The Illuminant

Epilogue

I pick up my denim jacket and slide my arms gently into it.

Howard just left with Lily for a walk so that explains the quietness.

Should I leave my hair up or down? Maybe down would be better. I wonder how Brian likes it.

As I pull off the thin rubber band from my hair and it falls down in waves to my upper back, I walk up to one of the mirrors hanging on the walls.
Here at Brian's house, dispersed sparsely on the walls of the sitting room are mirrors set in skillfully crafted gold frames.

I nod at my reflection as they're still very much intact because I made sure to curl them before coming here.

I walk back to sit down on the plush sofa, the velvet cushion digging softly into my side and pull on my white pair of sneakers.

"You ready yet?" Brian emerges from the big double doors leading into the sitting room from the inner part of the mansion.

"Yeah." I grunt and get up, turning in his direction.
He's also dressed in a denim jacket with a white polo Tee shirt on top of a cute pair of navy blue jeans.

"You look cute." I giggle and his eyebrows furrow together looking confused.

"Cute you mean?" He cocks an eyebrow questioningly at me.

"Cute I mean hilarious." I burst into laughter and immediately take off running towards the front door in the bid to escape before he catches me.
The furniture and glass tables are in my way therefore slowing me down as I have to avoid them.
But, I'm quite a runner so, I don't for once think he's going to catch up with me before I'm outside.

"Gotcha!!"

Before my ears can fully process those dreadful words, I feel a pair of strong arms grab a hold of my waist from behind and I'm suddenly swept up in a swift motion off the ground.
I squeal in surprise as he twirls me around and my hair whips my face.
Now, it comes back to me, you see I didn't quite remember one very important detail; Brian is an athlete and no matter how much I think I can run, he can do it way better.
I remember him telling me (one of those times while random texting on the phone) that he played basketball in school and still does occasionally although work tends to take most of his time.
He also swims too, hence the large swimming pool at the back of the house.

He gently lets me down. We're both laughing and by now my hair is all over my face.
Before I can push it away though, he beats me to it and brushes it back, tucking a few locks behind my ear such that I can now see him smirking at me.
His hair is in it's usual disheveled mess and his green eyes twinkle roguishly.
I bite my lip willing my heart to stop beating so fast.

"You need to see yourself, totaly smitten by my charm." He speaks up and straightens, an impish smile playing on his lips.

"You're so full of yourself." I punch his shoulder but he dodges it making me stumble forward and land on his chest.

"Really?" He smiles mischievously and ruffles my hair.

"Whatever. And you wouldn't have caught me, I was taking it easy on you." I and cross my hands over my chest and try hard to scowl, my cheeks totally not cooperating.
And it's all because Brian is holding my gaze in the sweetest way ever.

"Yeah right." He smiles and bends down to plants a soft kiss on my forehead before heading past me for the front doors.
"Come on, we need to leave as early as we can so we'll meet the tourists on time." He calls over his shoulder and I turn to go after him.
Brian and I are taking the gospel to the tourists at the statue of liberty and a few other places today since it's Saturday and we're both free.
I hear his Mercedes purr softly from outside and so I grab my bag from the sofa and dash out smiling to myself.

If someone were to tell me my life would be like this a few years ago, I'd have thought they were crazy.
In three months, my life has changed from horrible to extraordinary.
Here I am, born again and winning souls too.
I'm the director of one of the biggest upcoming hospitals in New York and I'm engaged to the sweetest, most romantic and God loving guy I've ever met.

Most people who knew me three months ago or over would have felt that I had a good life with everything going perfect for me but unfortunately, my life was far from perfect.
I had nightmares almost every night; most of which my mom wasn't aware of because I always kept them secret.
(I never liked to let my guard down not even in front of people I was close to.)
It always made me feel weak and vulnerable - so I'd get up every morning and start the day like nothing happened, fighting to stay strong, but it was so futile.
I could feel strength and willpower ebbing out of me with each passing day.
I was sad and depressed all the time. Sometimes I'd be so sad, I'd cry myself to sleep.
Only I, and to some extent, Tomi and mom, knew what was going on.
Even though I had finally gotten what I had always wanted in life; money, material comfort, I had lost something very important in the process; my soul.
I had achieved basically everything I set out to do but I knew it wasn't enough.
I wasn't satisfied and it frustrated me.

Every day, I was angry at God and secretly at myself too.
I blamed it on the death of my dad and so it was at first but as time went by, it became more than that.
My life was a total mess but God in his mercy kept me safe in the company of the right people like Tomi, Stella, Mr. Blake and Cecilia, even Sophie, until his plan for me could be actualized.
Then he brought Brian my way, my Brian whom he had designed strategically to open my eyes in the most beautiful way possible and usher me into his glorious promise.
Visiting dad's grave was no longer a therapeutic experience but a way to remember the days he walked this earth.

And ever since, it has indeed been a journey of his grace.
He has continued to do just like he said in His word, ".... exceedingly, abundantly, above everything (I) could ever ask or imagine..." and so it's been from glory to glory.

I became free-I am free.

My story has been and still is one of illumination.