I nod. “I feel good.” It’s the honest truth. I haven’t felt better, ever.
The women turn back to us and I see Sabine’s smile widen. Once at my side, she glances at my brother. “Thank you for this.” She gestures around.
The party had been his idea. He wanted her to feel at home for her visit here. He felt a celebration was in order.
He nods. “You’re very welcome.”
She sips her drink. “I might have to have you talk to my manager to do this again,” she says playfully.
“You do that,” he says, pulling her into a quick hug.
Past her, I see Judy’s expression and know she’s thinking about J.D.
And I grin. Yep, everything is working out in our favor. Funny how everything seems to fall into place.
Epilogue
Sabine
The salty ocean air kicks up and ruffles through my hair. Maman squeezes my hand and I glance at her. She’s almost a different woman. She’s put on some pounds. Her eyes are clear, as is her mind.
Under our feet, the warm sands shift, and we walk carefully.
Everything has changed. Well, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But it feels like everything has changed.
Maman halts, and I stop beside her. She tilts her head back, lifting her face toward the sky as the wind brings the salty scent of the ocean over us in waves.
“I haven’t been to the ocean since I moved to France from Senegal as a child,” Maman says.
My throat chokes up. Hearing her voice, so strong and steady, hits me hard. She’s such so different than the broken woman she was just weeks ago. And the fact that she’s opening up to me and allowing me close to her changes our entire relationship.
We were never close.
We’re making up for that now.
“Is it as beautiful as you remember?” I ask.
With her eyes still closed, she inhales, filling her lungs with the breeze. She nods, and I sense it’s not just the visual beauty she’s soaking in, but the sun, the scents, the roar of the waves, and the sense of sharing this moment with someone important.
Overhead, a flock of seabirds streak across the sky and she opens her eyes. Her gaze slides to me and I see tears brimming in her eyes. “I’m so proud of you,” she whispers.
I can’t stop the smile that tugs the corners of my lips. Tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear, I search for some response.
But she’s not done talking. She takes both my hands, turning me to face her. Her eyes study my face like she’s memorizing every detail.
“You’re strong.” Her eyes soften, and a smile curves her lips. “Beautiful, and a fire burns brightly within you.”
“It’s your fire, Maman,” I say softly. “You lit it.”
But tears trickle down her cheeks. “I failed you. I failed to provide for you.”
I touch her chin. “Maman, steel is forged in fire. We wouldn’t be strong if we didn’t experience the heat from hell.”
I see the words click in her mind. See her little nod of agreement. And I continue speaking, the truth falling from my lips.
“You always loved me. I knew that. You didn’t love yourself, but you always loved me.” My voice lowers to a whisper. “I forgive you, Maman. Now let this burden go. You don’t have to carry it anymore. I’m happy. I’m living a good life.” It’s the truth.
And she knows it. She’s living it with me more and more as I slowly coax her back into my life full time. And as I lift her out of the horror she’s been dealing with, she’s grateful, graceful, and I see her blooming once more. It’s an incredible feeling to know I can care for her. There’s nothing I want more than her happiness.
I even forgive Bassirou. He wasn’t in control of himself. He was a slave to a drug that consumed him. I can only hope the rehab he’s in is helping him. I want the best for him.
“You’re the best daughter a mother could hope for,” my mother says, her fingertips tracing my jaw.
The past is done. I’m done letting it have power over me. I hold the power over my life, not my memories, not my experiences, not my tragedies. Just me.
Maman glances over my shoulder and I turn.
Hayden is trekking across the sand, towels over one arm and a picnic basket in the other. I give Maman a quick kiss on the cheek and turn to rush the man I love.
He’s quick to set things down and throw open his arms.
I leap into his embrace and wrap my legs around him. He chuckles as his lips reach mine.
“I brought lunch,” he says.
I want to tell him he’s all I need, but my stomach grumbles in protest. “That sounds great,” I whisper, kissing him again.
Pressing my tongue to the seam of his lips, I beg for more. This man has become a partner to me. Someone to be by my side. Someone I can love without question. Someone who loves me regardless of my mistakes.
He allows me to be me. We travel together to shows, on tour, and he’s my champion when I need him to be, my friend when that’s what I need, and my confidant with whom I can share anything.
“I take it you missed me?” he murmurs against my lips.
“What makes you think that?” I ask, planting another quick kiss on his lips. He lowers me and my bare feet touch the warm sand once more.
“Just a hunch,” he says with a grin.
Of course, I missed him while he went back to San Francisco. Maman missed him, too. The two get along better than I ever imagined they would.
Side by side, we walk back toward Maman and he tells me about how boring the trip was, how glad he is to be back, and that SXz might be going public soon.
He stops in front of Maman and sets down the basket and towels once more. She pulls him in, kissing his cheek as he kisses hers.
They talk and I stare up into the sheltering sky, then gaze at the sea, feeling so lucky. Life is exactly what I want it to be. I wouldn’t change it for the world. Well, maybe there’s one thing I would change, but Hayden is just going to have to wait until tonight to find out what I learned a day ago.
But I’m not worried. He’s going to be an amazing dad.
“What’s with the smile?” he asks, gently nudging me.
I shrug. “Just happy,” I say, meaning it with my whole heart.
About the Author
Marcella Swann is an Amazon #1 bestselling author of heart-thumping and heart-melting contemporary romance. She's plied her trade in the newspaper business, written and produced a way off Broadway play, and is the proud mama of a singer-songwriter. When she's not trying to save newspapers from imminent doom (by subscribing to them all), she loves to take her readers on dreamy journeys to that place where all the men are hotties and the women are beautiful and strong. She also swings a mean kettle bell at the gym and likes people watching at Grand Central Station on a busy day. For more information visit www.marcellaswann.com. Marcella loves to hear from her readers! You can follow her @MarcellaSwannRomance on Facebook and @Marcella_Swann on Twitter or contact her at [email protected].
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Hardwired: A Billionaire and Virgin Romance (Tech Titans Book 2) Page 11
