Past Mistakes
Epilogue
“There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.” – Sarah Dessen, The Truth about Forever
I was preparing vegetable salad in the kitchen for our dinner that evening. Ares was cooking beef steak. He teased me saying that I needed to eat more for endurance later.
“Will you stop teasing me?”
His arm went around my waist drawing me closer to him. “I love making you blush.”
“I look like a clown when I blush.”
“What? Who told you that?”
“No one. I just made it up.” I laughed. “You really saw me behind the curtains before?”
“Who wouldn’t? Your cute feet were showing.” Ares chuckled.
“Oh! So you decided to take your clothes off to scare me.”
He laughed aloud.
“You gave me a scare of my life! You’re so bad.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I thought it was dad who gave me the cupcakes and aspirin.”
“I did. To make up for what I did to you.” He caressed my arm lightly with his fingertips and it made me shudder. “I wanted to annoy you to make you hate me. When I succeeded, it made me feel so bad. I changed my mind. I didn’t want you to hate me all. I liked you a lot and I wanted us to be friends.”
“Why did you want me to hate you?”
“I confess, I grew up not liking your father, Rachel. I heard the staffs talking about his drinking and wife-battering problems. So as much as possible, I avoided him. Later on, I decided to avoid his daughter too.” He shrugged his shoulders. “You see, it was really hard. Seeing you everyday, looking so cute especially when you smiled at me. I can’t resist your charms.”
“Oh… you’re teasing me again.”
“It’s the truth.” He stole a kiss on my lips.
“Ares.”
“Yeah?”
“About dad… I saw how my mom suffered with his beatings. I could still recall her screams and her trembling voice begging my father to stop hitting her. I pitied her. Often times, I helped her clean her wounds and bruises.” I shuddered. The thought still made me cringe. “My dad was a terrible man. When my mom left, I thought he would change. But instead he turned his attention to me. If I did something wrong, he beat me.”
“What?” Ares’ eyes widened. “My God, Rachel. He hurt you?”
“Yeah. Too many times. My palms were full of bruises when we got married. He beat me the night before our wedding.”
Ares’ gasped. His face was thunderous. “Fuck that stupid asshole! He did that to you?” He clenched his fist with anger. His face was ready to murder someone.
“Ares, calm down.” I touched his arm, making him relax. “I hate him too, but he’s still my father. I still owe him my life. Without him, I wouldn’t be here in this world and I wouldn’t have met you. Whatever he did, I forgave him already. I won’t be happy if I keep on hating him.”
Ares hugged me again and kissed me. “You’re so kind. That asshole is lucky to have you as his daughter.”
I heaved a sigh. “I learned to forgive and forget. That’s what love can do.”
“Just like what you did to me, right? You forgave me Rachel and chose to forget the wrong things I did to you.”
I nodded. “I love you, Ares. I wouldn’t be happy if I keep on hating you. Everyone deserves a chance to make things right.”
“Thank you, baby. I love you so much.” He hugged me tightly and rained k!sses on my face.
“You’re a wonderful man. I was so naive at eighteen. I idolized you, seeing you as perfect and put you on a pedestal. And when I saw your flaws, I got scared and ran away from you. I started hating you and saw you as the younger version of my father. I had horrible images forming in my mind that you would beat me, make me suffer and turn my life miserable.”
“I swear, I won’t do that, Rachel. Ever. I won’t harm even the tip of your hair. I love you so much. I’ll protect you always and do my best not to make you cry, baby.”
“Thank you, Ares. I love you too.”
“You know, when I was fighting for my life after the accident, I kept on thinking about you. I promised to myself that if only I would live, I would do anything to make things right between us. But it took me a while to recover. I was in and out of the hospital for three years. Then my grandfather neglected the family business. I was so engrossed running it, keeping it back in shape.”
“I’m so sorry for the accident, Ares. If I didn’t leave you, you wouldn’t have suffered.”
“No. Please don’t be sorry. It was my fault. Grandpa always told me to keep slow with my driving, but I was so stubborn.”
“I thank God that you survived and recovered.”
“Yeah. You know something? I attended your graduation.”
“What? Oh God.. you really did?”
He nodded. “I was supposed to confront you and ask you to come back to me. But you looked so happy at that time having received your diploma, being with your friends and so excited to start a career. I didn’t want to be selfish and deprive you of that. I wanted to give you time to live your life and explore. But when I found out about your engagement to your boss, I was alarmed. I’m sorry, Rachel. I love you and I can’t just let you go. I knew I was so harsh. But it was the only way I could think at that moment. I was a desperate man. Please… forgive me.”
“It’s okay, Ares.” I said softly. “I think you just did the right thing. I was so stubborn and close-minded. I let myself keep on hating you and I was not happy about it.”
“Thank you baby. I want you to be happy always. I’ll do anything. I swear.” He kissed me again and swept me in his arms.
The following morning…
I woke up in the circle of Ares’ arms. I buried my face against his throat.
He stirred and pulled me closer to him. “Good morning, baby.” He said and k!ssed me.
“Good morning, babe.” I ran my fingers through his hair. I just loved touching his silky jet black hair. “Something’s bothering me.”
He was wide awake now and sat down. He was looming over me, his hand was smoothing my hair. “What is it baby?”
“Do we really need to divorce?”
“Why? You don’t like to get a divorce?”
I sat down too and rested my back against the headboard. “I don’t like the thought of divorcing you.”
Ares exhaled heavily and said. “Me too.”
“What are we going to do about it?”
“That’s easy.” He stood up, so naked and got the envelope on top of the vanity table. He threw it on bed and I caught it. “Do the honor.”
I opened the envelope and took the divorce papers out. Then in one fluid movement, I tore it in half. Ares crumpled the papers, turning it to a ball and shoot it in the bin.
“Nice shot!” I exclaimed.
Then he gave me a long kiss and whispered. “Let’s make a baby.”
Five years later**
“Happy Birthday, sweetie.” Ares held our four year old daughter, Athena as she blew her birthday cake candles. She was a daddy’s girl and really knew how to charm to get what she wanted. But she was very adorable and we loved her so much.
I was rubbing my tummy. I was eight months pregnant and my ultrasound showed that the baby was a boy. We were so excited. We decided to name our baby boy after Ares twin brother, Mars.
My life with Ares was wonderful. He was an amazing husband, very loving, protective and supportive. I fell in love with him more and more each day. So, it was really hard to run away from him again.
No… I’m just kidding. I won’t do that anymore. I can’t bear living without him anymore. He’s my life. I’m a fulfilled woman now, as his wife, lover, partner and mother of his kids.
“You okay, baby?” Ares wrapped his arms around me, stealing a kiss on my lips.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
He sat beside me and kissed my tummy. “He’s going to be a good kid.”
“Yeah, he will. Just like you.”
He pulled me up in his arms, drawing me to the center. “Let’s dance.”
Ares and I danced to the music of “Beauty and the Beast” as the children headed by our daughter, Athena were running around us, laughing, jumping and playing happily.
“Are you happy?” Ares asked as we swayed together in rhyme with the music.
“Very.” I replied.
He swung me into the circle of his arms, then rock me back and forth. His eyes gleamed as we held eyes. I knew what he was thinking. I laughed. What a naughty man!
He drew me closer and k!ssed me lingeringly as we continued to dance.
THE END
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