EPILOGUE

"Mum's going to flip when she finds out that her two daughters are getting a divorce." Lili mocks as she drags her luggage behind her sister.

"Tell me about it, the nonexistent demons behind our failed marriages will have their ears full." Ivy drops her bag on the doorstep before she rings the doorbell.

"Here goes nothing," Ivy mutters under her breath.   

In a few seconds, the door opens and their mum's figure appears near the door frame. "What's going on?" Mrs. Mendes can't hide the surprise on her face. Her surprise is not that are daughters in front of her door at 3 am in the morning but the fact that the two are together. Ivy and Lili shouldn't around each other, Mrs. Mendes learned that right from their time in her womb till they left for college.  

"We took an early flight out," Ivy mutters before she hugs her mum. She really needed the hug, Mrs. Mendes hugs her back weirdly.

"I should get in on that," Lili says as she drops her bag on the doorsteps and goes in for a hug.

"Okay, this is not weird at all." Mrs. Mendes mutters with her deep Spanish accent.

~~~

"Wow, this place hasn't changed a bit," Lili looks at the house in awe. She hasn't been here in a long time.

"Where is she?" Ivy asks her mom who's helping them drag their luggage in.

"Asleep, thankfully. That little girl of yours got more energy than both of you combined when you were her age."

"I know," Ivy let's out a little laugh as she drops her bag on the couch.

She soon notices her environment, "Whoa, what have we got here?" Ivy directs her mum's attention to the new expensive things that she knows she didn't buy for Kitty before she left. "Mum, you got Kitty a hoverboard..."

"Don't look me, I thought you sent them along with the bicycle, the iPhone and the other things." Mrs. Mendes shakes her head in disapproval. "You spoiling that little girl, Mija."

"It's not me, I didn't get these stuff."

"Lili?" Ivy turns to her sister with one eyebrow.

"Don't look at me, I didn't even know you call my niece Kitty, poor girl." Lili rolls her eyes as she resumes looking at family pictures that are placed on the wall.


"When was this delivered?" Ivy asks already having an idea who it might be from.

"It was delivered a day after her injury, maybe it's Cole."

"No, we both decide when getting her expensive things," Ivy mutters, already feeling sad about how things are going to change. Easy communication and understanding between her and Cole, everything.

Well, that leaves only one guess. Wilder.

"Speaking about your husband, where's he?" Mrs. Mendes asks.

"How about we talk about it tomorrow mum, I am jet legged." Ivy makes up a quick excuse.

"Yeah mum, we need some sleep." Lili comes to her rescue.

~~~

"I am sorry," Mrs. Mendes chocks out, feeling the weight of her daughter's revelation.

The minute they woke up in the morning Mrs. Mendes made them spill it all out.

"Why would you be, it's not your fault we have poor taste in men," Lili mutters cleaning the tears from the corner of her mum's wrinkled cheeks.

"Yeah, mum," Ivy mutters shifting close to her mum on the couch before putting her head on her shoulder.

"I just don't want you guys to end up like your dad and I, especially you Ivy, you have a kid."

"I know, mum," Ivy mutters. "It's going to be different, Cole might have lied about this sexuality but it doesn't change the fact that he's a good man. He will never abandon Kitty as Dad did to us."

"True, that man is too sensitive," Lili says.

"Mum!"

The women let go of each other when they heard that tiny voice. Just seeing her little girl, the brightest smile comes from nowhere.

"Mum!" Kitty yells jumping in her mum's lap in a swift second.

"O my God, you are so big. Grandma really took care of you." Ivys says, planting kisses on Kitty cute little face with each word.

"Eww Mum, I just showered," Kitty says trying to break free from Ivy's assaults.

She finally breaks free and lands on her feet before looking around. "Mum, where's dad?" Kitty asks.

That's the question lvy dreaded, she didn't want to have to lie to her little girl but she has to.

"Working, your dad got an emergency work business to handle." Ivy lies trying to ignore the guilt.

"Oh, I really wanted to show you two all my drawings." Kitty pouts. "He's coming back soon right?"

"Before you know it, sweetie," Ivy mutters. "But in the main time why don't you show mommy your drawings."

"Okay!"

~~~~

Ivy walks up to the table where she had placed her phone earlier, in a hurry to pick up her ringing phone.  She pauses for a second when she sees who's calling.

It's Wilder.

She won't lie that she is surprised with the call since they didn't end in the best of terms but she's mostly excited to hear his voice.

She feels like she's chocking with all the sudden weight on her shoulders, and Wilder is like her breath of fresh air.

"Hello," She picks up the call before it stops ringing.

"H-hey," She hears his deep voice and like magic, she feels the weight lifted.

"How are you?"

"I don't know, I really don't," Ivy says honestly as she walks towards the couch and takes her seat.

"Well lucky for you, I have been told my charm makes everything better."

She can totally imagine the smile for the corner of his lips which makes him 10x hotter. Her imagination makes her smile.

"Wow, I thought I shredded your ego, guess it's still there." Ivy jokes.

"Yeah, you did. But the fact that I am 100 percent sure you are smiling now, is a huge confidence boost."

Ivy bits her lips to prevent further smiles, "You are one cocky bastard, aren't you?"

"What can I say? It's natural."

Ivy let's out a laugh. Her eyes catch the iPhone which she seized from Kitty, "Would you mind telling me how so many gadgets were sent to mum's house?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Oh please, you can't buy her an iPhone 11, she's just 7."

"That's why your daughter will identify me as the cool one,"

"What makes you think my daughter will identify you at all?" Ivy teases.

"Because now, I am a hundred percent sure you will end up with me."

Ivy is a hundred percent grateful that he's not here physically, so he can't see her blushing hard. "Shut up," That's all she can manage to say.

~~~

"Where are you going?" Lili yells as Ivy who's headed towards the door.

Now Ivy remembers why she can't stand her sister, three days with her has been hell. The only reason she is still putting up with her is because of the yacht and the millions of dollars she will be getting from her divorce to Jason.

Materialistic? Well, Ivy has no time to feel bad. She deserves to be paid for putting up with her twin sister's whining for three days.

"To answer the door."

"You know it's just Cole again."

Cole has been coming around a few days now and Ivy has made him stand outside for hours until he leaves.

"I know, but I think it's time I talk to him." Ivy grabs her phone from the couch.

"You should have let the silence treatment last a month." Lili shakes her head in disapproval.

It would have lasted a month if it were up to her but Kitty has been asking for her dad. Besides, Ivy is coming around to something sort of forgiveness.

"Hey," Ivy says immediately she opens the door to a Cole who looks like he is in a midlife crisis. In three days he manages to have grown a mustache and Ivy can't fail to notice the fading bruises on his face.

"Hey," He says in surprise. He deserves the silent treatment, to be honest, he didn't expect her to talk to him so soon. Hence the reason, he's speechless.

Ivy stands there really uncomfortable with the silence which is another foreign feeling she never used to have with Cole. She'll add that to the list.

"So I saw your text, you visited your parents?" Ivy tries to make a conversation as she closes the door behind her and directs Cole to the chair outside the house. They both take their seat.

"Y-yeah, I came out to them," Cole says, playing with his hands in nervousness.

He mentally cusses himself, he should have just ended the conversation with "Yeah," now, he reminded her that he likes men.

"Casey must be someone special for you to have stood up to your parents for him." Ivy tries not to sound spiteful. Keyword: tries.

He never stood up to his parents for her throughout the years of their marriage. Maybe she because she always did the standing up for him.

Cole attempts to say something but Ivy interrupts him. "Oh, how did it go?"

Another thing that's foreign is her husband liking men.

"To cut long story short, I think my mum is your biggest fan currently." He says, not wanting to get to the details. He doesn't want to trigger her, all he wants his for them to be good.

"Whoa," Ivy dramatically puts her hand on her chest. They both let out a chuckle.

"You look good," Cole says honestly.

"I know, Lili has me following her skincare routine every day and it works magic but please don't tell her."

"I won't be able to, I am pretty sure she blocked my number after she messaged me to "eat shit", so I think she'll be avoiding me in real life too."

"Yeah, she currently hates your ass." Ivy jokes. "You don't look so good. What's up with the bruises?"

Ivy can't help her self, old habits die hard. She always felt the need to protect him.

"Wilder but for the first time, I can say "you should have seen the other guy." Cole jokes.

Ivy goes from being worried about Cole's bruises to think about Wilder. She misses him.

"He's fine, I think," Cole says immediately, noticing the change in mood. "He's still an asshole, soo..." Cole trails off.

"Yeah, I am sure he's fine." Ivy nods.

Soon they go back to the uncomfortable silence, it's Cole's time to break the silence.

"It was never not real," He starts off, "What we had, it was never not real." He says truthfully.

It has been hanging over his shoulders for days. It kills him to think that she ever thought he never loved her. He considered himself lucky because never in his life did he think that a girl like Ivy would ever go for him.

"I hope so," Ivy mutters.

She doesn't know what to believe but she hopes one day, she will be able to say that what they had was real.

"I loved you, Ivy, I still love you and I'll never stop loving you." Cole takes Ivy's hand into his. "I am so sorry, I hurt you. I hate myself for that. You deserve so much better and I wish I handled the situation better." Tears welling up in Cole's eyes.

"I wish you did too,"

Ivy can't cry, she has been doing it for days now. There are no tears left.

"How's she?" Cole asks as Ivy slowly slips her hand away from his.

"Why don't you check for yourself? She has been asking for her dad." Ivy gives a small smile.

While Cole's face breaks out in a big one, "Thank you so much."


~~~

8 MONTHS LATER

"No Kitty, put that down!" Ivy yells from the kitchen as she cleans the washed dishes.


"Anything that's yours, is mine, right?" Kitty argues trying to show her mum that the Gucci bag fits her outfit.

"Nice argument!" Ivy says dropping the last plate on the shelves before turning to her fully dressed daughter. "Lemme thinks about it," Ivy puts her hand on her chin feigning thought.

"Still, no!"

Kitty drops the bag on the kitchen counter in annoyance.

"Hey, come and put it where you got it from!" Ivy orders.

Kitty picks up the bag and then proceeds to the front of Ivy and begins to do her puppy dog eyes.

"You know that doesn't work on me," Ivy says in a bored tone. "But fine, take it."

"Thanks, mum!" Kitty jumps as she rushes out of the kitchen.

"Not a single scratch."

"Dad's here!" Kitty yells from the sitting room.

"Easy there, tiger," Cole says to Kitty who races outside the house to get into the car.

"Hey," Ivy walks into the sitting room where Cole's standing.

It's Cole's turn to take custody of Kitty. They have this complex co-parenting schedule courtesy Ivy.

"You look stressed," Cole jokes.

"Just wait for it, you and Casey are going to be like me by the end of the weekend," Ivy says as she drops on the couch.

"Is that it?" Cara gestures to the file he's holding on his hands.

"Yeah," Cole says lowly as he hands it over to her.

Their divorce is finalized. It's been a bumpy and stressful road but it's done.

"Cool," Ivy says awkwardly as she drops the document on the couch beside her.

"So what's this single lady doing tonight?" Cole teases trying to lighten up the mood.

"I don't know, I was thinking of making popcorn and binge-watching the current season of Peaky Blinders and spoiling it for all of you tomorrow."

"Nice and devious plan but why not go to a basketball game that's holding tonight."

"And why would I do that?" Ivy feigns confusion.

"Wilder is playing and Casey and I have front row seats but we have to stay in with Kitty, so..."

Ivy shakes her head, "I don't think he will want me there."

"Oh please, if there anyone he really wants here, it will be you." Casey urges.

"I doubt, I have been ignoring his messages," Ivy says in regret.

With the divorce and trying to get Kitty to adjust with Cole liking men, Ivy hasn't been putting herself first. She doesn't want to have to put too much on her daughter by bringing in another man.

So she has been avoiding Wilder because she doesn't think it's fair to have him wait for her until everything is settled in her life when he wasn't her first pick when it came down to it.

She wishes she chose him, but at that time it was the right thing to do.

Ivy snaps out of her thoughts once she hears a loud car horn.

"That's my cue to leave, our daughter might just decide to drive herself." Cole heads towards the door. "I will go get the ticket from the car. I really think you should go."

~~~

Ivy stayed throughout the game and cheered when necessary. Ivy and Wilder locked eyes a couple of times while he was playing and a wink was sent towards her direction every time.

Now she's waiting outside to give Wilder space to celebrate with his teammates and fans since they won the game.

As time passes as she waits, Ivy brings to doubt herself. Maybe it wasn't her he was winking at, maybe it's that hot woman behind her. What if she's just waiting for nothing and he has gone ahead with the woman.

Or worse, what if he's over here and he doesn't want to see her? She can't blame him though, she is the one that ghosted him for months.

"Ugghh, this is stupid," Ivy mutters to herself as she hugs her coat.

Ivy takes out her car keeps from her jacket and begins to head towards her car.

"Leaving so soon," Wilder says out of breath.

He ran to catch up to her, the minute he was allowed to leave the court.

Ivy turns to the familiar voice with her heart beating fast. Before she came, she had prepared what to say but now that she sees the sweaty handsome man, she's speechless.

"Well, not anymore," Ivy says as she moves closer.

"You look good," Wilder comments, still catching his breath. 

"What can I say, post-divorce glow," Ivy says, putting it out there that's she single with a little flirty hair flip. 


Wilder is quick to catch on, the smile on his face is evidence.

"Nice game,"

"Thanks, I had motivation," Wilder says with a  small smirk playing on his lips.

"Oh really," Ivy flirts back.

"I think she might be my good luck charm."

"Then I think you should definitely keep her around."

"Oh, I want to if she will let me."

"Maybe she will if you ask her on a proper date." Ivy bits her lips.

"Way ahead of you," Wilder says before talking her heads into his.

"Go out with me and have the time of your life." Wilder winks.

"Still cocky," Ivy says trying not to blush.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes."