Lincoln

Epilogue

Three years later

“Oh, thank goodness I found you,” Violet wheezes, out of breath.

My black patent dress shoes squeak against the marble floor as I swivel around.

“You shouldn’t be here. It’s bad luck; you have to go.” I point back at the open door.

She casually waves her hand in the air. “Hocus pocus. I needed to see you.” She rests her hands on her hips and tilts her head back to catch her breath. “I should work out more. I’m so out of shape.”

She’s not. She works out three times a week like clockwork, and the more squats she does, the better in my opinion. Her ass is looking mighty peachy these days, even more than usual.

“If my yaya catches you within a twenty-foot radius, she won’t share any more of her recipes with you.” And we need them. I need that famous moussaka recipe of hers; she makes the best, but she’s yet to share it with Violet.

Every Saturday morning, Violet visits my grandparents’ house, where my yaya teaches her how to make traditional Greek desserts and dishes. I live for Saturdays; dinner times are the best.

In contrast to the rest of the week, Sundays are our non-negotiable day off together. We completely switch off and it’s a relaxing day where we don’t do anything other than eat, rest, walk the beach with Pom-pom, who has become a bit of a star in Castleview Cove, and of course my favorite, playtime in the bedroom.

Ella encouraged Violet to set up a social media account for Pom-pom and he now has over a million followers on that stupid video platform that everyone is nuts about. He’s a star in his own right and I’m certain he knows how special he is.

“Okay, I’m good.” She fans her face with her hand. “I needed to let you know something because I am freaking out.”

“Okaaaayyyy.”

“There is no easy way to say this.” She clears her throat. “My mom is here. With. My. Sister.” She looks worried when she bares her teeth.

Her sister came? “Wow.”

“Right. Wow. I think I’m going to be sick.” She grabs her neck with her hand. “My sister is going to complain about everything.”

“She won’t.” She might.

“She will moan about the weather.” Yep, she probably will.

“We can’t control that.” I chuckle.

“She will blame me for it raining today.” I know she is genuinely worried, but her freaking out is the cutest thing I’ve seen. I’m trying to be serious and console her while holding back my own laughter.

“Our whole day is inside. It doesn’t matter. And it’s February, so it’s colder now. ”

“She will hate the venue; she suffers from vertigo.” She suffers from being a royal pain in the ass; that’s what she suffers from.

“I’m sorry our thirty-million-pound suspended-over-the-cliffs venue isn’t good enough for her,” I reply with a hint of sarcasm, throwing my hands on my hips, tantrum-style, as if I’m so offended she won’t like our venue.

I couldn’t give a shit if her sister doesn’t like the venue. However, there is no chance of that because it’s been featured in every architectural, structural, and engineering magazine. We didn’t just build a venue. We built a magnificent piece of art, and today is its maiden voyage.

Today, our wedding day, marks its official opening.

And we made it more than just a restaurant; we made it an events venue too.

The Cliffs is split into two sections. Both sides can be opened up for larger parties, but the entire front part of the structure features floor-to-ceiling windows over one hundred feet wide. For miles, all you can see is the wild inky blue North Sea. It’s breathtaking.

The only thing close to it I have ever seen was the restaurant Violet and I dined in at the top of the gondola in Queenstown.

We took a vacation to New Zealand last year and spent a well-deserved month off from work. The Cliffs was almost completed, and we needed the time to relax, away from everything. It was the best month, and I even persuaded Violet to take another leap of faith with me and bungee jump. She screamed the entire time, but she did it and I was so proud. She’s much braver than she thinks she is.

“My mom will absolutely hate the fact that Francesca is not a bridesmaid.” She bites her lip.

“But Hannah and Ruby are and they love you. ”

“My mother, Francesca, and Richard aren’t on the seating plan. I’ve had to get Nicola to shuffle everyone around.” Violet spins her pointer fingers in the air. “So stressful.”

“I hope you placed her as far away from my yaya as possible.” Or she may attack her with her wooden spoon, which I would pay money to see. I chuckle at that thought. My grandmother is livid that Violet’s mother didn’t want to come or take part in any of the wedding preparations.

Instead, Eva, Ella, and Eden have helped organize everything for our wedding with Violet. They’ve become like sisters to her, more than her real sister has ever been.

“I broke a nail already.” She flips me the bird.

“Well, that’s not very nice,” I say with a smirk as I move closer to her to calm her down.

“Oh God, sorry.” She lowers her raised finger and wraps her other hand over it to hide it.

She screws her face up. “What if she doesn’t like my dress?”

“You look absolutely beautiful.”

She looks down and puffs out her long ivory satin dress. “Do you like it?”

“It’s perfect.”

I pull her into a hug.

Her dress is covered in dozens of tiny crystals all along the neckline. They scatter down her delicate lace-covered arms, and every time the light hits them, they change to an iridescent northern lights purple.

“I love it too.” Her megawatt smile is so wide it might very well blind me. “I better go.” She lifts her shoulders in excitement as she slips out of my grasp, her face beaming with happiness. “We’re getting married.”

“I know. ”

Her eyes blow wide. “Oh my God, I do have to go. It’s bad luck for me to be here.”

“I did say th—” She stops my words with a kiss, then dashes out the door and I hear the clacking of heels disappear down the corridor, but they start to get closer again.

Her face appears around the doorjamb, her long hair falling like a waterfall off to the side. “I forgot to tell you something else.”

I raise my eyebrows.

“You look really handsome. You had better not be wearing anything under that kilt; there is a closet along the hall waiting to be christened.” Before I can even respond, she blows me a kiss, and she’s gone, clip-clopping down the corridor.

She will be keeping me on my toes for years to come.

I close my eyes and take in a deep breath. I want today to be perfect for her. I hope her mother doesn’t ruin it.

“Are you ready?”

I open my eyes, and standing in the doorway is my dad.

“More than ready.”

All in black, he strides toward me.

He dominates the room in his pitch-black kilt with matching black leather brogues and flashes, sporran, shirt, waistcoat, and two-button jacket—black everything to match our family name.

He proceeds to straighten my purple cravat. Our cravats are the only flash of color.

That’s our theme—purple. Figures.

“Was Violet in here?”

“Her mom showed up.” I stretch my neck to give him better access to my cravat.

“I saw. My job is to keep her as far away as possible from Violet today. I have assembled a ‘keep Violet’s family busy’ team. We will not let anything spoil your day. ”

He makes me laugh. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you. Now, let’s get this show on the road.” He lays his hands on my shoulders.

“I hope you haven’t embarrassed me in your speech.”

“It’ll be exactly like your stag was.”

I groan. “I hope not.”

“As the best man, it’s my job to embarrass you.” He laughs.

Oh, great.

My dad brushes the fabric on my shoulders. “Ready?”

I have been for the last three years. “Absolutely. Let’s do this.”

Everything went without a hitch today and Violet and I have had the most incredible day surrounded by our family and friends, some of whom have traveled thousands of miles to celebrate our wedding day. Some from California, some from Greece, and we are very grateful they came. Our day has been filled with fun, laughter, and one hundred percent happiness.

Violet has been smiling all day, but I have yet to catch her speaking to her mother or sister. Or even her brother-in-law for that matter.

My father’s plan worked.

“Hey, you.” She pinches my backside.

“Hello, Mrs. Black.”

She lets out a little squeak at her newly married name.

“Come over to the window.” I hold out my hand for her to take. She lifts the front of her long dress to stop her from tripping over the delicate fabric, which is highly likely for Violet. We mosey over to the furthest point of the gigantic space, and I pull her into my arms, her back against my chest. We haven’t had a minute of peace and all I want is one small moment with her. Then she can go back to doing what she does best—chatting, mingling, and using her snake-charming skills on anyone she talks to.

I hold her as we stand and enjoy the ferocious waves, gray skies, and cliffs of Castleview Cove.

After some time, I turn her around in my arms.

“Did you like the wedding gift I bought you?” She begins giggling.

“It’s getting hung above the mantelpiece.” Violet had a body cast of her backside made for me and made into a bronze sculpture. She remembered what I said all those years ago. She even had it coated in vibrant violet paint.

“It was a nice surprise to have delivered this morning. The best wedding gift.” I kiss her neck. “Have you had a nice day?”

“Ocht, I suppose it’s been okay.” She tries hard to hide her smirk and her Scottish accent is appalling.

“Yeah, I was thinking your dress could have been nicer and the venue is pure shite.” We both burst into a fit of the giggles.

I lift her hand up and brush my thumb over her black brushed titanium wedding ring. It matches her engagement ring perfectly. It too is black brushed titanium, and set inside six prongs is a rare purple diamond, also known as an orchid diamond, and it couldn’t be more perfect. It’s truly a reflection of me and her—black and violet.

“Did you have a look at what I had engraved inside your wedding band yet?” I look into her eyes.

“No. We agreed we would do it together. Let’s do it now. You first.” She gets excited.

I pull off my matching black titanium band with one tiny purple diamond inset into the metal.

I tilt the band back and forth and move it between my fingers. “ I am your missing piece .” I read the heartfelt words I said to her on the first night we spent together.

I reach up and cup her face. “You are. You are everything to me, Violet.”

“You are going to make me cry again, Linc. That’s all I have done all day. Especially when Yaya handed me her coveted moussaka recipe.”

“It could be a ruse; she may have left an ingredient out. Don’t get too emotional. She’s sneaky like that.”

Violet giggles. “My turn.”

She slides her engagement ring off first, then her wedding ring, and tilts it to read my hidden message, meant just for her.

She reads it silently and her eyes turn glassy. “ You complete me .” She repeats the engraved sentiment.

“You do.”

“We are a pair of oversentimental twits.”

“We are.”

But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Injecting humor, she asks, “Fancy a shag?” Violet bites her lip and scrunches her nose up.

“Sounds so romantic.”

“Just kiss me.” She grabs my cravat and smooshes her lips to mine.

This is how it’s always going to be.

Her bossing me about, joking, laughing, having fun, but most of all, she’s always going to make me feel like a million dollars because I hit the jackpot when I found Violet.

She’s my orchid diamond.

Rare, unique, and all mine.

Violet

Two years later

I stand in the doorway, admiring my naked-from-the-waist-up husband with our tiny nine-month-old daughter scrunched into a pastel-pink ball on his chest.

Pom-pom is snoring away at the foot of the bed. At eight years old, his snoring is getting worse as he gets older.

Lincoln is rocking our daughter back and forth on the black wooden rocking chair his yaya gave us. It’s the one she used when Knox and Lincoln were babies; it’s a true family treasure. It’s now being used for our Melina. The little girl whose Greek name means “honey.” It’s perfect for her—sweet.

I take a mental picture as my ovaries explode.

The care and love Lincoln has for his daughter warms my heart more every day.

He’s utterly smitten with Melina and very protective. There isn’t a moment she isn’t in Lincoln’s arms. Melina may never need legs, but I am sure it’s because he never wants to miss moments of her day.

He loves teaching her new things, making her giggle, and chasing her around the coffee table. She learned to crawl only a few weeks ago, and Lincoln has taken it upon himself to babyproof the house. It will take some time getting used to those stupid but necessary kitchen cabinet safety locks and I’ve broken several nails being overzealous opening them.

Tiptoeing across the plush, thick carpeted floor, being careful not to wake the baby, I brush Lincoln’s cheek. “Hey,” I whisper.

Lincoln pops one eye open.

“She’s sleeping. Come back to bed.” Lincoln looks down at his cute-as-a-button dark-haired baby girl .

“Are you sure she’s sleeping?” He looks down at her through tired eyes.

He doesn’t want to put her down.

“Yes.” I grin.

He lets out an if I must sigh.

The rocking chair stops moving when Lincoln places his feet flat on the carpet, then gently leans forward. His whole hand is almost the same size as Melina’s little back.

He cups the back of her head, slowly rises to his feet, and makes his way to Melina’s crib.

As he gently lays her down, she raises her hands in the air and does a big stretch, then sucks the air for a few moments before she pops her thumb in her mouth.

“She’s so cute.” Lincoln looks down at our sleeping daughter.

I clasp the side of the wooden crib. “She is but we have a big day tomorrow and we need to sleep.”

“Do we?”

“I am making moussaka for your grandparents tomorrow.”

“Oh, yikes. Yeah, you need to rest and limber up for that tomorrow.” He grins and wraps his arm around my waist, a simple gesture that sends tingles through my body every time.

Lincoln plants a kiss on my temple before I drop my head to his shoulder.

“I don’t think I was your missing piece.”

“No?”

I draw my head back and look up at him. “No, I think she was.”

We both look down at our sleeping cherub.

“She completes us ,” he whispers.

She does.

But for Lincoln, she’s taught him the true meaning of unconditional love. Melina loves him without question, without conditions.

I do too and he loves us even harder back.

I am truly loved beyond measure by him, and it’s the best feeling in the world.

My life is perfectly complete.