EPILOGUE
A few years passed. Our lives changed in ways I could never have imagined. We were a family now, truly, a family.
Lorenzo had thrown himself into the business, always making sure it was legitimate and focused on building a better future. And together, we did that. We built a future not just for Matteo but for the little girl who had recently arrived in our lives, our daughter, Isabella.
She was tiny but full of life. She had Lorenzo’s eyes, but she was all me in her expressions. And every day, I looked at her and thought of all the ways we’d worked to make this future possible.
Matteo had grown so much in the past few years. He was as smart as a whip but still had that goofy, carefree attitude. And while he was technically Lorenzo’s son, he had always been my child. The bond we shared was inseparable. And Lorenzo—well, he was absolutely smitten.
Luca and Kayla, too, were doing well. Luca had married Kayla, and the two of them had taken over the family business, keeping things running smoothly. Luca had grown into a responsible, thoughtful man, completely unrecognizable from the reckless guy he used to be. And Kayla was just as fierce as ever. She was the glue that held everything together, and I loved her for it.
One evening, we all gathered at our house to celebrate. The children were running around, playing while the adults shared stories and laughter. I was sitting with Kayla, enjoying a glass of wine, when Lorenzo walked over and plopped down beside me.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered, his voice low enough that only I could hear.
I raised an eyebrow. “You’ve seen me in worse states.”
He chuckled, his fingers brushing against mine. “But this is different. You’re my wife now. My beautiful wife.”
I rolled my eyes, but there was a smile tugging at my lips. “Isabella is only four months old, and you’re already hitting on me like we’re in our honeymoon phase again. There is no way I am letting you go down there again.”
“You know you love it,” he teased, pressing a soft kiss to my temple.
“Can you two stop being all lovey-dovey?” Luca’s voice interrupted. He was standing nearby, holding a beer and shaking his head. “It’s ridiculous.”
I laughed, elbowing Lorenzo gently. “See? This is what we get for being so in love.”
Lorenzo shrugged. “Some people just can’t handle it.”
Luca rolled his eyes, but there was warmth in his smile. “Whatever, man. Just keep the PDA to a minimum, okay?”
Matteo ran up to me, his little face lit up with excitement. “Mom! Look! I found Isabella’s toy!” He was holding a little stuffed bear, and it was so sweet that I couldn’t help but smile. He was so proud of himself.
“You’re such a good big brother,” I said, pulling him into my lap and kissing his forehead.
He grinned, “I know. I’ll take care of her, always.”
Lorenzo squeezed my hand, his voice soft. “We’ll all take care of her.”
And for the first time in a long time, I felt the weight of everything we had been through, all the sacrifices and all the heartache lift away. This was it. This was our life. And it was perfect.
Luca raised his glass, a rare serious look on his face. “To family,” he said, and we all clinked glasses.
“To family,” we echoed.
Lorenzo glanced at me, his piercing blue eyes radiating in a way that was exotic and comforting, “To love,” he whispered.
It was just the two of us. Lorenzo’s gaze lingered, keeping me tethered to him. “To us,” I responded, my lips curling into a smile.
For once, it felt like we were truly, completely whole.
THE END.