Becoming Amanté

Epilogue

14 Years Later

As I laid comfortably under the covers in our bed, I was awakened by Giovanni's kisses on my neck. I groaned and stirred in my sleep but I was determined to squeeze another minute or two of rest. 

"We're going to be late." He mumbled into my ear

I released a heavy sigh before slowly opening my eyes. This was going to be a long day and going to bed at four in the morning was not the best idea. 

"Okay." I sighed

He abruptly removed the covers from my body, exposing me to the cold air. I slowly got out of bed and made my way to the bathroom. He was behind me in an instant with a smile on his face. I rolled my eyes as I reached my toothbrush and toothpaste. He hugged me from behind as he did the same.

"You were so happy for this trip, what happened?" he asked

"I'm tired."

"Already? The trip hasn't even started."

"Well I stayed up making sure everything and everyone was packed up."

"And it will all be worth it a couple of hours."

After I washed my face, I felt a little better, but could still use a cup of coffee. I never was much of a coffee drinker before but between being a mom and a businesswoman, it became a necessity. 

I left the bathroom and dressed in some yoga pants and a t-shirt so that I would be comfortable. Giovanni watched me closely and I remained as focused as possible. When he reached out to grab me, I quickly moved away. 

"Come here." he demanded

"We're going to be late." I mocked

He chuckled as I quickly made my way out of our bedroom and down the stairs. It was clear that everyone else was already up and excited to get moving. The kids were on their phones and tablets, while the adults were eating breakfast. 

"Good morning." I announced my presence to the entire living room

Everyone looked up and greeted me back as I made my way to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Carla came over to me with a few empty plates.

"We thought you were going to sleep through the morning." she joked

"I would've if Giovanni hadn't woken me up."

"We appreciate you staying up as late as you did." she said

"Yeah, if it wasn't for you, we probably would have forgotten a lot of stuff." Nichelle piped in

Langston came up behind her and kissed her on the back of her neck, which made her giggle. Nichelle and Langston met on a cruise full of horny and single twentysomethings. Langston was too drunk to function and Nichelle took care of him the first night. They spent the entire trip getting to know one another and it turned out that Nichelle was a nurse from Pittsburgh. Ten years later, though still unmarried (not for long), they had two sons, Treasure and Anthony.  

"And thank you for letting us sleep here." Valeria said in her thick accent

Valeria is the unlikely wife of Giorgio. While he was in South America escaping the American Federal government, he wandered into Colombia, where he met Valeria Jiménez. Crowned Miss Colombia the year prior to their meeting, Valeria was no stranger to wealthy men asking her out. For reasons unknown to anyone, she allowed Giorgio to charm her. They eloped in Colombia and I was the first to know of the marriage and charged with keeping it a secret. Carla nearly fainted upon hearing the news and Giovanni was hurt to say the least. Thirteen years later, still no wedding, but one handsome son, Nicólas Santiago, who was thankfully conceived after the announcement of their marriage.