With My Heart Wide Open

Epilogue

ONE YEAR LATER

"Who is the prettiest girl in the entire world? Huh? You are, that is who!" Audrey cooed at Ella, Macy's daughter, tickling her under her chin. 

The little girl squealed with laughter, as she tried to catch a handful of Audrey's long blonde hair in her chubby fingers. 

"Put her down, Audrey. She is going to mess up your hair and drool all over your dress. You can't walk down the aisle looking like you just wrestled a bear." Macy scolded, walking over and taking Ella out of Audrey's arms. 

Audrey frowned playfully up at her best friend. 

"But she is so adorable and she loves her Auntie Audrey...besides, I bet Sergio would still marry me if I looked like I wrestled a bear, so I don't think a little baby drool is going to change his mind." Audrey said, giggling and rolling her eyes at Macy.

"You are right about that...you are one lucky girl, that is for sure. Sergio is really amazing, Aud. I am happy that the two of you found each other." Macy said, trying to disguise her own sadness from her voice. 

"Mace...are you okay?" Audrey asked.

"Yes, I am fine...this is your day. So don't you worry about me. You just worry about marrying that man of yours...you look amazing by the way. Ramos is the lucky one, if you ask me" Macy said with a wink. 

Audrey looked at Macy, worry pinching at her heart. She didn't like to see her best friend like this. She had been in this funk for weeks and it didn't look like there was any end in sight. The only time Audrey saw any glimpse of happiness showing on her friends face, was when she looked at Ella. Thinking about it, Audrey knew that, that was the only thing that really mattered. Ella. The little girl was growing quickly and Macy was the most doting mother that Audrey had ever seen. Even though the rest of Macy's life was currently in shambles, she never let it hinder her ability to parent Ella. 

It had been a few months since Macy and Karim had broken up and the effects of the breakup, were taking their tole on her friend. Audrey decided that she would try to get Macy to talk about everything that was going on with her and Karim, but before she could say anything, a knock on the hotel suite door interrupted her train of thought. 

Audrey watched as Macy answered the door and after a few moments turned back towards her, a large bouquet of roses and a medium sized white box, with a pink bow wrapped around it in her arms. 

"I can't even begin to guess who these are from." Macy said sarcastically with a small laugh. 

Audrey took them from her, pressing her nose to the soft petals as she inhaled. Their sweet scent brought back memories of the roof top fireworks that Sergio had surprised her with, not too long after she had moved to Madrid. She smiled inwardly as she thought about everything that had happened between them. They had been through hell and back, but the happier times had far outweighed the bad. She wouldn't change anything about the path they had been down thus far. Sergio had helped her to become the person she had always wanted to be and she didn't know what she would do or where she would be if she had never met him. 

Taking the card from the middle of the flowers, she opened it, excited to see what it said. She was a little nervous to get married today, but knew that the words Sergio had written inside, would bring her nerves back to normal. 

My Dearest Audrey,

I had hoped that this day would come from the moment I met you. I didn't know it then, but the pull I felt on my heart to be close to you, was it's way of telling me that night, that you, my love, were the one that I was meant to spend my life with. I have become a different person since you came into my life. I have become the man I always wanted to be. I have also become the corniest, most love drunk fool that I know. You will understand when you open my gift to you.