Epilogue

Isabela

**Five years later**


Sam grabs a pack of instant noodles as I pass by a pasta aisle with a shopping cart. There’s no point in trying to wrestle it from his chubby little hands; he’ll throw a fit if I do. My son is a sweet baby most of the time, but with Nate and me as parents, you can imagine the personality he’s inherited. He can be stubborn at times and very independent as well. He turned two the day before yesterday, and, goodness, I’m already six months pregnant with another child. When I got married, I said in my vows that I wanted many kids with Nate, and my husband loved the idea and is working hard to make those plans a reality. If it were up to him, I wouldn’t spend much time without a baby on board. After this little one in my belly, I’ll be closing the factory!
I remember my wedding day four years ago. It was a small, simple ceremony on Manguinhos Beach in Búzios, with a priest and my friends from Ravina, along with Nate’s sister and mother. It was magical to marry in white, as I had dreamed of doing since we got back together. I wore a long lace dress with a side slit that let the fabric flow with the gentle breezes. I’ll never forget that day when I said yes to the love of my life, and we officially became one. He was all emotional, smiling and crying at the same time, dressed in beige dress pants and a white button-up shirt, which lit up my love’s perfect face even more. It felt like we were turning a page and writing a new chapter in our story.
I push the cart down the aisles, picking up things to prepare lunch for the weekend when my friends come over. Aelin kicks hard at my belly. Another little diva, as she loves to use my belly as a punching bag. I chose my children’s names inspired by my favorite fantasy book series. I still wonder why I decided to get pregnant at the same time as Ana and two of our other friends. Our husbands say we form a group of scheming, whiny pregnant ladies against them, which is pretty funny. Sometimes we conspire to get back at them, coming up with demands in the middle of the night so they suffer a little, and we video call to laugh while the guys rush off to fulfill our wishes.
I know, we’re a little mischievous sometimes. However, who’s going to judge a bunch of swollen pregnant ladies with insatiable husbands who won’t give us a break even when we’re huge and feeling terrible? I think they’re the ones plotting with their hard-on husbands, craving their pregnant wives...
An elderly lady bumps into me while I’m reaching for a jar of nuts and gently grabs my forearm. I look at her hand on my skin and give her a warm smile. Her short, brushed brown hair frames a small, wrinkled face that lights up with a sweet expression.
“Sorry, dear!” she says, concerned. “Wow, what a beautiful belly!” she praises, touching my stomach.
“Oh, there’s a little feisty baby in there!” I tell her, feeling the little one squirming around again.
“How many months along are you?”
“Six!”
After chatting with the lady about the quality of the potatoes and listening to her complaints about the ridiculous price of tomatoes, I see my husband appearing behind me, grabbing me in a suggestive way, as he loves to do all the time.
See? I told you... The conspiracy of the husbands with their hard-ons who can’t resist a pregnant booty!
He left the Revolta early to come shopping with me. But I suspect it’s because he gets excited by rubbing against my rear end whenever I walk.
“Having another chat with the old ladies at the market? You’re such a chatterbox, wifey.”
“I’m not a chatterbox, husband. But therapy and motherhood have made me more sociable, what can I say?” I tease, turning to face my love, my big belly separating us a bit. “Admit it, you came just to get your hands on me!”
Nate grabs a strand of my blonde hair and leans down to sniff it. He loves my hair even more now that it’s all natural, in the shade that made him fall in love with me.
“You look more beautiful when you’re pregnant, My Sun. I think I’ll make five more babies with you!” he praises, his voice low and sultry in my ear as I deliberately rub against him while reaching for another pack of nuts, stretching to grab something from a higher shelf to increase the friction. “You’re really turning me on... I just won’t take you right here in the car because Sam is with us.”
Our son rolls his bright blue eyes at his dad, smiling and showing off his pearly whites, sitting in his denim overalls in the cart. His blonde hair shines, making him look like a little angel. I love this boy so much that I’d give him everything inside me if he needed it. I’d move heaven and earth for his well-being. Motherhood has made me a stronger woman than I ever dreamed I could be.
I love being a mom and chose to dedicate myself to building a family, fulfilling the greatest urgency of my soul, leaving music as a hobby. I sell compositions to a famous Brazilian singer. But that’s the extent of it. My main focus is to be the best mom in the world, and I’ve never been as happy as I am today.
I live in a beautiful house in the same neighborhood as my friends and my husband’s best friends’ wives. Nate has become a different person since our little Sam came along. When I look at him, I see a fortress that makes me feel secure and complete.
He is my world, giving me the strength to face my greatest fear and conquer it. I no longer have any shadows of fear or loss of control when someone touches me. Our mental health is exceptional because we fight for it, for ourselves, for the perfect family we have today.
Miracles happen.
And now I believe in God.
I lost one family, but I have another that’s much better than I ever dared to dream.
Those rebellious teenagers still live within us, as they were the foundation of who we are today: adults who fought to be healthy, loving, and the best parents we can be.
This is our paradise. Our zone of peace.

END!