Epilogue

Ginger Fox

Eight months later
Los Angeles


" God, I missed you so much! — I smile warmly at Baby as I open the door to my apartment, hugging her in the hallway.
I feel her arms, which I've missed for so long, wrapping around me with affection. Baby pulls away, smoothing my face and playing with the ends of my short haircut.
"I don’t know why, but I’ve always found platinum blondes sexy." — I step away from the well-behaved blonde in a floral dress with a bow at the waist, leading her with me as I mess with my short hair.
"There’s a certain charm in platinum blondes." — I smile playfully, tossing the small straight strands from side to side.
When my hair started growing, I made sure to straighten it and changed the black color to platinum. I love this new version. Every day, I learn more about myself, and that I like my hair short, straight, and with platinum highlights.
"I still can’t believe you’re here, Baby!" — Baby turns her face, looking at the closed door of the other apartment, facing mine, as the sound of Kiss begins to play inside.
"Oh, come on! Get away from the door." — I pull her by the hand, diverting my attention from the new neighbor. — "Don’t mind the noise. Apparently, my neighbor likes old rock."
My mind is so used to hearing "Forever" by Kiss that I catch myself humming it alone during the day, since the people in the apartment across play it so often.
"Have you seen your neighbors?" — I look at the brown door, shaking my head. Actually, I’ve never seen any of the residents of that apartment.
The neighborhood change happened the day after mine, but I’ve never seen who lives there. I smile, seeing her look at the door with a frown. I pinch her arm, making her laugh.
"You talked so much about your aunt, and now you’re like her, Baby." — She turns to me, stopping her gaze at the neighbor's door and giving me a laugh, shaking her head in disagreement.
"Goodness! God forbid I end up like that mummy!" — I pull her into another hug, leading her inside my apartment and closing the door with my foot.
"I still can’t believe you came to see me." — I squeeze her fingers affectionately, pulling her closer, but fall silent when a new striking detail catches my attention on her right ring finger.
I take a step back, looking at the shine of the ring, then at her face. Her lips no longer wear the bold red lipstick but a soft light pink.
"Is that on your finger what I think it is?" — Baby’s cheeks turn apple-red in pure embarrassment. — "Did the keychain ask you to marry him?"
"Oh my God, Gim! He’s not that short." — She gives a light tap on my shoulder, her eyes shining.
"Of course not, because when lying down, everyone is the same height." — Baby rolls her eyes, pulling a kitchen chair for herself. I walk to the fridge, take out the bottle of wine, then grab two glasses from the cabinet and set them on the table.
I like the way she is. Baby no longer has the sad, vacant eyes she had the last time we saw each other at the hospital, nor the melancholic voice from our phone conversations. Finally, my sweet Baby had found what she was looking for, and she deserves nothing less. The bearded and taciturn man who used to be a keychain next to the fatal blonde took care of Baby every moment during her stage of pain, guilt, self-hate, and acceptance of everything that happened. And I don’t know why I wasn’t surprised when she called me, making me run out of the room where I work, screaming like a madwoman, along with her on the other end of the line, because they had finally ignited the spark between them. Dexter looks at her as she deserves, treating her with affection and respect, accepting Baby just as she is: perfect in my eyes.
We don’t talk about the past, even though my heart pounds just at the mention of Roy’s name. Lira’s judgment came out four months after her arrest; she received the maximum sentence. Lira was killed in a fight during the inmates' daylight hours, and somehow, I know it wasn’t an ordinary fight. Despite her hatred for Lorane, Baby gave her a decent funeral, attended only by her and Dexter, while I was hospitalized recovering from the gunshot. Jon is in a penal sanatorium in Australia and will spend his life there, constantly monitored by psychiatrists. Somehow, the proceedings regarding his future were interrupted, and Jon’s grave will forever be inside that cement structure, surrounded by immense walls, electric gates, and maximum security, in a special room just for him, filled with books. Deep inside, I know the answer to all the cleanup of the case. Jonathan had smothered everything, tied up the loose ends, buried the gossip and speculations about the company; not a single note appeared in the newspapers. Mouths were silenced, eyes were blinded, minds forgotten. Bob’s mother wanted answers and got them with a bag full of high-denomination bills, compensating for the loss of her cherished son and her bitch sister. Baby told me in one of her calls that the woman had gone to Europe to mourn her son among jewels and fur coats. And Mr. Roy remains on the rise among the Sodoma council, as firm as ever.

"I can’t believe she did that!" — My laughter fills the apartment as I look at the angry blonde.
"She did, Gim. That old woman is the karma of my life!" — I can’t help but laugh more with Baby, who tells me that Aunt Charlote almost set the house they’re living in Venice on fire.
Baby and Dexter decided to move there a few months ago, bringing Madame Roy along. The blonde finally embraced her talent for creating beautiful custom clothing. Many of her designs are for unique uses, made from latex and leather, but they’re still thriving. I laugh at her audacity in saying that most of her exclusive pieces go straight to Moscow. Baby dragged the poor detective along on one of her delivery trips, giving Dexter his first experience in Sodoma, and it was the most wonderful moment when she shared that Dexter chose to leave, taking her out to dinner.