My dad has signed on as a mentor for the kids and parents who are re-entering the world post incarceration. Offering advice and guidance as to how to rejoin the workforce, and catch up to a world that may look completely different than when they were sent away.
It’s been a real bonding experience for my dad and I, and hearing the stories of other parents who were separated from their kids gave me a better appreciation for what my dad went through, no matter how I feel about his past crimes.
I can’t remember the last time I was this passionate about work. I traded in meaningless corporate meetings for afternoons with inner city kids who were excited about making pasta.
Venturing into the nonprofit world gave me renewed purpose. A way to make tangible changes in others lives, which in return surprisingly managed to heal some of my old childhood wounds. I am now able to give these families a do-over of what my life had been after my father was arrested. I was able to help rewrite the ending to their story, and not allow them to slip through the cracks of the broken incarceration system. And to think that it was all due to a random idea Amelia had that stuck one night when we were babysitting Abby and Vanessa’s kids.
Amelia had always been buried deep into my soul, and the moment she fell in love with me, I began to bloom.
Which is why I find it kismet that once she saw the work I was doing, she decided to quit her corporate job as well. It wasn’t an easy decision by far, especially since Amelia struggles to understand that she herself is now a billionaire as well. But after I had our lawyers draw up an agreement that clearly stated her physical assets (the cabin and our townhouse fully, and half of my other numerous properties) Amelia was able to fully comprehend her net worth, and walked away from her corporate job.
To others that may seem silly, being a billionaire and worrying about walking away from a nine to five, but I understood. Once you’re poor, you work as hard as you can to never put yourself in a precarious situation in which you could be struggling again. And since it’s not like we manage cash from day to day, I could see how the billionaire status seemed as if it was made believe.
Amelia being Amelia, she jumped in full force and created her own non-profit and now we both work from home most days, coming up with ways to better our communities.
Her non-profit is calledAnna’s Angels, and it aims to help the Hispanic community learn financial literacy. She and her team help immigrants and Spanish speakers understand how to create healthy financial habits and how to manage their credit scores. She creates classes that help explain the financial world and how to create generational wealth.
She has attorneys that help her clients understand their rights, regardless of their immigration status, and arm people with knowledge, so that they don’t feel like they have to hide in the shadows, and therefore forcing themselves to make financial decisions that would keep them there indefinitely.
Amelia was tired of feeling like the diversity hire at her old job, so she decided she wanted to help others learn how to climb the corporate ladder, so that there would be more people that look like her at the top, and I couldn’t be prouder of my wife.
* * *
It’s now the day before Thanksgiving, and we’re supposed to be relaxing before our trip up to the cabin with the family and cousin crew tomorrow, but Amelia just can’t seem to sit still today.
To think that it’s been a year since we made a silly deal to trial date, and now we’re happily married and fully immersed in our new careers.
Maybe I need to take her on a vacation. The last time we took a trip was our honeymoon to the Amalfi Coast and the South of France. It was also the second time I feared for Amelia’s life, because we ran into Andy Cohen at Cannes, and I was certain that Amelia would pass out. Luckily, she was able to keep it together and only badger him about Bravo and Housewives over the course of one cocktail.
I try not to think about Julian and how I almost lost her, but every time I see the small scar near her hip bone, I’m reminded of how strong and resilient my wife is. It’s a reminder that life is short, and each day I have with Amelia is a gift I never knew I could be worthy of.
Life is good.
And now, as I watch Amelia mischievously trying to record me on her phone, I know that I will never be happier than at this moment, at home, with my wife.
Mrs. AmeliaFuckingCooper.
Amelia
I finish recording Evan from my stealth location in the kitchen, and quickly send it to Hayden. He promised he could add this short clip to my presentation with a turnaround time of ten minutes, so I’m hoping I can keep my cool until then.
Evan eyes me suspiciously, but being up to no good is my baseline, so he can’t be onto me just yet.
Hard to believe how many changes I’ve been through in the last year. Most recently, I resigned from what I thought would be my dream job.
It’s funny how things work out. I used to believe that moving to Miami would be the solution to my identity crisis, when in reality, the city never mattered. It was up to me to do the work and figure out who I wanted to be in this world.
I realized most of my imposter syndrome stemmed from trying to fit myself into a box for others to understand me. I noticed that I constantly tried to break my personality down to bite size pieces for others to be able to consume.
Also, almost being killed by a psychopathic drug lord does wonders for self-reflection.
That experience with Julian made me recognize that most of my life, I felt out of control. But prior to being kidnapped, I was the one giving away my control for others to dictate. I allowed the fear of what other people may perceive of me to determine my actions, and second guess my instincts.
And now, I’ve never felt more connected to my roots while working with the immigrant and Spanish speaking community. Being able to open multiple centers along with Evan’s non-profit across New York and Boston.
I feel like I’m constantly evolving into newer and better versions of myself. And another version is soon to come thanks to the love I share with Evan.
I take advantage that Evan seems preoccupied on his phone to use the bathroom quickly, and when I walk out, I am surprised to find Evan outside of the door.
