Page 131 of Sweet Heart

She slowly turns her head toward me, her face twitching. For a beat or two, I don’t know what to think, but then she starts to huff out short puffs of air until they turn into a full-on giggle.

“I know,” she says as her eyes start to brim with tears.

“Amor!”

I can no longer contain myself and toss the phone away. I lunge forward to kiss her deeply and hard, unsure where to go with all the emotions that are now flooding my system. She did it, just as I knew she would. Two weeks. That’s all it took for people to recognize her amazing talent. And that is just the start of it.

“We have to tell the mamá y papá, y the sixers,” I pant in between kisses, and she nods frantically.

Her cheeks are wet with happy tears. Mary’s, mine, both mingled together. I grab my phone again, but instead of typing out a message, I aim the camera at us and press record. I don’t care that we are in bed, I don’t care that our faces are tear-streaked, I don’t care that we look a little less than feral right now. This is our family.

“Hey everyone, Maria has some exciting news to share with you,” I say grinning at my own image, and I feel her chuckle next to me. “Amor?”

“I just got a phone call from my agent,” she says, her voice still thick with emotion. “Child of Snow has achieved seventh place on the New York Times Bestseller list.”

“That’s right,” I sigh proudly as I press a kiss against her hair. “Mi amor is the best writer in the world because this… this is only the beginning.”

Chapter 47

Epilogue

“Catherine?”

Daniel’s voice comes up from behind me, and I turn around with a warm smile. His tuxedo wraps around his body so perfectly that he almost looks like a model. He runs his hand through his hair before reaching out to me. Ever since he came out as gay, his whole demeanor has changed, and things have just clicked into place for me. He has always advocated for me, even in the moments when I might not have deserved it.

He wasn’t just entertaining me when he said he wanted to hear my ideas. He was seriously invested. So, when one of his European connections told him they were going to set up a new trauma center in Barcelona, he instantly mentioned my name. The alignment for the project was almost too perfect. Besides the fact that I have an impressive résumé and speak Spanish, my wishes and views almost completely match those of the hospital. A match made in heaven, as he called it.

And that proved to be true.

After a few trips back and forth to the hospital, we came to an agreement, and with Mary’s blessing, I signed the contract. She was so happy for me and is still excited for me to live out my dream as well, since she can write from anywhere. Funny how those things work out.

I grab Daniel’s hand and shake it firmly, the smile plastered on my face. There is not a single thing today that can remove it.

“You look amazing, Daniel.”

“You are not looking half bad yourself, Durand,” he says with a wink, and I can’t help but smirk at that.

“Thank you for making this happen.”

“It was the least I could do,” he says while his lips tug up in a crooked smile. “You are going to be missed around here, Cat, but I know you will do amazing things in Barcelona. People will remember your name.”

I let out a soft chuckle.

“Yes, as the wife of the famous Mary Durand.”

He chuckles too and raises his eyebrow.

“About that… are you ready?”

“I have been ready since the moment she walked through those sliding doors.”

“Yes, I bet.” His voice softens. “Come on, then, your family is waiting.”

I let him guide me away from the ledge and around the bulkhead to the other side of the roof. The helipad has been transformed into an ocean of flowers, with a small vine-covered arch in its center. Daniel had to call in major favors to pull this off, but for some reason, he was more than happy to do so. And this time, I decided to trust him. The payoff couldn’t have been better.

The rows of seats are filled with people. The hospital staff including Wilder, who made sure to hug me when she received the invite, the girls from the bookstore, the sixers, my family, and a few of Mary’s friends from back home. The people who matter in our lives.

My hands shake when I walk toward my father, who is waiting down the aisle, and I have to swallow when I see that mamá is already in tears. My heart thrums against my chest, but we are finally here. Is this really happening?