HER ONE AND ONLY

EPILOGUE

Rose sat on the bed inside her room, with a cup of hot tea in her hand as she looked outside the window, observing the house opposite to hers which was right across the street. It was evening already, and the sun was setting down, casting its beautiful warm rays on the houses in the neighborhood. Rose was lucky to get some of these rays falling on her. How she missed this part of the day in her beloved house when the sun would cast its golden glow and envelop her in its warmth. She had treasured these moments. A small smile played on her lips when she saw Alexander come out of the house she was looking at and lock the door behind him.

A sense of familiarity, comfort and slight pain washed over her, but then again, there was this blanket of love that Alexander had created around her, and she was happy and grateful to God for his presence in her life. She had not forgotten the days she had spent here, in this exact place looking and waiting for that little boy to make his appearance. The thought brought a painful ache in her chest. She missed yelling at her sister, laughing and fooling around with her dad and irritating her mum, she missed the love they offered her in abundance. Even after all these years, she could not get over their absence. It would have been perfect if she had her family by her side right now.

Rose pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind and concentrated on the man who was furiously trying to figure out which key locked the front door of his house. She chuckled at the sight and observed him. She had desired this man from the very beginning, since when she was a little kid. She had let her life revolve around him and fate had brought them together after much struggles and hardships. What were the odds of meeting him again in that church and him planning to buy her grandmother's old house? All these were the incomprehensible wonders of God's timing, and she was completely amazed by it.

Even after all these years, his sight alone had the power to knock the breath out of her body. How confidently he stood there, with his broad shoulders as he fiddled with those keys in hand. His eyebrows almost joint together and he looked extremely frustrated.

"Thank you, Lord." She whispered to the thin air surrounding her.

Alexander had brought her back home, where her heart was and where she always wanted to be. It was here where it all started, and it was here, in California, where she wanted it all to continue. There were many ups and downs, loneliness and rejection she faced here. In fact, it was here where she lost her family, friends and Alexander. But somehow, it was only here where she felt safe and closer to all that she had lost in the past. Her comfort was in this house, in this air she breathed.

Both their childhood houses were sold away for a few years now. Roseanne's house was occupied but Alexander's was abandoned, and he was hurt by the condition of his house. After they settled down she found out that Alexander had paid a huge amount of money to get back their houses. She couldn't be more grateful enough for what he had done for her. It had already been a month since they moved in and they decided to stay in her house because Alexanders' was going through heavy maintenance and repair.

It all seemed to fall in place for Roseanne and she had never felt so at ease in life. She watched Alexander cross the road and walk back to the house before briefly stopping at his car to get out the grocery bags. The stitches on her head were healing fast and her hair was growing back as well, except in the area where the scar lay. She had come in terms with it and completely refused to get those dreadful moments back into her mind. She had made a promise to not let anything spoil the happiness that lay in front of her. Not even the scar that marred her soul. They mourned together for their little bundle who couldn't make it and she prayed for her unborn child.

Heavy footsteps echoed around the house and after some more shuffling she heard Alexander ascend the stairs. She could feel him stop at the entrance of her room door and watch her silently from behind.