Epilogue
Ten years later
S ometimes I stare at my husband in awe—okay, a lot of the times I stare at him in awe. I often pinch my arm just to make sure I’m not dreaming. Because even after ten years of being with Louie, I feel like I’ve won the damn lottery.
Everyone thought we were crazy, getting married after only knowing each other for a little more than a weekend. I thought I was crazy. But now, when I look back, I realize that I knew it the moment I first saw him. I knew it when he took me up to the rooftop pool and watched me swim.
I loved this man from the moment I saw him. At the time, I was confused. I was supposed to be heartbroken after finding my fiancé in bed with my sister. Instead, it was the best thing to ever happen to me.
I turn and watch Melanie push my daughter on the swing. It took years before I was ready to let my sister fully back into my life. We don’t have the same relationship we once had, or the trust, but she is my sister and I trust my husband. Plus, Melanie is a great aunt to my kids.
Yes, kids , plural. Louie and I have three. Our oldest son is nine. We got pregnant not long after we were married. Alfie is a carbon copy of his father. Then we have Hudson, our middle child, who is everything you’d expect from a middle child. He’s seven. While Frankie, our youngest and only girl, is five. She’s smart, strong, and fiercely independent. Unless she’s around her father, and then she becomes a little princess who lets him do everything for her.
I have the life I always dreamed of. A family that is full of love, happiness, and endless adventures. My heart bursts with joy as I watch my children run around our yard, playing with their cousins.
“Sweetheart, you doing okay?” Louie sits beside me on the sun lounger. We’re grilling today. We have everyone here. Carlo and his wife and kids. Sammie and his wife. And my sister, who is determined to remain unmarried forever. Rachel and Evie are here with their families as well.
“I don’t know how you managed to get everyone in one place at the same time.” I smile at my husband. “But I love that you did.”
“It was easy. I threatened to kill them all if they didn’t show up.” He smirks.
Life with Louie is never boring. Do I still worry every time he leaves the house? Yes. But I’ve learned to deal with that worry. Because I wouldn’t want to live without him.
He keeps me out of his business as much as possible. Although I don’t tend to ask too many questions anymore either. I know what he does. I don’t try to rationalize the good and bad in my head. I love this man. More than that, I am loved by him in a way I’ve never been loved before.
“You complete me,” I say.
“I love you.” Louie leans over and presses his lips to mine.
“Gross.” Hudson sprays us with a water gun. “You two need to cool down.” He laughs before running off.
“That kid has good aim.” Louie smiles proudly.
“ That kid is going to get into more trouble than the other two combined.” I laugh.
“Yeah, probably. But we will be there to bail him out.” Louie picks up my hand.
“We should do this more often. Get everyone together,” I say. “It’s nice having everyone here.”
“It is,” Louie agrees.
“Daddy, Daddy, catch me.” Frankie comes barreling towards us before jumping right into Louie’s arms. “You did it!” she yells out.
“I will always catch you, princess,” Louie tells her.
“I know,” Frankie says as if there is no other possibility.
“Okay, come on, you. We gotta get dessert out of the kitchen. You can help with the cookies,” I tell Frankie, plucking her from Louie’s arms.
“I made good cookies, Daddy. You’ll see,” Frankie says before running into the house.
I smile after her, my eyes flicking towards Louie again. “Be right back.”
Ten years of pure bliss. I never knew life could be like this. I didn’t know that you could love someone and they’d actually love you back with everything they had. I found Charlotte when I wasn’t looking for her. She is my gift from God, a gift I’m sure I wasn’t supposed to get.
She is mine, though. And nothing will ever change that.
She tells me all the time that I complete her. She has it wrong, though. She saved me from a world of nothing but darkness. She gave me light, something to come home to every night. And she gave me a family.
Our three kids are amazing. I know every parent thinks their kids are the best or whatever. But ours really are. They’re half of Charlotte, and she’s the best person I know. So it only makes sense that our kids came out just as amazing as she is.
Charlotte has been talking about hosting a barbecue for months now. I finally made it happen. I sent the jets to pick up everyone she loves. Personally, I couldn’t give a fuck if it was just us and our kids forever. I don’t need anyone else. But she loves these fuckers.
“Boss, you see the headlines?” Sammie asks while passing me his phone.
“ Suspected Underworld Crime Leader, Louie Giuliani, Set to Open Sixth Casino on the Las Vegas Strip ,” I read it aloud.
I told Charlotte I was going to buy a casino for each of our kids. I want them to have something that’s just theirs. The latest one is Frankie’s, and when she turns twenty-five, it’ll be signed over to her completely.
“You guys aren’t talking about work, are you?” Charlotte appears at my side again.
“At a family event? I wouldn’t dream of it.” I wrap my arm around her.
“And that’s my cue.” Sammie gets up and walks over to his own wife as Charlotte’s hands clasp behind my neck.
“You’re a terrible liar. It’s a good thing you’re the house, because you’d lose all your money at the poker table.”
“I happen to be great at poker.” I grin. “I just can’t lie to you.”
“Good. ?Cause we’re playing later tonight. If you beat me, we’ll try for that fourth kid you want,” she says.
“And if you win?” I ask her.
“Then we’ll try for that fourth kid I want.” She smiles.
We’d discussed having another one a while back. Charlotte wanted to wait until Frankie really got out of that baby stage, though. That was a few years ago, and then I guess shit just got busy. It still is. But I’m not going to tell her that. If my wife wants another child, then she’s going to get another child.
“I can’t wait to impregnate you again,” I tell her.
“That’s because you have a thing for pregnant women, weirdo.”
“No, I have a thing for you, Mrs. Giuliani. Because you’re my wife .” My hand wraps around the back of Charlotte’s neck, and I pull her mouth onto mine. My tongue dives in, deepening the kiss.
I will never not want to kiss this woman. I can’t get enough of her, even after ten years.