“I can’t believe I’m even considering this,” Lexi says. “But we miss you too.” Tears stream down her face. She bores her eyes into mine. “I’m scared, Ace. I don’t know if I’m cut out for relationships.”
“That makes two of us, Lexi. I’m flawed too but together, we become whole. We are strong together.”
She nods and I pull her into me. We cling to each other. “I’m sorry too, Ace. I shouldn’t have kept that away from you. No more secrets.”
“I understand why you did. No more secrets,” I say. I cup her face. “You make me so happy.”
“You make me happy too.”
I take her hand. “Let’s go get Luna and go home.”
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Lexi
I’m under instructions to stay in our bedroom and not move. Ace is dressing Luna after her bath. We have plans to go out for a drive and I’m ready. I’m itchy with impatience. I don’t know what those two are planning. I don’t know if I can handle any more celebrations.
Last week was Luna’s birthday and we celebrated all weekend long. We took the boat out for the weekend, our longest voyage yet. We sailed to Catalina Island, spent the night in a quaint inn in the mountains, and then sailed back the following afternoon.
It was a celebration of the last six months. We’ve truly become a family. I’m proud of Ace. We’ve had a couple of disagreements and not once has he taken off on his own. I’m proud of myself too for not jumping to conclusions or panicking when things seem to go wrong.
I’m learning what it means to be in a committed relationship. It’s sticking around. It’s opening up your fears to the other person. I haven’t been working for the last three weeks. It was odd at first, waking up with nowhere to go but I’m so grateful for that gift. Slowly but surely, I’m beginning to find myself. I’ve been taking long walks downtown and whenever I do, I find myself in bookshops. I love books. I’m still not sure what I want to do but Ace keeps telling me there’s no rush. I’m on vacation. It’s a good feeling.
My mom disappeared for four months and to my and Vanessa’s surprise, she returned home, haggard, and tired. We managed to convince her to go into a rehabilitation center and she agreed. That’s where she is now. Vanessa and I have visited a couple of times. She looks well but a little frail. The people at the rehab center assure us that is normal as a person comes to terms with how far alcohol has affected their lives and their loved ones.
The last session had been family counseling. There were a lot of tears between the three of us and though it had been painful to relive those memories of our growing up years, it did us all some good. I felt as if some weight had been taken off me.
As for Vanessa, she’s enjoying staying in her rented place. She’s extended her lease, saying she’s enjoying socializing with other nurses and hospital colleagues. As long as she’s happy, I’m happy.
“Ready, mama?” Ace says from the doorway.
“Ready?” Luna says, echoing her dad’s words.
“Yes!” I shout. I wait with bated breath. I have absolutely no clue as to what the surprise could be.
Luna strolls in, sashaying like a little model, one hand on her hip. I giggle. “You look so pretty, sweetheart.”
Her dad is behind her. Luna comes up to me and I notice that the t-shirt she’s wearing is new. Ace must have bought it. It has words at the front. I sit up to read the words.
Mama, will you marry my daddy?
I shift my glance from the t-shirt to Luna to Ace and I burst into tears.
“Those are happy tears,” I hear Ace telling Luna. “Let’s give her the ring.”
Ace presents me with a tiny red box. I open it and I can barely see the ring as tears flow down my cheeks.
“Yes, yes!” I say. “I’ll marry you.” Is it possible to be this happy?
He and Luna jump on the bed, each on either side of me and we hold each other tight. There’s not an ounce of fear in me. All I feel is contentment. We have always been a family, but now it’s going to be official. We belong to each other.
THE END