epilogue It was mine. Finally mine. I had signed the papers only a few days ago, and already it felt like home. My own home. Forever I had dreamed of this house, always seeing it from afar, and now it was mine. A beautiful, cozy little beach house nestled in a secluded area miles off the main road. Flower pots adorned the window sills on every side of the house; a cobblestone walkway led the way to my front door, with rich, white sand at it’s sides. The classic white picket fence was there, too. I had the beach as my backyard, which stretched on for miles left and right, and I couldn’t be happier. I had my own little piece of paradise. Hillary had been by the day before to lend her decorating skills and, along with Robin, we had achieved a look that only Hil could envision. Each room had it’s own personality, all while keeping in tune with the rest of the house. Whether it consisted of silk, leather or cotton, everything tied together nicely in the end. Everything was perfect. Well, not entirely perfect. As I stood at the sliding glass door that lead to the beach and breathed in the fresh sea air, I couldn’t help but think of what could have been. I could see my baby, my little girl, playing in the waves, running to and from them, shrieking with laughter. I envisioned her sandcastles in random spots on the beach, and little plastic pails full of seashells. I thought about him, too. The week he and Nick had spent here was more than I had bargained for. While we did manage to settle our differences, our stubborn ways wouldn’t allow an entirely peaceful reconciliation. After a week of arguments and restless nights, he had boarded the plane, with some urging on Nick’s behalf. Yet, as he gave his ticket to the stewardess, he turned to me, swearing his return. That was over two weeks ago. He had assured me that he’d return sooner than later, whether I liked it or not, but it would still be a few more days until I saw him again. As soon as he had done everything within his power to make his relocation official, that is. Until then he’d return, and everything would be all right. ‘Yeah,’ I thought, as the last rays of the sun hid behind the western shores. ‘Everything would finally be all right.’ .:The End:. [chapter 40 | chapter index]