The Sister Between Them

Epilogue

December 2012

"Not again."

Rocco stood in the narrow hallway with the wood-paneled walls and the hallway that was too long. He knew he was dreaming, had had this dream many times, but still walked forward, pausing at Gavin's door to find him sleeping, Kiki in his arms. Then the empty guest room with the pink teddy bear taunted him; instead of ignoring it and heading to that room at the end of the hall like he usually did. He walked into the bedroom and started towards the bear, and as he reached for it, a loud slamming noise caught his attention.

Rocco jumped from his chair as he awoke to the loud slamming sound. It was coming from the shutters outside. The wind outside was intensifying as the night went on. Rocco sat up, rubbing his neck. He glanced over to see Dani had fallen asleep on the couch with her book in her lap. She rarely did that; typically, after he dozed off in his chair, she'd let him sleep until she finished a chapter or two, then she'd wake him up for bed.

He took her book from her to set it on the coffee table, smiling softly as his eyes fell on his nana's ring. Rocco had thought a trip away would do them all some good after Alyssa left, so they visited his nana in Italy. The moment Nana met Dani, she pulled Rocco aside and insisted she have her ring, that she was the one, which was funny, seeing as how it was right after his divorce.

He didn't propose to Dani on that trip, but he did the next time they visited Italy. This past spring, he took her to his family vineyards, opened a bottle of Lovers Brew, and popped the question.

Rocco popped up and headed over to attend to the fireplace; much like his dream, Rocco's mom's medallion hung above the mantle, and next to it hung a necklace that Dani's aunt Jillian used to wear.

The mantle itself was full of photos from their wedding, which they had right on the beach in Sun City. Lexi and Kara were Dani's two bridesmaids, as she couldn't choose a maid of honor between them. Rocco had Dante and Dani's brother Kevin, who was doing great these days, stand with him. Gavin was a proud ring-bearer, with Kara's daughter Sophie as the flower girl. The two kids looked adorable walking down the aisle together. They framed so many photos from that day the mantle was bursting with the happiness of it.

Dante stunned Lexi with a wedding proposal of his own later that night. They would be getting married this coming summer.

Rocco added a huge log to the fire it was a cold night and getting colder, they were due a snow storm tomorrow. They had moved out of Sun City after they married to a quaint mountain town called Serene Heights. It was on the other end of the country, but they traveled and saw family often. Rocco started a small branch of the Romano firm in town but also did a lot of work from home, helping out the main office.

He carefully cradled his sleeping wife in his arms and carried her upstairs and into their bedroom. Their bed was topped with a colorful quilt Nana had lovingly sewed for them, and Dani had found a rug that matched it well. The walls were adorned with pictures Dani had taken that Rocco had framed and hung up. He got her a camera for her birthday last year, and she found she loved taking pictures, was great at it too.

He laid her down carefully, and she mumbled something as she started to wake. "Rocco?"

"Right here, sweetheart." he crawled in, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her close. She sighed contently as she relaxed in his arms.

"Did I fall asleep while reading?"

"We both did; the wind woke me up. I'm surprised you slept through it." 

"I had a weird dream," she said as she yawned.

"Was there a pink teddy bear in it?"

"You had that dream again? You haven't had that in a long time." she wiggled around in his arms to face him, and he looked down at her beautiful face, highlighted by the glow of a night light.