Tesoro

50 | Epilogue

Laura's Pov

It's hard to succumbe circumstances that chocke you slowly, succumbe unmeasurable pain and hurt, that have forever changed you as a person.

Well I guess, I was quite different from the person I'd been just over a year ago.

I laid awake in bed thinking about that sometimes. The good, the bad, all of it.

I was young and naive. I guess you always see yourself that way once you've learned more, but what I'd learned.. was the difference between a toxic relationship with healthy circumstances, verses toxic circumstances in a healthy relationship.

I'd grown so much, professionally, in life.. in love.

I was on the way to becoming a mother. The thought of it thrilled me with nervous butterflies.

Just like the ones I got when I stared at him, which I'd gotten to do a lot more lately.

We'd found a temporary manager for the branch we're managing as Ross healed, and I stayed at his bedside.

I probably could handle going back to work at the same time, as Stormie and Mer were still living with us but with my pregnancy symptoms hitting me a bit too hard lately as well, Ross didn't want me to risk it.

We got to spend a lot more time together.. and.. it was safer. We didn't know the state or the consequences Ross' win had caused, but for now.. healing was the first priority.

To be honest, he seemed quite detached from that world now.

Harry learned what happened, and he'd come to visit us as well. He did however get a separate place for a few days instead of staying with us, and my mom was on the way from Italy.. today.

Ross' treat, of course.

I was very excited to see her, and so so nervous.. because today, well it was apparently important.

After less than a month of healing Ross was on his feet again. His wounds were cleaner. The abdomen pain had gotten lesser, and he could move around normally. It made me happy to see his strong body make such an incredible recovery.

That being said, he was keeping yet another secret.

He wouldn't tell anyone where he was taking us today. It was a family event of sorts as we were all going, and cocktail attire was a rule, not an option.

Of course, he got ready relatively fast, so he helped Mer dress the kids, before laying on the couch to watch TV while the rest of us also got ready.

At least that's what Mer told me, before telling me to chop chop because we only had an hour left.

Of course, I listened. Finding the dress wasn't as hard as you would think as I'd went out shopping with Stormie and Mer a while ago- we all needed new dresses for this.

They were living off the clothes they packed and I... well to be honest I was certain Ross would kill me if I didn't buy something new.

Half of my closet was still at the apartment complex I shared with my friends, anyway...which Ross had invited as well. We'd all meet them there.

I was excited. To be honest, I missed them a whole lot. I went from living with them 24/7 to just seeing Camille at work and the rest of them here and there when they decided to visit, or we did.

Either way, I already had my black tights on, so I slipped on the dark night velvet dress as well, along with the white, off the shoulder fox fur shawl that clipped in the front. I paired it with matching short velvet gloves, diamond dangle earrings and a pair of classic black heels.