EPILOGUE
ZAC
ONE YEAR LATER
It’s been just over a year since I first met the woman I love.
One whole year since I first met her strung up like a piece of meat and felt something for that girl that I had never felt for anyone else. Every day since then I have fallen more and more in love with her. It’s been a tough twelve months, but we’ve made it through, she’s made it through. We’ve both received counselling, I didn’t think I needed any but my chief made it a requirement for me to go back to work. Six months of talking to a girl about what I saw and how I was feeling. I never felt like such a girl in my whole life, but Hope liked that we could go together. She still goes now, she’s stronger to go by herself and Jacob reassures me that she is more like herself than ever before. A month or so after I went back to her she started talking to her mother. She had been through the same type of thing from what Jacob told me and I think talking to someone who loved her, knew what she was going through, helped her more that she cared to admit.
I’m so proud of her, she’s done so well and come so far and now she goes to work in her father’s company and works alongside him and her two brothers. She doesn’t want to go back to college, says that she doesn’t need to show her worth to anyone but herself anymore. She’s already done that by coming through all that she has and my love has only grown witnessing her strength, her loyalty and beauty.
I love her so damn much and I know it’s time to show her how much she really means to me, how much I mean the words I say to her as much as I can. I want to spend the rest of my life saying those words to her. I take a deep breath as I step out of the elevator and onto the floor where I know Joshua’s office is, the man who although hated me in the beginning now treats me as one of his own, just like he did when I was a boy. I didn’t know it at the time but Joshua went to speak to my chief and found out everything and when he saw how his daughter needed me he accepted me. It’s been another long journey but worth it if I can get what I want. I see his P.A sitting at her desk, she knows I’m coming and as she looks up at me as she tells me to go through. I take in another deep breath, I’ve never felt so nervous not even when I worked for Marco. I knock on the door and wait for him to answer. When he does I walk through and see Joshua sat behind his desk.
“What can I do for you, Zac?” He asks looking at me like he knows exactly what I want. Oh God, I just want to get this over with, no one said doing the right thing was so hard.
“I..I, ah, came to talk to you about something.”
“Is everything ok? Is Hope ok?” I can see no concern in his face so I know he knows it’s nothing as serious as that but, God, he looks so serious, like he could chop my balls off if I say the wrong thing. I know this man, this is stupid just come out and say it you idiot I say to myself as my heart hammers against my ribcage. Is it hot in here or just me, my blood feels like it’s boiling.
“Hope’s fine, I just... I wanted to ask you something.”
“And what’s that?” He says as he folds his arms on top of his desk.
“I..um.. I’d...” I wipe away the sweat that pools on top of my brow. Oh, God, this is hard, I think I’m going to be sick. I take a breath and try to man up. I’m an agent with the FBI for Christ’s sake, I can do this.
“I would like to marry your daughter.”
“Excuse me?” Oh, shit, I’ve done it wrong. Fuck.
“What I mean is, that I’d like your permission to marry your daughter. Please.” I feel like a child but all of a sudden Joshua cracks up right in front of me and I don’t know what to make of it.
Do I have a hope?
Have I blown it?
“Oh God I thought you’d never ask!” He says around his laughter.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Isla and I. We’ve seen the way she is with you. How you are with her. We’ve been expecting this for some time.”
Oh. What do I say to that? He stands up and walks towards me, holding out his hand for me. This could be it.
“She’s happy with you so we’re happy.” He shakes my hand and then pats my shoulder. I don’t know what’s going on.
“Does that mean..?” I question.
“You have mine and her mother’s blessing. Marry and be happy, just like Isla and I have.” I release a breath and smile. I can ask Hope to marry me, I can make her my wife. If she’ll accept.
HOPE
He’s asked me to marry him.
After everything I’ve been through he still wants me.
He accepts me for who I am.
He loves me and I love him and together we will be happy together forever.
THE END