Epilogue
LITTLE BY LITTLE, with Genevieve’s help, Nikos began to fully let go of his demons.
While he’d already come to understand how changed he was, by life and circumstances, he also finally accepted that he had been blaming himself too harshly for his marriage.
Isabella had hated his work hours, but she had been happy.
He finally let himself hear that, from her father, her friends.
People that had once been in his life, he’d spent years pushing away, he now got to know again.
And in hearing them speak of Isabella, he realised that Genevieve had been right about that, too.
His late wife deserved better than to have become a pain point in his life.
Working with Isabella’s father, Nikos and Genevieve set up a charity in Isabella’s name.
Far from ever expressing even a hint of jealousy, Genevieve supported Nikos tirelessly in this work, because she understood how far he’d come.
How healthy it was for him to honour Isabella, as a mark of his progress.
He no longer had his head in the sand, and that was because of Genevieve.
As Genevieve built her career, he supported her, understanding her drive to succeed, the way she’d been held back by James. No doubt the egotistical man had been jealous of her obvious talent.
Nikos was not completely true to his word, however. He couldn’t resist stymying the other man’s career. A few well-placed calls ensured he received a challenge at the next election; he lost his senatorial seat, and left Washington, to live a life of quiet, yet wealthy, obscurity.
Genevieve didn’t care, though. James had long ago lost any power to hurt her. He was just a speed bump in her life, a brief chapter that had served one wonderful purpose: to bring her to Nikos.
They waited to have children. While they both knew they wanted a family, Genevieve’s career was going from strength to strength, and Nikos knew the timing decision had to be hers.
They were blessed with three girls, and each of them was raised to be strong and independent, to know their worth and use their voice powerfully.
Isabella, and her father, were a part of their lives, always.
They spoke of Isabella as someone Nikos loved, and they included her father in all family events, so that he became a grandfather to their children, a valued member of their family.