Cartel│Mark Lee

Epilogue

Two Years Later

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When I first met him, he wanted the world within the palm of his hands. I always thought it was selfish and arrogant for one to want the world to themselves. I even secretly envied him when he held it too. But I suppose as the weeks had gone by in the presence of one another and we began to share our first laughs, I saw a glimpse of hope in him. A glimpse of hope that maybe one day he and I could share the world within the palm of our hands together and everything it once held could be silenced, and for that silent moment, it would just be me and him. That hope looked dim at one point when the universe seemed to never quiet down. But now, looking at Mark directly down the aisle, the world did fall quiet and it was all within the grasp of both of our hands. 

The hot summer air of Italy was pleasurable. Traveling the world for the past two years had become our way of coping through life. We coped until we came to the realization that the small streets of Florence Italy felt like home to us. My lips curved up into a smile as I continued to step down the aisle. It felt strange that everything was all over. That running away from all of our troubles was so far out of reach we couldn't even feel the repercussions. It also felt pleasingly whimsical that I was about to end a chapter of my life and start a new one. With each step I took, my long white dress trailed behind me and my eyes were drawn upwards to meet Marks. He lightly smiled with warmth in his brown eyes. Taeyong held my arm tightly as he walked me down the aisle. He squeezed my flesh gently almost as if he was reassuring me everything was going to be okay.

"You have had happiness touch every single person that has passed by you," Taeyong said. "I hope you can carry that ability with you for eternity." He continued as we reached Mark. He let go of my arm and kissed my cheek. Mark and I stood face to face together in silence. Our unspoken connection was about to be bonded for eternity and yet all I could do was beam at the man in front of me. Mark lifted the veil from my face slowly. Our eyes held each other's as the whole world seemed to disappear. "I do," Mark spoke confidently. He looked at me with his big eyes gleaming in rapture. He grabbed my hand gently as he placed the silver band around my ring finger. I saw Mark's pain, I saw his trauma, and I also saw his insecurities. So whenever I questioned my love for him I was always reminded that Mark was Mark and I was Vanessa. I saw the real Mark Lee and for that, he was proved to be irreplaceable. 

Because even in the depths of my darkest days in the Cartel, I still laughed at his childish mannerisms and way of life. I still couldn't help but beam at the look of his eyes looking back into mine. And despite all of the times I gloomed through the hallways of our old house debating over whether the time he said to me "I love you" meant anything to him at all, I still appreciated Mark. I appreciated every moment I had with him, the good and the bad. Because without it, I don't think I would have been able to take this breath. Because without him, I don't think there would be a point in breathing at all. 

"I do,"