Epilogue #3
Damien nods once, then wisely backs away from an argument he knows he can’t win. Mom’s in full command mode today. God help us.
“Why did you invite Alice, Mom?”
“Because she knows what needs to be done. We can’t go on like this.”
“Go on with what? What are you upset about?”
“I’ve waited three months for you two to get your act together and start planning this wedding," Mom announces. "That whole situation with unfortunate Anton is over.”
“You mean the bastard, Mom.”
“Call him what you want. Don’t change the subject.”
The door opens mid-debate, and Alice steps in, blinking at the sudden attention.
“Oh, you’re here, darling. Good,” Mom says. “Let’s talk now, all of us. Sit down.” It’s not a request. It’s an order.
We all find a seat. Damien positions himself as far from the action as possible, half-hidden behind my desk.
“Alice, darling,” she begins, already in full campaign mode. “We need to start planning these two ‘lovebirds’ wedding. I don’t care how big or small it is. I want it to be special. Something we’ll all remember. And then we can move on to the next phase.”
“What phase is that, Mom?”
“Well, grandkids, of course. What else?”
Lena chokes on a bite of cake, her strategic attempt to avoid getting pulled into the lineup.
“Mom, listen. I know we need to do this. I’m not trying to stall, but it took me a bit longer to figure out the venue.”
“What venue? You have hotels. Restaurants. An army of trained people who plan events better than most governments. You only need to pick a date and tell them what you want.” She turns to Alice. “You can handle it, right, sweetheart?”
“Of course, Mrs. Monti,” Alice says, scanning the room for help.
“Mom. Baby. Everyone,” I say, standing up and walking toward my desk, taking on a formal tone. “I’m not thrilled you’re all rushing me. The plans are still early, but I want to show you something. It’s the concept stage. A first draft from the architects.”
I open my laptop and sync it with the wall screen, scrolling through files. My mother scoffs. “You’re not seriously building a new hotel or restaurant just for the wedding, are you? That could take a year. Lena won’t look good in a wedding dress with a baby bump.”
Lena chokes again. I find the file and cast it to the screen. A large house plan appears.
“What is this, Dominic?” Lena asks. “You’re building a house?”
“Yes. But not any house. I glance at Lena, then the group. “With the shelter moving to a larger, more secure location on the edge of the city, guarded by Gabriel’s people,” I pause and give him a mock bow, which he acknowledges with a nod, “I’ve been working on renovating Grace’s old house.”
A few heads turn. “It turns out the property and the land behind it, with direct beach access, were up for sale. So I bought them. Then,” I add, “I made the neighbors on the right an offer they couldn’t refuse.”
Lena narrows her eyes. “Oh God, what kind of offer?”
“A beachfront high-end apartment in a new complex.”
“And they accepted?”
“Apparently, not everyone dreams of pushing a lawnmower. Some people prefer cocktails by the pool and a sea breeze. No negotiation needed. Then the neighbors on the left caught wind and asked for a similar deal.”
Lena blinks. “I still don’t get it. What does this have to do with our wedding?”
I take a step closer. “I’m building a house around Grace Medina’s home. I want us to hold on to everything that matters for Lena. The dance studio stays.”
I pause, softer now. “It’ll be a space for family events now. For memories. For home. That’s where Lena should wear her wedding dress.”
A murmur of approval moves through the room. My mom clasps her hands with a little sigh. Lexi lets out a soft giggle, soaking in the moment. Gabriel nods, and I catch something like pride in his eyes. Even Damien grunts, which might actually be agreement.
Alice stays quiet, the most surprised of them all.
Then Lena reaches for my hand and gently pulls me aside.
She curls into my arms, pressing in close like she just needs a minute.
For a second, I think she’s sneaking in a kiss while no one’s watching.
But then she leans back, hands still on my chest, eyes searching mine. And they’re serious. Too serious.
“About what your mom said… the order of things. The venue, the wedding, kids…”
“Oh, sweetheart, I know I’ve been a little reckless lately with precautions. We’ll go back to being careful. At least until after the wedding. Or until you’re ready.”
She gives me that look. That mysterious one. The one that usually means that I’ve missed something important.
“Well... about that order,” Lena says, tilting her head. “We might’ve already flipped it. I guess it depends on how you define ‘having kids.’ Conception? Or birth?”
I blink. “Wait. What?”
“Because we may have changed the timeline. The wedding might actually come last.”
I stare at her. Everything else fades out. She nods, smiling like she’s been carrying this secret in her pocket all day. “Yes, you clueless man. I’m pregnant.”
Everything blurs for a second. My brain catches up a second late, just in time to hear my mother’s voice.
“Praise the Lord for this,” she says, suddenly very close, clearly having crept up and caught the whole thing.
Laughter breaks out. Chairs scrape. Someone cheers.
And then it’s all arms and voices and motion.
Lexi throws her arms around Lena. Gabriel claps me on the back, grinning like an idiot.
Alice stands frozen, blinking through a stunned smile.
And Mom wipes a tear, then pulls us both into a gentle, lingering hug.
The kind that says everything without a word.
It’s chaos. Beautiful. Messy. Perfect chaos. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
THE END