Epilogue
Olympia
The Christmas tree in the corner of the Icelandic lodge that Katla and Ulysses own is huge and the lights on it are twinkling, throwing beautiful colours all over the walls.
I’ve hung up the reindeer ornament that Ulysses bought me last Christmas, the Christmas Rafael kidnapped me, and also the angel he bought me this year.
It’s a tradition I’ve passed on to my husband, and now I stand there, holding our daughter, Elena, watching as Rafael hangs the Christmas ornament I made especially for him this year. It’s a dragonfly, of course, and he was absolutely thrilled with it.
My little jewellery business has blossomed and grown, and this Christmas I decided to do a line of very special, very exclusive ornaments. It’s taken off hugely, much to my surprise, and I ended up making a lot more than I anticipated. The dragonfly, though, is special. It’s for him and him alone.
He has made his peace with Ulysses. After Elena was born, Ulysses took Rafael out to his hunting lodge in the mountains of central Greece, and they spent a few days ‘working things out’, or so Rafael said.
They came back firm friends, having bonded over their shared involvement with crime families, and also after a knock-down, drag-out physical fight that neither won, but both felt much better after. Honestly, men.
Anyway, I love my sister-in-law, Katla, and she’s sitting on the couch with my brother, the both of them looking like cats who have swallowed the cream.
I know why. Ulysses has told me that Katla is pregnant and I’m thrilled for them.
Elena makes a noise, her little arms reaching for her father, and after Rafael finishes hanging the dragonfly, he comes over to where I’m standing and takes our daughter into his arms. She makes happy sounds, patting her father’s face while he looks down at her, absolutely besotted.
It makes my heart ache to watch them. It makes my heart ache to be here, with all the people I care about most in the world. Where there’s nothing but joy and laughter, and love.
Love is what all of us need most of all.