Epilogue

Epilogue
VINCE

“That boy's a piece of shit and you know it!’

“What?! Daddy, you don't get to say that!” Claire was fuming as much as I was.

“What? I don't get to tell you the truth? You're mingling with a piece of shit and it's my job to make sure you realize that and put an end to it!”

“You're always saying that about every guy I hang out with. You always talk down on them and call them nasty names.”

“Because they're all assholes, Lady!” I said in exasperation. “You have such awful taste in picking male friends, it's breaking my heart.”

She gasped, folding her arms dramatically. She'd hit my face if she could. I know that.

“Have I ever complained about your female friends? No. Why? Because they're perfect. You've got good taste in picking female friends. So maybe you should just stick to doing that.”

“You're unbelievable. But no, I'm not gonna do what you want.”

“Oh, Jesus.” This little ass lady is trying my patience on a night as perfect as this.

“Matter of fact, I'm gonna go call him right now and be on the phone with him till the clock strikes midnight!” She huffed and stomped off, leaving deep footprints on the beach.

“Claire!” She didn't stop. She didn't turn around. She just kept walking. Such guts!

Elena's laughter from behind got me turning around. She's returning from getting whatever from our hotel room. She settled on her lounger.

We're on vacation. A holiday vacation. I thought it'd be nice for us. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I'm gonna be fighting with Claire here too.

I pulled her off the chair gently and placed her firmly on my thigh. Her eight-month belly was big enough for me to rest my head on. Also, I needed to feel my child kicking. My more obedient child.

She played with my hair. “Why did you two fight again?”

“I don't know what I'm doing wrong. But Claire and I are just not clicking.”

She laughed. What's funny about that?

“That's because you won't let her keep her male friends.”

“For good fucking reasons. Have you taken a good look at her? She's gorgeous. Way too gorgeous and developed for a thirteen-year-old. She's strikingly beautiful, and it's giving me mad anxiety. I wanna hide her from my gender so bad, you got no idea.”

“Well, it doesn't work that way. The more you try to control her, the more she's gonna rebel. You just gotta let her have her free will. She'll come around.”

“Her freewill involves being on the phone with a guy since we got here? That doesn't sound like a good kinda freewill.”

“She's his classmate. And it's not just him she's been on the phone with. She's been talking to her girls too.”

Elena cupped my face, making me look at her. “Our daughter's a good girl. You just gotta trust her a bit more.”

“Of course I trust her. It's these guys I don't trust.” If I'm being honest, I'm just fucking scared of karma. Richard was one hell of a saint for letting me be with Elena.

God knows I'm gonna kill any guy who goes close to my daughter. Especially if they have such an age gap. The fuck!

Elena's phone began buzzing and she reached for it. She laughed as she took the call. It's a video call.

“Hi, Auntie Elena!” Bryan's excited voice was the first thing we heard. And then Cheryl's laughter followed. Leo was chuckling in the background too. Sophia was giggling too. She's their little princess.

“Hi, baby.” Elena waved at him. “Hey, Cheryl. Hi, Uncle Leo. Hi, Father.”

“Father?” I pulled the phone closer to look at the screen. She's right. They're together. He's spending Christmas with Leo and his family. I'm not jealous. I'm not jealous at all.

“Hey, Vince. What's up?” Leo asked. “You've grown old, the fuck!”

They all burst out in laughter. Elena included. I pinched her ass, muttering a ‘shut up,’ to her. She gasped, hitting my shoulder in retaliation.

“It's just beards, you idiot.” I backfired. “Hey, Richard. How you doing?”

“Good. Where's my granddaughter?”

Ugh. Don't fucking remind me.

“She…went for a walk,” Elena replied smoothly. “She'll be back soon.”

I doubt that. It's five minutes to the New Year. She seemed pretty angry when she stomped off. I doubt five minutes would be enough to return here all calm. She might just really stay on call with that guy.

“When's my little nephew coming?” Cheryl asked.

Elena giggled, touching her stomach. “Soon...really soon.”

“Hey, Richard," I began. "know it's long overdue but I just wanted to say that you're a fucking saint and you should be immortalized.”

He laughed. “Where's that coming from?”

“From a girl Dad to another girl Dad.”

They all laughed. Leo was laughing the hardest. “I don't wanna imagine what's going on between you and Claire.” He quipped.

“I'm on the verge of going crazy. She's got male friends. She’s barely thirteen. Is that even legal?”

They were laughing too hard, it was making me feel worse.

But the conversation was cut short as the countdown began.

“10…”

“9…”

“Another year with you, baby.” I kissed Elena. She smiled, cupping my face. “I love you so much. God, I love you.”

“I love you more, my man.”

Yes. Fucking yes. I'm her man. Her only man.

“6…”

“5…”

“She's not coming, is she?” I was sad now, knowing Claire might not be coming.

“Daddy!” She was squealing, running to us. She jumped right into my arms, hugging Elena just at the same time.

My heart swelled with joy as I kissed her cheek. “Feared you wouldn't be coming.”

“I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world.”

“2…”

“1. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!” Leo, Cheryl, Bryan, Sophia, and Richard were screaming through the phone.

I wasn't screaming with them. I was holding my girls so tight, saying a heartfelt prayer to the heavens.

For peace. For my family. For this life. I'm always gonna be grateful.

“Happy New Year, my gorgeous ladies.”

“Happy New Year, Daddy.”

“Happy New Year, my love.”

THANK YOU, GOOD HEAVENS!