EPILOGUE ONE
T he snow had finally melted, and the bright green grass looked more alive than it had in the last few months. But today, the bright sun’s warmth was unable to soothe the ache that filled my heart.
This past year had been a whirlwind of heartaches, loss, and grief. But amongst the darkness, flickers of hope and goodness emerged, providing me with just enough strength to push forward.
“Are you ready, baby?” Nico’s voice pulled me back to the present. I turned to him, finding his eyes filled with concern.
I offered him a reassuring smile, a silent promise that I would be okay—that we would be okay. “Yeah, I’m ready.” I shifted my gaze to the window and reached for the door handle. But before I could grasp it, Nico gently pulled my hand away.
“Don't even think about it.” He leaned in, planting a soft kiss on my lips, then an affectionate peck on the tip of my nose, making me giggle like a schoolgirl.
He flashed a playful grin before stepping out of the car and closing the door behind him. My door swung open, and Nico extended his hand, which I gladly took.
As I stepped out, he closed the door and tilted my chin, his thumb brushing my jawline, urging my gaze to meet his. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
I felt a swell of gratitude for his care and how much he wanted to protect my heart. “Yes, I am.”
He studied me for a long, silent moment, as if searching my eyes for any flicker of doubt, before finally nodding. “Okay. Let’s go.”
His fingers interlaced with mine. Hand in hand, we walked down the stone path that led to the cemetery. The only sounds were the gentle rustle of the wind through the trees and the chirping of birds.
When we finally stood before the black headstone, I placed a bouquet of red and white roses at its base, then reclaimed Nico’s hand.
In Loving Memory of
Serafina Moretti
1963 - 2025
Beloved wife, mother, and friend.
Forever in our hearts.
“Thank you, Serafina, for believing in me,” I whispered.
“And for loving me as if I were your own. I will never forget you.” Tears streamed down my face, and I hastily wiped them away.
“You didn’t deserve this. I’m so sorry for what happened to you.
” My lips trembled, and Nico’s hand tightened around mine, grounding me.
My gaze fell upon another, smaller, gray stone nestled in the green grass. I traced the etched words.
Our little angel—too beautiful for this world.
I laid down a single rose and an angel wings figurine atop the stone.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of you.
” I let out a shaky breath. “And wonder what you would have looked like… what you would have been like,” I whispered, my heart aching.
“I’m so sorry…you were taken too soon, my sweet baby. ”
I instinctively pressed a hand against my stomach, the other covering my face as I succumbed to tears for our precious child. An innocent angel lost far too early, a future stolen before it could even begin.
Nico wrapped his arms around me, drawing me close as my body shook with the force of my grief. I felt the tremor of his own emotions, and together, we sat, cocooned in each other’s warmth until our sobs faded. Finding comfort in the sound of our beating hearts.
I looked up at Nico and brushed away the tear streaks on his face. He took my wrist and pressed a kiss to my fingers. “I love you,” he murmured.
A wistful smile crossed my lips. “And I love you.”
We held each other’s gaze, absorbing our shared pain before he asked, “Are you ready to go?”
I nodded, feeling the weight of his love and strength. He helped me to my feet, and before we walked away, I pressed my fingers to my lips, then to the baby’s stone.
“Goodbye, sweet baby.” As we turned to leave, Nico glanced back at Serafina’s headstone. “Look after our baby, Mom. Love you both.”
NICO
We drove home from the cemetery in suffocating silence.
When I first learned Gigi had miscarried, a part of me died along with our baby.
But the other part that survived gave me the strength to do something in our baby’s honor.
I’d arranged for a small headstone and placed it beside my mother’s, a silent promise that she would watch over her grandchild. Today was the first time I’d seen it.
And I fucking broke.
The moment my eyes landed on that tiny, engraved stone, something inside me violently imploded.
Even the beast I usually kept caged was writhing, a guttural cry trapped in my chest. It hit with a force that knocked the air from my lungs.
I didn’t understand how I was still standing, how my legs hadn’t buckled beneath me.
Then I saw my angel. My love. Gigi was on her knees, her tiny frame wracked with silent sobs for our baby. She was the anchor, the reason I found the strength to remain upright. I had to continue to be strong for her.
The house was silent as we walked in, our exhaustion and relief palpable in the quiet space.
I followed her into the music room and leaned against the doorframe, watching her face light up in awe as she took in what I had done.
Hundreds of candles in varying heights covered the floor, the tables, the fireplace mantel, and the polished surface of the grand piano.
A path of red and white rose petals led from the entrance to the piano, where they fanned out into a perfect heart.
Dozens of fresh red and white roses overflowed from vases scattered throughout the room, filling the air with a sweet fragrance.
Her eyes shiny and wet, she turned to face me. “Nico. What is this?” she whispered, glancing around the room.
“Come on,” I murmured, taking her hand, my thumb gently stroking her knuckles. I led her down the rose-lined path and guided her to a chair, positioning it just diagonal to the piano bench. I needed to see her every flicker of emotion.
I settled onto the bench and lifted the lid. My fingers found their starting positions, hovering for a moment before descending, and I began to play. It was a symphony of all the feelings she stirred in me, a testament to what she meant to my very existence.
The first notes of “Over the Rainbow” filled the room.
This one was dedicated to our unborn baby.
I watched her eyes, and just as I expected, tears welled, catching the light like scattered glitter.
I turned away, my own throat tightening and a familiar sting behind my eyes, but I pushed through.
When the final note faded, I transitioned seamlessly into “Stand by Me.”
I lifted my gaze from the keys, meeting hers. The love that shone in her golden eyes was like being struck in the chest with Cupid’s arrow. This girl had woven herself into every fiber of my life and made a permanent residence in my soul.
Next, I started “Beautiful Things.” I kept my eyes on her, pouring everything into the melody. I hoped she could see it, truly see how much I loved her reflected in my gaze. How much she had turned my life upside down. And how, without her, I wouldn't know how to survive.
A soft chuckle escaped her as fresh tears tracked paths down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand.
I continued with “All of Me” and finally, “Angel Baby.”
When my fingers stilled on the last chord, I slanted my head at her, a small, knowing smile playing on my lips. It was time. Time to make her mine, forever.
“Come here,” I said, my voice low.
With a fluid motion, she gracefully lifted herself up. I reached for her hand, tugging her gently until she landed softly on the bench beside me, our thighs brushing.
I opened a music book and slid it over to her.
She glanced at me from the side with a curious frown.
I swallowed hard, my heart thumping a frantic rhythm against my ribs. “Look inside.”
She looked confused for a second, then turned to the sheet music. “What am I looking for?”
“It’s written in the notes.”
She leaned closer to examine the sheet, her brow furrowed in concentration. “What song is this?” she asked, still staring. “I don’t recognize it.”
“You have to play the notes,” I explained, “and then cipher the letter of the alphabet to a specific note pitch.”
“So, like a code?” Her eyes lit up with excitement.
“Yes, exactly that.” I reached for a small pad and pen I’d hidden nearby and handed them to her.
She smiled, taking the items. “What are you up to, Nico?”
I grinned, a genuine, wide-mouthed grin. “Just play.”
She rolled her eyes playfully, but a spark of excitement danced in them as she turned back to the keys.
Her fingers, nimble and practiced, began to play the sequence: G, E, A, A, G, A, E, A, C, G, G, G, A, D.
She played it a few times, a soft hum escaping her lips, then started speaking aloud, scribbling on the pad.
“G equals W,” she mumbled, hitting the next key. “E equals I... A equals L... A equals L... G equals Y... A equals O... E equals U... A equals M... C equals A... G equals R... G equals R... G equals Y... A equals M... and D equals E.”
“What does that spell?” I asked, rising slowly to my feet. My hand went to the small, paper rose crafted from an old sheet of music, tucked behind the vase on the piano.
She whispered the letters to herself, her eyes still glued to the pad. “It’s spelled W-I-L-L Y-O-U M-A-R-R-Y M-E?”
A sharp gasp escaped her. “Nico. What—?” She spun around, her eyes wide, and found me already on one knee, holding out the paper rose out to her.
“Oh, my god, this is beautiful, Nico,” she gushed, tears welling again.
“Not as beautiful as my angel,” I murmured, my gaze fixed on her.
When she pulled the rose closer, her fingers tracing the delicate paper petals, she let out another sharp gasp. “Oh, my god.”
Tucked inside the folds of the rose was a customized Moissanite ring, two-tone gold, with tiny angel wings intricately carved on the outside of the band, and forty sparkling diamond stones lining the sides.
“Gigi, my angel.” I took the ring from her hand and reached for her left hand, her fingers trembling slightly. “I bind myself to you today, tomorrow, forever and into the afterlife. Marry me. Be my wife. The mother of my children. My queen.”
Her body began to tremble, and she launched herself into my arms, almost toppling us both over. I held firm, my arms wrapped tightly around her waist, keeping us upright.
“Yes! Yes!” she cried, pulling back just enough to capture my lips in a hard, raw kiss that stole my breath. When she pulled away, her eyes glistening, she whispered, “I love you, Nico. My greatest sin.”
My grin stretched wider, reaching my ears. I took the ring and, with a tender touch, slid it onto her finger. Then, I lifted her off the floor. She wrapped her legs around my waist, her arms circling my neck.
“Nico,” she breathed, her forehead resting against mine.
“Yeah, baby?”
She pulled back slightly, wiping a stray strand of hair from her face, her eyes sparkling as she looked down at me. “I have a surprise for you, too.” Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “I’m pregnant.”
“Wh-what?” I managed, the word barely a whisper.
“We’re having a baby,” she repeated, a soft, joyful smile spreading across her face.
A choked laugh bubbled up from my chest, and then I started laughing, spinning her around slowly, causing her to laugh too, a bright, clear sound.
When I finally stopped, a little dizzy, I carefully sat her on the edge of the piano, snagging her close to me. My hands cupping her face, I said, “I hope you know how much I fucking love you.”
“I do,” she nodded, still smiling, her eyes shining.
“We’re having a baby,” I repeated, needing to hear it, to make it real.
She laughed, a full, uninhibited sound. “Yeah, Nico. We’re having a baby.”
Once upon a time, a devil and an angel fell in love. The devil didn’t know why he was alive until he knew what he would die for.
His eternal love.