Confidant & Playlist

25. A Visit

Author's Note

Hello my  Hoolis, 

Boy has it been a crazy ride with this one. I know by the sort of comments you all leave that you were just as upset about the situations that took place as I am. Believe me it was a struggle delivering this story as realistically as I could despite the urge to make everything end well. Thank you all so much for taking this journey with Bruno, Lacey and I, I hope you enjoyed it! 

Now without further delay, here is the final chapter of Confidant...

____________________________________________________________________________________One year later...

The priest and I make eye contact but before he can manage to get out more than two words, Ara carefully cuts him off. She turns to Marina who is standing with the bridal party just down the short flight of step less then a foot from the two of us. Marina hands her two small boxes and Ara motions for Angel and Brooklynn to come up on the platform. They slowly make their way over to us and she squats down in front of them. 

"You both know this isn't just about your dad and I right?" She ask glancing at both children.

Angel nods and offers a small smile. "Its about us too." 

"Right." She shifts down onto her knees and looks over at Bia who grins at her showing off her dimpled cheeks. 

"I know I asked you before but I would like to ask you both again, will you Angel and you, Brooklynn give me the honor of becoming apart of your family?" She offers her hand to the children and without much hesitation they both rest their hands in hers. Bia giggles and Angel smiles real big. 

"Yeah, you can,"Angel replies. 

"Yes!" Brooklynn chimes in. 

"Just like your dad and I will have rings when we are married, I want you two to have something too." From one of the two boxes she holds, she removes a gold crucifix chain from the box and clasps it around Angel's neck. Next from the other box she removes a rose gold necklace with a small hibiscus flower as the pendant. She drapes the chain around Bia's neck, clasps it at the back of her neck and carefully pulls her curls out from underneath it. Ara gives them a kiss on the forehead each and slowly rises to her feet. He eyes meet mine and I can't help but grin at her. 

"Thank you," whisper barely moving my lips. She nods to be slightly with a smile on her face and in the gloss of her sea green eyes. With a quick glance at the priest, the ceremony continues and quickly reaches its end. The reception plays out much as you would assume it would with tons of dancing, food, words of encouragement and congratulation from loved ones and of course a surprise or two.

Before the reception is over, I ask Tahiti to take my kids for the next couple of days, I kiss them goodbye and Ara and I sneak out of our celebration to my car. We swap out our wedding attire for a Hawaiian shirt, shorts a sundress and sandals for a short drive through town. As we near the outskirts of town, I pull over and Ara looks at me; a wave of confusion washes over her face. 

"Why are we stopping?"

I get out of the car, grab a few things from the trunk and let her out on the passenger side. I offer her my hand and she takes it. 

"Come on," I say just over the calming nocturnal sounds of the sea, the wind and the coquis. She smiles and laces her fingers between mine. With flashlight in my opposite hand, I guide her down a path I tread many a time as a kid. After we pass all the markings I made along the bath we arrive at a small clearing hidden by the dense forest of tropical trees and plants. I spread a picnic blanket in the center of the area, light a small lantern, and lay out a small meal of fresh bread and wine.