The Rich Life

epilogue

Adam and I watched the two kids both with strikingly jet-black hair play together in the garden. Spring had just arrived, everything was soft and green with new growth. They were beautiful children, a unique blend of both of us. My full lips with Adam's eyes. His nose and my dark lashes. Tony did get his wish. 

We named our daughter Nadia Antonia Dervishi. She wasn't elegant, but she was strong and undeniably lovely. She had adopted little traits of us, and unfortunately Tony's humor. They were the shining beacon of light at the center of our lives, the same way Adam was for me and Tony. She strolled down the path, up to us, as if whatever land she was on belonged to her.

I smiled to myself as I remembered the postscript of what Tony put at the end of his letter: I'm sorry about how things ended between us. All three of us. I wish it had turned out differently. that we stayed together. 

I wanted that more than in the world. But the joyful present I was living in has worn away the sharp edges of the past pain and in its place was something cold and hard, filled with the much-adored dust of summertime memories from a decade ago. We had chosen hard paths. I smiled, kissing my fingers and laying them against Nadia's forehead. I had to dig into the depths of Hell to find my heart's desire: the beating pulse of how happy I am, that sometimes that the world had given me more than what I had asked for. 

The past few years alone with Adam, in a vast country estate where we stayed, secluded, was utter bliss. I realised that when you peel away the facade of wealth and sophistication, you find extremely provincial, narrow-minded people who think they're bloody geniuses because they have a bit of money. We wanted our children away from all of that. We've had a peaceful life. I wouldn't change any of it for the world. 

"Look what we made Zahra,"

I looked at Adam, the new smile lines etched on his face were a shock to me. After seeing a passive look on his face, then seeing a radiant smile after many years was like rain in the desert. 

"Look what we made," I echoed back, finally content.