Mr. & Mrs Meropide

Chapter Fifty-Eight: The End

Clorinde's face lit up as she read the letter from Maria asking to hang out. She had been worried when Maria declined her earlier invitation, but this letter brought relief and excitement. She hurried to reply, agreeing on a date and time.

Two days later, Maria arrived at Clorinde's place, her bright smile and sparkling eyes immediately catching Clorinde's attention.

"I have so much to tell you," Maria announced, skipping any form of greeting as she stepped inside.

"You look well," Clorinde said warmly, taking Maria's coat and hanging it up. "I love your new hair."

Maria hurriedly kicked off her shoes, grinning. "Thank you! I like it shorter more. You'll never guess who cut it."

"Now you need to tell me," Clorinde said, matching Maria's energy as they moved to the living room and sat down.

"Vire," Maria said with a small laugh. "I had no idea he knew how to cut and style hair."

"You're talking again?" Clorinde asked cautiously, her tone careful but curious.

"Yeah—more than talking," Maria admitted, a warm smile spreading across her face. "Listen, him and me... we had a real heart-to-heart."

"And now you're dating again?" Clorinde asked, still trying to piece it all together.

"I'm sorry, I should be honest," Maria said, her expression softening. "It all started in my parents' house. He didn't get away—I let him get away."

Clorinde smiled knowingly. "Wriothesley guessed as much."

Maria let out a small laugh. "Of course he did. Anyway, we talked. He collected all the evidence for me and looked into the cellar so I wouldn't have to. That's when I started understanding him better. I saw his point. I'm not made for the criminal life, and honestly, I was overestimating myself in a few things. His communication was still lousy, but his actions—they were honest. They showed his true intentions."

"I'm with you so far. Keep going," Clorinde said, nodding and leaning forward slightly.

"The next time I saw him was in the courtroom," Maria continued. "He was really sweet to me there, even after everything. Even though I was so angry with him before, and let's be honest, I could have communicated with less anger and been calmer." She sighed. "You know, he was there when it really counted. But that's not all."

Maria sighed, leaning back slightly. "I was so out of it when I got home, and can you believe what this man did for me? He cleaned my house, took care of me, and on top of it, handled all the paperwork connected to everything. I was in such a deep fog—I couldn't grab a clear thought, just acting on habit. I neglected everything, mostly myself and my health. But he stayed through it all, helping me and taking care of me."

Clorinde listened intently as Maria continued, her voice soft but filled with emotion. "As I started getting better, we talked—a lot. We had so much to share with each other. We talked about us, about him and me. And..." Maria trailed off, a radiant smile spreading across her face as she extended her hand, revealing the ring on her finger.

Clorinde's eyes widened, and slowly, a bright smile spread across her face. "I'm so happy for you, Maria," she said warmly, taking her friend's hand to examine the ring. The gem sparkled brilliantly, but it was the intricate engraving along the band that truly caught Clorinde's eye. "It's beautiful."

"Do you think you and Wriothesley will also get married?" Maria asked, her curiosity shining through as she leaned forward slightly.

"We have time, I don't see the rush," Clorinde smiled. "You need to tell me more about the proposal. Was it romantic? Did you see it coming?"