She squeals and wraps her arms around me. I hold the small of her back and hold her close to me. She's my everything.
"Let's go see the baby," she says, walking to the sink in the corner to wash her hands.
As I watch her, I see the rest of my life unfolding before my eyes.
I always have.
She's the only woman I ever loved.
And I thank the stars every single day that I get to keep her.
She looks at me now.
Those eyes. They make my heart skip a beat every time. I remember the first time I saw her. I remember the way my entire life screeched to a halt that afternoon.
"It feels like my life didn't begin until I met you, Grace," I say.
“I feel the same way,” she says, getting on her tiptoes to press a kiss against my cheek.
This girl.
She’s all I need in this world.
44
GRACE
3 MONTHS LATER
Ican't stop beaming.
As the clock strikes midnight, there are fireworks over the ocean.
Dante's face is lit up by birthday candles. His sister giggles as we sing “Happy Birthday” to both of them. They blow out the candles together. Ida makes Dante hold the knife with her as they cut into the cake.
My heart is so full right now.
It's their first birthday together after two decades apart. Dante refused to celebrate a single birthday until he found his sister. Two decades have gone by, and now, we're celebrating on a white sand beach in Zanzibar, East Africa. We'll be spending a week here.
Ida hugs her brother. "Happy birthday, Dante."
"Happy birthday, Ida," he replies, holding her close.
There are tears glistening in their eyes when they pull apart. They're smiling now, but they've been through so much.
Someone pops a bottle of champagne and sprays them with it. My sisters are also here with their husbands. All of us have a tan from the snorkeling we did earlier today. And there's nothingweighing down on our hearts anymore. There's not a single thing for us to worry about.
Dante walks up to me with a slice of cake. He holds it out for me.
"Thank you for planning all of this," he says. "Ida loves it."
"And you?" I ask. "Are you enjoying yourself?"
"As long as you and Ida are happy, there's nothing else I need in this world," he says.
And he's not just saying that. He means it.
We sit down in the soft sand.
