Epilogue
Lia
”Hmm, maybe move that one over here,” I pointed to a sparse branch on our ten-foot Christmas tree.
Raph moved the crystal ornament to its new spot, and it caught the light.
I clasped my hands together, a grin spreading across my face. ”Perfect!”
Raph slung his arm over my shoulders while he admired our handiwork. He kissed the top of my head, and I pulled him into a hug.
”It”s beautiful.”
Raph disentangled himself from me to pick up the last of the debris from our holiday shopping spree. This was our first Christmas living together, and shopping for decorations was a blast. We spent the afternoon getting in the Christmas spirit before coming home to deck the halls.
Even though I didn”t initially commit, I moved in with Raph pretty quickly. I spent a lot of time in New York looking for work, and getting to see Raph after long days of meet-and-greets and interviews helped keep my spirits up.
With Raph in my corner, and a roaring success on my resume, freelance opportunities continued to find me. Leaving Design Everything was the best career move I ever made.
It went on for months, me accepting short-term freelance projects around the city. But those little gigs piled up fast; I barely went home to my apartment. Shell made the choice to move for me.
”You know, the lease is up for renewal.” Shell had said, munching on some popcorn in the kitchen.
”Yeah? You want to stay?”
”Do you?”
”I… you know I”d never abandon you.”
Shell snorted. ”Babe, I barely see you. And when I do, you”re pining away; missing your guy. I don”t take it personally, and you shouldn”t feel bad. You two have been together for a while, it makes sense. Time to take the leap, don”t you think?”
The travel added milage to my car and made my freelance career more burdensome. I sucked in a deep breath. Shell was right.
”I”m going to miss you so much.”
”Puh-leeze. You”re going to see me all. The. Time. Free bottle service at Raph”s club? I”ll be there with bells on!”
I giggled, the tension easing. ”Still, I can”t imagine life without you.”
”You”re doing fine. You got this! And I”m going to be fine here. I won”t have the smaller room.” Shell winked.
”Oh, I see, so you want me to leave, then.”
”Yep. You”re out!”
Once Raph and I finished tidying and enjoying our decorated living room, we retired to the bedroom to continue our festivities.
”What”s on the menu today?” he asked, nudging my chin up and licking a swirling, dizzying pattern on my neck.
He learned all my sensitive spots and exploited them daily after learning how far back my fantasies with him ran. He made a game of pulling them from my imagination and making them reality.
”I just finished my fifth year of college and was lonely. I struggled to find an internship, inquiring at every place in the area. You told me to keep my head up, the right thing would come along. And then…” I grabbed his wrist, guiding his hand to the waistband of my jersey cotton skirt. ”You made me forget all about those stupid internships.”
Raph growled low in his throat. ”They weren”t good enough for my Lia.”
His fingers slipped under and my eyes rolled back.
All the fear of the unknown felt silly now. My life with Raph was easy, like we knew as long as she imagined. And It got better every day.
Raph
”… W
ithout you taking a chance on me, I wouldn”t be where I am today.” Lia said, a rosy glow on her gorgeous face.
We raised our flutes and sipped. Lia just landed her biggest design contract since Experience Shoreview, and she was as bubbly as the champagne. Joy radiated off of her, and I couldn”t be more proud.
To celebrate, I booked reservations at her favorite restaurant, but I had my own motives, too. We lived together for almost a year, and I didn”t want her traveling for work without the best sendoff possible.
”It was good business. The rest was all you. It”s your eyes.”
”Your eyes.”
”No, Lia, it”s your eyes. Those big, beautiful eyes. When I look into them, I see myself as a better man. I see our future. I see Hall Design”s success.” I brushed a lock of hair from her face. ”I see the most breathtaking woman who ever lived. I”m lucky to spend my days with you.”
We toasted our champagne again, a pretty pink stealing into Lia”s cheeks.
”Are you sure I shouldn”t reschedule for after the holidays? I don”t want to dampen our first Christmas together. We were planning that party, and I—”
”You”ll be back in time for the party. This trip is for huge for your brand. I can handle the party planning, you handle Hall Design.”
Lia leaned in and rested her head against my shoulder. I was going to miss her a lot since I didn”t have the time to go with her. Besides, I had a plan.
Finally, Christmas Eve arrived. The night of the party, and the night Lia was due home. It had been five long days, and if I didn”t see her soon, I would implode. My foot tapped impatiently, waiting for her to come through the gate.
There she is.
She ran to me and dropped her bag so she could jump into my arms. I caught her, and we swung around. Being with her felt so right, and I never wanted to let her go again.
”Well? How was it?”
She giggled. ”The flight? It was fine.”
”No, silly. Your trip.”
”We talked every night while I was gone. You know how it was. It was amazing.”
”And you nailed it?”
”And I nailed it.”
”That”s my girl.”
She caught me up on all the details of her project while we drove home. I couldn”t stop touching her hand. Her excitement made me excited for her to see what I”d been up to while she was gone, too.
When we walked through the door, her jaw dropped. I stood back and grinned.
”Oh, Raph! It”s so pretty!”
”Those decorations you picked look pretty good around here, huh?”
I had help, but I decked the house out with festive decor. The tree Lia and I decorated was a shining jewel in the foyer. It set the tone for the rest of the main floor where crystal accents gleamed in the warm light. I tied golden ribbon and holly to the banister, and affixed small accents to every doorway. The whole place twinkled.
”It”s stunning. I love it,” Lia sighed as I pulled her into my arms.
I nibbled her earlobe, and she wiggled away from me, but I wouldn”t let her escape. ”I have to get ready for the party…”
”That can wait.”
I couldn”t wait until after the party to have her again. After nearly a week apart, a few more hours were too much.
I carried her squealing and giggling through the house and up the stairs. When we entered the bedroom, I chucked her on the bed and pulled my sweater over my head. Lia”s giggles stopped when she met my eyes. I craved her.
Before I got my second knee on the bed, Lia had tossed her shoes and dress. I came down on top of her, capturing her mouth with mine.
”I missed you,” I murmured against her ear.
She threw her head back with a soft groan as I worked my way from her lips, down her neck, and to her chest.
I licked tight circles around her rosy nipples, pulling them to attention with my teeth. Then I moved lower, darting my tongue under the edge of her panties.
”I missed you, too. I hated sleeping without you.”
I hooked my thumbs under the scrap of lace and dragged it down, baring her to me. I was harder than stone and getting impatient.
”Couldn”t have said it better myself.” I said.
I drove my tongue between her lips after what felt like forever and groaned when she gasped.
I worked her into a frenzy until she was panting and fisting the comforter.
”I”m gonna come.”
”Mmm. Not yet.”
I slowed, dragging out the sensation of my tongue on her clit before I retreated.
Her eyes devoured me as I slid my belt through its loops, unbuttoned my pants, and drew down the zipper. I pulled my pants and boxers off and kicked them away.
As I situated myself at her entrance, a calm I hadn”t had for days spread through me. As I slid home, I knew tonight was the night.
Lia
Raph threw a great party. Our house was full of everyone I loved the most. I was making my rounds when the doorbell rang. Who else could be coming?
”Mom! What a surprise! Come in!” I led my mom into the house, and we sat down together.
”I knew you wouldn”t be coming home for Christmas this year.”
I went to respond, but Mom held up a hand. ”I”ve got something to say, Amelia. I know I didn”t treat you well when you were growing up. If I could take it back, I would. But we can only go forward.” She paused for a sip of mulled wine. ”I want you to know, I don”t expect anything, even your forgiveness. Seeing you so happy… I regret standing in the way so much. I should have cherished you instead of mourning your brother all those years. I wanna be a good mom. I”m trying to pick myself up, start over. You”ve set that example, finding love even though you had every reason to stay hidden away like you always were. I blame myself for the way you could never open up. I”m so sorry, Amelia. I”m sorry.”
Her eyes welled up, and she collapsed into my arms. I rubbed her back and hugged her.
”It”s okay, Mom. Everything worked out. You know, I actually met Raph at the goodbye party you threw for Henry. Then we found each other again.”
Mom gave me a watery smile. ”That”s all I can hope for. I”m so glad you”re happy. Your brother would be, too. He”d wanna be here and see you.”
”I know.”
”Well, I don”t want to be a damper on your party here. It”s Christmas, after all, and I got yous a gift,” she said, handing me a bottle of red wine.
”I wanted to tell you, I”ve actually been seeing someone. His name”s Jared, and he runs a winery a few hours from my new place. I didn”t invite him because I didn”t think it was right to bring a stranger, but I hope you”ll both come down and have lunch with us sometime.”
”Wow, Mom. That”s fantastic. We”ll definitely come and visit soon. And thank you for the wine, too. Is it one of his?”
”Yep, sure is. I hope yous like it. I love you, Lia.”
Tears threatened to form in my eyes, and I blinked them back with a laugh.
”I”ll let you get back to your party, hon. Don”t feel the need to spend all night with me.” She said, shooing me.
I left my mom to talk with some Experience employees, and worked through all the other guests, thanking them for coming until I bumped into Shell, Raph, and Kendall by the bar in the kitchen.
”Hey, babe. Awesome party!” Shell raised her glass of champagne.
”Shell! I thought you couldn”t make it.”
More surprises. Shell was away on a work assignment across the country, so I thought I wouldn”t see her.
”Come on, I had to find a way. It”s not every day my bestie hosts a party. I had to see it to believe it.”
”This party is all Raph. He took care of everything while I was out of town.” Raph smiled down at me. He gave me a light kiss and rested his hand at the small of my back. I leaned into him.
”Are you having a good time, my love?”
”I am. This is perfect.”
”I”ll admit it”s nice to have somewhere other than my mom”s house to go for Christmas Eve,” Kendall interjected.
”She was invited, why couldn”t she make it?” Raph asked.
”She doesn”t really like to rub elbows with us. But I”m supposed to say she”s visiting her sister.” Kendall said, shrugging.
”Well, we”ll always extend the invitation. She”s welcome if she ever changes her mind.”
While Raph and Kendall continued their conversation, I split off to catch up with Shell. It felt like ages.
”So how are you? I know that”s a lame opener, but seriously. How was the trip?” Shell poured a fresh glass of champagne for me, handing it over.
”It was intimidating, but I did it. Plus, they offered me another job. I”m going to be pretty busy over the next few months at least. How about you? You”ve had so much going on.”
”That”s amazing about your job! You working for yourself has been a real inspiration. I was out in Cali trying to live the dream.”
”How”s that going? And whatever happened with that guy? Evan?”
”Ugh, I don”t want to talk about it. He”s pretty much been the bane of my existence since age eight.”
”That bad, huh?”
”Exactly that bad.”
Shell and I talked for a while until the party guests started trickling out. Before he left, Kendall asked Shell if she wanted to grab a drink with him, so they left together.
”They seemed to hit it off,” I said.
”Yeah, they did. Think anything will come of it?”
”A good time”s guaranteed.”
Raph smiled and put his arm around me. ”You know, I really love our life like this.”
We flopped down onto the sofa in the cluttered living room.
”It was a great party.”
He pulled me onto his lap and nuzzled into my hair. ”Marry me.”
”What?” I asked, pulling back from the warm snuggle.
Raph shifted and set me back on the couch. ”My life would be hollow if you weren”t in it. I lived that way for a long time, and didn”t realize something so big was missing. But it was you. It”s always been you. I don”t want to imagine my life without you. Marry me, Lia. You complete me.”
Raph reached into his pocket and pulled out the velvet box he”d kept in the desk drawer in his office for half the year. I didn”t think he knew I peeked, but my heart hammered knowing the wait was finally over. He moved onto the floor in front of me.
Our Christmas tree twinkled behind him, and I was so full of love for this man. The soft, warm light made the ring sparkle as he opened the lid. I cleared my throat and sat up, touching his arm.
”So many things have changed since I found you again. When we got together after Experience Shoreview, I was unsure. I didn”t want us to be too good to be true. I had to know we have the kind of love that can go the distance no matter the obstacles. And I know. I”ve known it for a while. You were always the man of my dreams. And I”m lucky enough to have the man of my dreams when I”m awake, too. I love you more every single day, and I”m so excited to spend my life with you.”
Raph slipped the ring onto my finger and I pushed into his arms, knocking us onto the floor. We were better together, and I”d love this man for always. Just as I always have.
Note from Mia
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