her tone coy, her lips twitching.
I growl, my grip tightening on her waist. “The promise of babies after you graduate.”
She bites her lip, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She leans up, brushing her lips against my ear. “Oh, you mean the promise I already started keeping?”
I stiffen, pulling back to look at her, confusion flashing across my face. “What are you talking about?”
Her smile widens and she presses a hand to my chest. “I stopped taking birth control a week ago.”
For a moment, I can’t breathe. Then her words sink in, and a dark, feral grin spreads across my face. “You’re serious?”
She nods, her cheeks flushing. I crush her to me, pouring every ounce of love, obsession, and possessiveness into the hug. “You’re going to be the mother of my children,” I whisper. “God help me, Mila, I don’t deserve you.”
She laughs softly, wrapping her arms around my neck. “You deserve everything, Rafael. And you’re going to get it.”
“Damn right I will,” I growl, scooping her up into my arms, her laughter ringing out as I carry her toward the car. The future is ours, and I can’t wait to start it.
I set her down gently by the car. “I’m going to build a fountain for you in our backyard.”
“A fountain? Why?”
“It’s ours,” I say simply. “And someday, I want our kids to do the wizardry we did with it. Make their own wishes.”
Her eyes soften, and she chokes up for a second before managing a smile. “That’s so sweet.”
“You know,” I say quietly, tilting my head, “you were right about that fountain. It really did make wishes come true. ”