Chapter 258 - Epilogue (one)

Three years later. 

Persephone was wiping the dust from the photo album that she had found in the almirah today. 

"What's that, mommy?" Eleanor asked her mom in the cutest voice, pointing at the big and beautiful picture book. 

"That's mommy and dada's wedding album," Persephone told her big girl. Eleanor would be four in a few months. She was the most gorgeous little girl anyone had ever seen. Her bright blue eyes and wild red curls were her most beautiful features. And if she smiled with those dimples, she was lethal. Especially on her dad's heart. 

"Mommy, can I see this? Please. Pretty please," Eleanora said. If her facial features resembled her dad more then her antics were more of Persephone. She had learned the art of puppy eyes from her mom.

As if anyone could ever resist the puppy eyes of both mom and daughter. 

Persephone sighed with a smile and started showing Eleanora the pictures that the girl had seen hundreds of times before. 

"Mommy is so pretty," Eleanora sighed like her daddy at her mom's beauty. No, she didn't sigh like her dad. She learned it from her dad. Whenever her mommy would be looking pretty, her dad would sigh deeply while clutching his heart. And she learned it from her dad. 

However, it couldn't be denied that Persephone wasn't looking heavenly in her blush wedding dress. She and Santiago had a beach wedding. It wasn't a very intimate affair like the previous one.

"Thank you, Norie," Persephone smiled at her daughter. "Mommy, I want the same dress." 

"That's a wedding dress," Persephone said. "Little girls don't wear wedding dresses. Only brides can wear them. And you are too young to be a bride."

"Mommy, Eleanora wants to be a bride," Eleanora stubbornly said. 

"No wedding. And no brides," Persephone said, making her stance clear. 

"I will ask Dada," Eleanora said, climbing down the bed. She ran out of the door to ask Santiago. 

Why did kids think that their dad will give them permission for whatever they wanted? 

Persephone didn't mind Eleanora's sudden urge to become a bride and focus on their beautiful wedding pictures. She and Santiago looked so in love here. It wasn't just pictures, but even in real life, they were so in love. He fulfilled every promise he made to her. He loved and cherished her even more than she had ever anticipated. And she would be damned if she said that she didn't love that man equally. 

Their life wasn't wine and roses but it wasn't difficult either with each other. They faced bigger hurdles in these four years but they stood by each other's sides and refused to leave each other, no matter how dire the situation. 

She didn't know what happily ever after people talk about. Every day was a challenge but if you have someone who you love and someone who loves you by your side, these challenges become bearable. 

She loved Santiago with every fibre of her being. She knew he wasn't a good man but she also knew that he was the best husband, an amazing father and a family man. What's more that she could ask for? She didn't want to be stuck in the dilemma of right or wrong even when she knew her heart would always belong to him. She made sacrifices for him and he made sacrifices for her. 

Once Santiago said she was his redemption and she believed it. And why wouldn't she when he was her freedom and peace? 

They found what they were looking for all around the world in each other. Life was good. Life was so good with him. 

Persephone turned her head when she heard the footsteps of her daughter. She was walking to him. "What did your dada say?"

"He said if I want to be a bride I need to be fifty years old first," Eleanora said. "When will I be fifty years old, mommy?" 

"On your 50th birthday," Persephone replied and Eleanora let out an 'oh'. 

Eleanora so easily believed Santigo without any tantrums that Persephone wasn't even a bit baffled. This was something she had been seeing ever since his girl was born. If Santiago said that the Sun rises from the west, Eleanora would refuse to believe otherwise. In this universe, anyone can be wrong but her father. 

"Oh, I will wait until then," Eleanora said after a while. "But you must buy me a beautiful dress." 

"Sure, I will, "Persephone nodded her head. 

"Since I can't be a beautiful bride like my mommy, can we have ice cream?" Eleanora asked so cutely and smoothly that Persephone was left in awe of her daughter's talent. 

"Just one bite, "Persephone ended up saying. She understood what Santiago felt when she used to throw tantrums and refused to eat what Santiago said. 

"Mom, can we go to Uncle Callum's house after lunch?" Eleanora said, batting her eyelashes. "I heard from my sources that he bought me a special dollhouse for my birthday." 

"It's Sunday. It's rude to disturb someone's weekend," Persephone tried to make her daughter see that. 

"I'm sure Uncle Callum won't mind. Didn't he say I am his favourite girl?" Eleanora sassed. 

"Eleanora Vitello, if you disturbed your uncle Callum's rest, I will ask your big bro San to not come to our house to take you to his football match, "Persephone said. Junior and Eleanora were inseparable despite them having a huge age gap. 

"No! No! You can't! Big bro San, I and Emy are going to see his football game," Eleanora said, waving her hand frantically. "Please. Please. I won't go to Uncle Callum's house." 

"Good girl, "Persephone said, tucking her daughter's curls behind her ear. "Now go and get ready. You don't want to be late." 

"Yup! I must look awesome," Eleanora said, running out of her room. 

Persephone looked at the photo album and smiled at it before placing it back in the almirah, where it belonged. One day, she would open it again to show her children their wedding day.