EPILOGUE
Two months have passed since Amanda said there could be nothing between us. I don’t know how I survived that period. It was so painful. I wanted to run after her, take her home, and never let her go. To make her rethink, to make her forget everything she said, just to have her by my side. But I didn’t have the right to do that. It was her choice. And for two months, I have missed her, dreamed about seeing her one more time, touching her palm, kissing her. The kitten doesn’t understand that my life without her is simply impossible.
- Adam, son, are you ready? - Korneyiev approaches and pats me on the shoulder. Today is a very important evening for us, and this man has been supporting me like a father lately. I never thought I would say something like that.
- Yes, I’m ready. - I look at my reflection in the mirror and wonder if I’m truly ready or not. We planned everything very carefully, and nothing should go wrong. But there’s always a “but.” I don’t know how this will all end. And if it’s a failure, I just don’t understand how I will live on.
- Everything will be alright, Adam. Trust me. - It’s strange to hear this from a man who threatened me with death seven years ago. I smile, and we head out.
December 31. New Year’s Eve.
Not only close people have gathered here, but also partners from our companies. Lately, Korney and I have been working on a lot of joint projects, so our companies are collaborating more closely.
- Is she definitely coming? - I look at Korneyiev, who is smiling.
His now-wife approaches him. Yes, they decided to get married a month ago. And to my surprise, Amanda didn’t attend their wedding. She just ran away again. I can hardly believe that Ami just bought a ticket to London and left, abandoning us all.
- She will definitely be here, Adam. - The woman smiles at me and takes her husband’s arm. I am more anxious than ever. It seems to me that this is definitely the last chance to talk to her. But if everything goes well, we can build something beautiful together.
All the guests are communicating and having fun while I constantly scan the entrance with my eyes. There’s still no sign of Amanda. Of course, she might be late, but not this late.
- Adam, stop being so tense; it won’t help. - Korneyiev comes up again and pats me on the shoulder.
- I’m starting to doubt she will even show up. - He smiles again, and I see sympathy in his eyes. And just at that moment, Amanda walks through the door. She looks more stunning than ever today. She wears an incredible red dress that accentuates every curve of her body. Exposing her left thigh and décolletage, her hair is down, and there’s red lipstick on her lips.
Victoria walks beside her. Both women are smiling as they approach us.
- Daughter, you finally arrived. - Korneyiev hugs her, joined by Amanda's mother.
I stand there not knowing what to do. I want to rush to the girl, hug her, pull her close, and take her away from this world, never letting go again. And when her parents finally step away from her, I force myself to say something.
- Hi, Amanda, Happy New Year. The woman smiles, approaches me, and kisses my cheek, whispering in my ear:
- And you, Adam, Happy New Year.
She walks away, continuing to smile, and my whole body is covered in goosebumps. Nothing has changed. My feelings for her haven’t changed, and my love for this woman hasn’t diminished. And my body’s reaction is definitely confirmation of that.
- Amanda, can we talk? - She doesn’t remove the smile from her face; she only nods in agreement. We go out to the balcony together. The woman leans against the railing and looks into my eyes. And I stand there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do or say. I had prepared an entire speech to win her back. To convince her to forget about everything that happened between us. To prove how deeply I love her and that she can trust me. But now, looking into those green eyes, I’m just drowning. Drowning, not knowing how to save myself. But I don’t want to save myself. With this woman, I am ready to sink. With this woman, I am ready to give up my own life.
- Adam... - she says my name, causing my heart to skip a beat. I step towards her and take her hands.
- Amanda, I’ve missed you so much. - The woman lifts her gaze to me, and I see the first tears forming in her eyes.
- I’ve missed you too. - She smiles again and takes a step toward me, pressing her entire body against mine. I hug Amanda, and I don’t want to say anything more. It seems to me that these hugs say much more than any words could. But no, we need to talk; we need to decide what’s next for us. I want no other options besides a life together with Amanda.
- Ami, I have something to tell you. - She steps back and looks at me. I go down on my knee before her again. The third time the Kitten has brought me to my knees before her. And I am ready to do it a million times if only she never leaves me.
- Adam, what are you doing? - The smile fades from her face as she raises her hand to my cheek. I kiss the inside of her palm and lift my gaze to her.
- Amanda, I love you more than anything in this world. I can’t live without you. You captured my heart seven years ago, and then again when you returned to town. You appeared like a storm, sweeping away everything in your path. And I am not ready to live without that storm. My life without you is a complete calm. And as you know, ships fare much worse in complete silence than even in stormy waves. - She looks at me and smiles.
- Amanda Vitvitskaya, will you be my wife? - The smile on Amanda’s face shines bright. I understand her answer without needing words. She raises her hand, and on her ring finger is the same ring. The same ring that a lovestruck Adam gave her seven years ago. The woman hasn’t taken it off to this day.
- Adam, I agree, but on one condition: you have to accept what I’m going to tell you next. - Gasping for breath, still remaining on my knees before the woman, I will accept anything she says as long as she stays with me.
- We can never be together again. - My eyes fill with fear; I don’t understand what she’s saying.
- Adam, I’m pregnant. - One phrase from her, and all my life simply fades away; nothing else exists from that moment on. Amanda is by my side; she’s pregnant with my child. I stand up and lift the woman in my arms, pressing her close and kissing her everywhere I can reach.
- Ami, this is the most wonderful New Year that could ever be.
The woman smiles and kisses me. We forget that guests are waiting for us, that the bells will ring in 15 minutes, and we need to return to the hall. We look at each other, and everything that happened to us just disappears, remaining in the past year. We welcome the New Year on the balcony in each other’s arms, making promises that it will be forever. And Amanda will never run away to London again, and I will never hide even the tiniest secrets from her again.
We return to the hall together, hand in hand. Korneyiev notices us immediately and smiles. He understands everything without words, just like Amanda’s mother, but they don’t know the most important thing.
We approach them, and Korneyiev looks at us with a warm smile.
- Well, newlyweds, can we congratulate you? - Amanda nods in agreement. They hug us, and then Amanda finally dares to say:
- Dad, Mom, I have something to tell you. Soon you will become grandparents. - And I don’t know which brings a bigger smile to Korneyiev’s face. The fact that a grandson or granddaughter will soon appear in his life? Or perhaps the fact that Amanda called him Dad for the first time? I see tears appearing on the face of such a stoic man.
He hugs his daughter, and I realize that from this day on, our long and happy life begins.