AGAINST THE TIDE Book #2

Epilogue

There are many things in my life I planned to do that didn't pan out exactly as I wanted. Being raised by a father who only wanted order and perfection was a great influence to me. In moments where I lost, where I didn't hot the heights I wanted to, I beat myself up over it.

It has taken experience to learn that no matter how much planning goes into something, sometimes things will work out the way they are supposed to.

These days, I take it a beat at a time. These days, my life has slowed down to a pace that I have always wanted. My pace. Slow and uneventful. I like it here in Corfù. This is home now and so far, so good.

I don't get to wake up to a concrete jungle or the Mafia. I wake up to the blue of the sea that my wife describes as being as dark as my eyes yet so beautiful. I agree with her. The view is worth it.

The company is even more worth it. She intrigues me. Her curious blue eyes are always the highlight of my day. She can't go a moment without asking me a random question. Most of them don't even make sense but my years of fatherhood have taught me patience.

"Why don't I have brown eyes like mommy?" She asked me.

"Uh... it's because you like me more than mommy and you wanted to look like me!" I picked her up to tickle her. She fits so well in my arms.

"No! I don't look like you!"

"You're breaking my heart!" I sang.

"Marcelle! Stop holding her upside down!" Vittoria exclaimed.

"Hold me upside down." My son offered but his mother grabbed him.

He climbed on my lap as well. My two children. It turns out I am destined to father twins. I wonder who won that bet. For the first time, a girl and boy. A perfect circle to where it started, with Marcella and I. We both have a fraternal set of twins.

Marianna Giana Balotelli and her twin brother Franco Giovanni Balotelli are my source of entertainment these days. There's never a dull moment with them. When Vee found out she was pregnant she was a mess of nerves. She couldn't be contained. I loved watching her journey through the pregnancy until the day these eto came into the world.

They are good natured kids. Kind in every way as well as happy pills. Franco doesn't look like me. That is a first. He has brown eyes like his mother. His face is more of Vittoria than it is me. Marianna only has my eyes thought sometimes, she looks like her mother, she has her own face.

"Mommy you are just in time for tea!" She announced.

"But the cups are empty!" Franco complained.

"But they are not! Only those with great imagination can see the tea." I tickled him.

We sat on the small chairs that make zero sense. She gave all of us hats. Mine is made of straw and it's it Hy but I don't complain. We act like Marianna's guests even if it's my house.

"If you get stuck in that chair,I'm not pulling you out." Vee informed me and we burst out laughing. I always get stuck in the chair.

"When will the tea parties stop?" I whispered.

"When she's out of imaginary tea." Vee whispered.

The five year old are frowning at us. It's time to stop talking about them and have imaginary tea.

This is what my life is now.

Simple.

A/n: And that dear readers concludes this book.

Thank you for reading.

Lots of love...

If you are reading His Majesty and the General's Daughter, updates are resuming tomorrow. See you there.