Hell Fires (Age-Gap Romance)

“I walked through the fires of hell to reach you, Soph. I’ve been given a second chance and I’m not going to fuck this up. I realized out there, clawing through the smoke, that the worst mistake of your life is punishing those you love in order to punish yourself. I love you, Sophia, I always have and I always will. If I don’t rise from those ashes a changed man, then its all in vain. I don’t care about my past or yours, all I care about is what we make of our new life together.”

I knew that the change wouldn’t be easy, that it was possible Gabriel could stumble and fall many times on the way toward happiness. But ultimately, I knew in my heart that he was made for me and if we fell, we’d do it together and pick one another up again and keep trying. We’d made it this far already, walked through the fires of hell to reach love’s embrace. Maverick wasn’t giving up without a fight, and the two of us were on the same team. I’d fight with him.

I’d been nearly blind for a third of my life, but for the first time, I could see my future laid out clearly before me. A child. A husband, two brother-in-laws who would make great uncles. Maybe down the line some sister-in-laws, too and a few cousins to come over and play in back yard. I imagined a sweet life freed from the pain of the past, a nurse, a CPA who fell in love, lived uneventful lives and lived happily ever after.

Epilogue One

Two Years Later

SOPHIE

“What did you do, Mav, buy the whole store?” I was in my scrubs, fresh out of the shower, my hair piled in a messy bun. Long gone was the lime green, I was my natural fire red that most could spot in a crowd.

“Okay, I may have gotten carried away,” he said, hidden behind the boxes he was carrying inside.

“Carried away? He’s insane,” another pile of boxes said as it swayed in the foyer. “Where do you want these, Soph?” Rafa asked me.

“Upstairs in her bedroom is fine,” I told my sweet brother-in-law. Malik walked in next carrying Emma. She was wearing overalls and her little red curls were barely long enough to reach into the pigtails I’d secured after her bath this morning.

“Mama!” she shouted. Malik came close and handed her off.

“You have to go now, Soph, or can you stick around and hear about what we got? Maverick is excited; to be honest, I’ve never seen him so happy,” Malik told me.

“I can come up and get the scoop, but I have to be to the hospital by five.” I followed Malik up the stairs to Emma’s bedroom with my little pumpkin secure in my arms.

“Sophie,” Maverick exclaimed, jumping up. “Emma!” he crooned, pulling her from me. “Babe, you’re going to go crazy when you hear what I got.”

We’d stayed in my bungalow in Brook Hill throughout the whole pregnancy, selling only when the real estate market hit a high. I’d like to think I did my parents proud with what I’d made happen with the little nest egg that they left to me.

We bought a gorgeous three bedroom in nearby Collins Crossing, where the only gunshots you heard were from people pheasant hunting. I’d miss my little slice of home in the down and out neighborhood, but Shakespeare loved the bigger yard and I could sleep at night knowing someday Emma could walk safely around the block without pushers or pimps trying to corrupt her. And Maverick loved the new house like an eight year old with a new bike. We’d been on countless showings and it was hard for me to really see the details of a home, it was more of a feeling for me. Maverick would explain the layouts and what he was thinking about each house we walked through.

When we’d walked in the place in Collins Crossing, I inhaled deeply and the house still held the scent of cinnamon and sugar, just like my mom’s kitchen. It felt right. There was a ton of light, a great yard, and it was still close to the club. And close enough to Mason General that I could take a bus if Maverick wasn’t around to drive me.

“We did like a jungle theme so it wasn’t too gender crazy. Besides, Emma isn’t really so girly, she’s more into adventure and I couldn’t see her with all the pink crap.”

“Oh really?”

I crossed my arms and grinned in the direction of my enthusiastic husband. Emma was crawling around on the carpeted floor. She then climbed on Rafa’s lap and pulled on his beard.

“And did Emma weigh in about how she wanted her room?” I was trying not laugh. Maverick’s involvement was really quite adorable. He’d asked to take Emma with him to the design store and then to Ikea. He’d wanted her to aide in the choosing of the theme for the room.