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“Goodbye, Brian,” I say softly.
“Goodbye, Tanya.” His voice is steady, giving away nothing of the emotions I know roil beneath the surface. I walk out the door without looking back. It’s only when I’m in my car with the engine running that I allow the tears to fall.
Chapter twenty-six
Epilogue: Life Goes On
Tanya
The aroma of freshly baked bread wafts through the air as I step into La Piazza, my favorite Italian restaurant. Dim lighting and soft music playing in the background create an intimate ambiance. My gaze sweeps over the tables, searching for my husband, David, and daughter, Lily. They’re already seated in our usual spot by the window, Lily giggling as David makes a silly face at her.
A wave of warmth washes over me as I make my way to the table. So much has changed in the ten years since I first walked into this restaurant, a scared twenty-six-year-old, just reeling from a heartbreak. Now, I own a successful boutique for activewear, I’m married to the love of my life, and we have a beautiful five-year-old daughter.
David stands up and envelops me in a hug. “There’s my girl,” he murmurs, his lips brushing my cheek. Lily jumps up on her chair, stretching her arms out for me.
I sweep her into my arms, breathing in her sweet scent. “Did you save me a breadstick?” I ask, brushing a stray curl out of her eyes.
Lily nods enthusiastically. “Daddy said we have to wait for you before we can eat.”
“Your wish is my command, darling,” David says, pulling my chair out for me.
As I sit down, a wave of contentment washes over me. I have everything I could ever want—success, love, and the family I once thought I didn’t deserve.
David slides into the seat across from me, his long legs bumping against mine under the table. “So how was work today?” he asks, reaching for the basket of breadsticks.
“Good,” I say. “We got in some new inventory that’s been selling well.” I glance over at Lily, who’s coloring in one of the kid’s menus. “What about you, trouble? How was school?”
Lily looks up, her brown eyes shining brightly. “We learned about dinosaurs! Did you know some dinosaurs had really tiny arms but giant bodies? It looks so silly!” She holds up her arms and stomps around the table, and David and I both laugh.
“It’s true,” David says, giving Lily an indulgent smile. “Some dinosaurs were quite peculiar.”
Lily climbs back into her seat, picking up a green crayon. “I want to be a paleontologist when I grow up,” she announces. “So I can study dinosaurs every day.”
“You can be whatever you want,” I tell her, pride swelling in my chest. Lily’s always been curious about the world, constantly soaking up new information like a sponge. I’ve no doubt she could achieve anything she sets her mind to.
David catches my eye across the table, his lips curving into a knowing smile. We’ve had this conversation more times than I can count, marveling at the smart, kindhearted little girl we’ve raised.
Lily goes back to coloring, chattering away about dinosaurs and school and her best friend Chloe. I reach for David’s hand, giving it a squeeze. My heart swells with love for my little family. Against all odds, we’ve built something beautiful here—and it’s more than I ever dreamed I deserved.
We finish up dinner at La Piazza, Lily barely containing her excitement for the chocolate gelato we’ve promised for dessert. David pays the bill while Lily and I gather our coats. “Shall we go to the park after gelato?” Lily asks, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. “We could have a picnic!”
I laugh, helping her put on her little red jacket. “It’s getting dark out, sweet pea. How about we have a picnic this weekend instead?”
Lily considers this, then nods. “Okay, can we have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? And apples? And juice boxes?”
“We can have whatever you like,” I say, ushering her out of the restaurant ahead of me. The crisp night air is refreshing after the warmth inside.
David joins us a moment later, sliding an arm around my waist. “Gelato time?”
“Gelato time!” Lily cheers, skipping down the sidewalk. David and I follow at a more leisurely pace, enjoying the quiet of the evening. The streetlights cast a golden glow over the pavement, our shadows dancing between their halos of light.
A familiar laugh catches my attention, and I turn to see a couple emerging from a restaurant across the street. For a moment, time seems to slow—and there, in the flesh, is Brian Russo. A decade older since I saw him last, but still undeniably handsome, his arm is wrapped around a pretty blonde woman in her mid-fifties. Our eyes meet across the street, and for a moment it’s as if the last decade never happened. I see the man he used to be, filled with passion and angst; he sees the girl I was, determined to prove herself against all odds.
Brian lifts his chin in a subtle nod, his lips curving into a smile. I return it, a surge of warmth filling my chest. However complicated our history might be, there will always be this—a bond forged in blood, sweat, and tears during the hardest years of our lives. We built each other up when the world tried to tear us down, and that’s not something either of us will ever forget.
Watching Brian now, and seeing the man he’s become, fills me with pride. I know the demons he’s faced, and the obstacles he’s overcome, just as he knows mine. We were each other’s salvation once, and while our paths diverged, the foundations we laid together have endured. Brian turns away, but not before I glimpse the warmth in his eyes. We survived. We triumphed. We built each other into the people we were meant to be and became stronger for it—as individuals, as fighters, as human beings.
The street fades around me as I lose myself in memory. I hear the echo of Brian’s voice and feel the burn of exertion in my muscles. I relive the highs and lows of our time together—the passionate joy, and the painful loss. I remember what it was to have someone in my corner without question or condition. Someone who believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.
Brian Russo shaped me in ways I’m still discovering. Our time together might have been brief, but its impact will last a lifetime. And if our paths never cross again, I’ll carry the gift of his friendship with me until the day I die. Maybe I can’t outrun my past, but this single soul was able to make Floridian paradise crystalize…and for that, I’ll always be thankful.
With a sigh and one last lingering look, he turns and places an arm around his lady’s waist, taking her away into the night. As for me? Lily calls my name, breaking the spell. When I look back, the couple has disappeared into the night.
