AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Aaron and Matilda wandered the streets of Rome, settling themselves along a beautiful path. At the end of the path, in the far distance, was a magnificent fountain, one in which Matilda could only have envisioned in a story.
Life had become her fairy-tale. She had once thought that seeing Aaron by the stables was enough to make her happy, but that was before she shared a life with him. That was magic.
They rarely argued, and when they did, it usually ended with them both laughing. When they weren’t reading books to themselves, they were reading books to one another. She could not have envisioned a more perfect life. And being able to travel to Rome and venture around at her heart’s desire, that was more than she could have asked for.
“Is Rome what you expected, Matilda?” Aaron asked while holding her hand down the path.
“It is better than I could have expected. Everything is bigger, more elegant, and the people are splendid. They are all so friendly.”
“I had thought that too,” Aaron confessed. “You know, I had always envisioned going to Rome by myself. I could clearly see myself doing it throughout the years. And I could have gone. But I think that I had waited without realizing it. Because I wanted someone to share the experience with.”
Aaron’s words made Matilda want to cry and smile all at once. Sometimes his words were like poetry to her ears. “I am more than glad that you wanted to share the experience with me. Picturing you here by yourself is a sad thought. Even picturing living a life before you is somewhat sad.”
Aaron laughed. “And why is that?”
“Because you are a genuine person who deserves all the love he can get. To imagine you going through life by yourself, with no one to share your ideas and dreams with, that’s heartbreaking.”
“Well then, perhaps as we always say, you should focus on this very moment right now.”
“I knew that you would say that.” She laughed, and Aaron pulled her in for a kiss on the forehead. She prided herself on knowing everything about Aaron. Even though he encouraged her not to think about his past or their own future too heavily, reflecting on his life before her always made her feel good about where they were and how they’ve grown. It was a part of learning him. She wanted to master Aaron, but not in the same sense that Addison did. She wanted to master knowing everything about him.
They eventually reached the fountain, and it was even more majestic up close. The way that the water spilt out from the top into the bottomhad made it seem like there were little crystals in the water glistening in the sun. Matilda couldn’t help but get lost in it all for a moment.
“It’s a beautiful fountain,” Aaron said, getting lost in it just as much as she had. “It’s like looking into your personality.”
She felt herself blushing. “Where do you learn all these words to make me feel so good? No man speaks like you.”
“Not any of those suitors?”
Matilda laughed, surprised that he had even brought them up. “None. They didn’t even come close. They all seemed rather ordinary compared to you.”
“Well, that is good to hear. I might actually make them look even worse.”
Matilda watched Aaron pull a piece of folded paper from his bag. He slowly unfolded it, seeming as though he had a little bit of nerves in his movements. What could have been on the paper, she could only guess. Aaron always kept her guessing.
“So, I had written this, “Aaron began, “And I had really wished it had been done by the wedding. But truthfully, I just had so much more to say that it kept getting longer and longer. I wrote you a poem.”
Matilda felt herself getting emotional even before reading it. Then, she let her eyes dance across the crinkled page.
My dearest Matilda,
We have danced the greatest dance and fought the greatest fight.
My love for you grows each day, for you are like a flower in the sun.
I had never known true love before you,
Although I thought I had.
What I know now is that love is a story.
In the beginning, you get to know each other.
In the middle, you get to fight for each other.
