Nikki is walking around topping off everyone’s drink for a toast and Antonio has turned the music back on, but my eyes stay locked on Evan’s.
Last year, taking this ring off my mother’s finger, marked the saddest day of my life. One year later, Evan slipping the same ring onto my finger, marks it as the happiest day of my life.
A true celebration of life indeed, Mami.
“You know what this means, right?” Evan whispers under his breath.
“Umm, that we’re getting married?” I respond comically.
He licks his lips and leans into my ear so only I can hear his words. “You’re about to become Mrs. AmeliaFuckingCooper.”
My forehead falls to his chest. “Ughh is this one of those ‘live long enough until you become the villain’ bits?” I moan. He pinches my good side. “No, but seriously. How. How did you—I don’t even know what to ask you first!” I laugh while I bury myself into his chest.
His smile stretches across his face. “Your mother is the person who taught me how to cook. I remember our times together in the kitchen during the holidays. But when your father started playing one of those clips during his birthday, I vaguely remembered your mother saying something about me and marriage. That’s why I requested all of the tapes from your father. I knew then exactly how I was going to propose to you.” He grins.
“What?! But that was before the cabin! That was when you were walking around this damn apartment with my stupid thong in your pocket!” I slap his chest while laughing hysterically.
He scratches the back of his neck. “Yeah, that part doesn’t seem very romantic now, does it.” He chuckles as he pulls me closer. “But there was never a doubt that it would be me and you. We were always destined to belong together, Amelia. I may have been your first crush, but you were always my forever.”
Epilogue
Evan
Ten Months Later
“One,two, three, push! Almost there baby!”
“Evan, I don't think I can do this!”
“Well that’s what happens when you drink wine and shop online. We end up with a five hundred pound chest that you refused to pay delivery fees for,” I complain. “C’mon, one more push and we can leave it by the window.”
“The delivery was the same price as the chest, that’s just outrageous Evan! Okay whatever, just leave it there and I’ll have it returned. I refuse to push anymore, I need a break after that workout.”
I finish setting up the chest by the window and laugh to myself. I’m pretty sure Amelia didn’t push the chest one bit, but I’m perfectly happy with being roped into any of my wife’s wild shenanigans.
Yes, wife.
Amelia and I got married over the summer at the cabin. We tried to keep it as small and intimate as possible, but with her family from the Dominican Republic alone, we were only able to cut the guest list down to one hundred.
I was floored when I saw Amelia’s wedding dress. She looked like an angel. My angel. To know that she picked out that dress with her mother, made the moment even more special. I was also taken aback when Amelia revealed that this dress was a variation of the one she wore at last year's holiday party, and that just solidified what I already knew. Amelia and I were always destined to be together.
Which is why the decision to step down as CEO of PassportMed was a no brainer.
Right before the summer, I was officially inducted into the billionaire’s club, since we acquired a new deal in Tokyo. I had more money that I could burn through and I would give it all back and then some to spend every waking moment with Amelia.
So before work ramped up to eighteen hour days, long business trips and high stress meetings, I promoted my CFO and remained as a silent partner and board member. I still own majority shares, and any big decisions need to be approved by the board, but I no longer deal with the day to day logistics.
My departure made a big splash in the tech world, but I never created my software for my ego, I did it for my mom. And now that I have a wife, and hopefully a crew of cute curly haired kids soon, I wasn’t going to allow myself to fall into the trap of trying to juggle it all. I wanted to be present. I wanted to be a good husband and father. And the fact that we were financially blessed beyond measure made it an easy decision.
But that doesn’t mean I stopped working all together.
I created a non-profit calledLC’s Project.
It’s an all-in-one drop in center for kids who have a parent incarcerated. We provide counseling services, as well and homework prep. We also keep kids from missing out on their childhood because of the prison system. So if a child wants to participate in a sport, but can’t afford gear, uniforms or fees, we have it all covered.
If single parents need free child care while they work or interview for jobs, we’ve also got their back.
We also teach classes to teenagers, for things that their parents would usually teach them if they weren’t locked up, like how to tie their ties, how to do simple home repairs, and how to cook for themselves. I even teach that last course a few times a month.
