The Bad Things (Book 5)

Epilogue: Twenty Years Later

ACE'S POV

Mom stopped me in the hall. "Ace, where were you last night? You look a mess," she said as her eyes swept over me.

"Where is Dad at?" I asked.

She sighed. "He's in the study, but I wouldn't go in there, Ace. He's unhappy with you. You were supposed to be preparing your speech last night."

"Stormy is going to help me do it, Mom. Don't worry. I'll still get it done." I pecked her cheek.

Mom chuckled and caressed my cheek. "Grandpa is here too. You look and act so much like him," she said and smiled. She walked past me and headed for the foyer.

I turned eighteen a week ago, and it was my turn to take the chair soon. My older sisters Nina and Natalie wanted to be the head of designing clothes for our clothing stores. Stormy would be graduating from law school soon, and I would help her open a law firm. My other siblings were still a little young to pitch in much. My father, Andrew Garcia, had been on edge about the chair exchange because there was so much that happened in that short amount of time. Part of me figured he thought I wasn't ready, but I was.

"Dad," I said when I entered the study.

"Boy, where the hell were you? Your mother was worried sick," Dad said.

Grandpa chuckled. "And so was your father."

Dad rolled his eyes at my grandpa Ace.

"Just calling it like I see it, son," Grandpa said.

"Hey, Papa," I said and smiled.

Dad's phone rang. He grabbed it and spoke in a slur of quick Spanish. He hung up and pointed at me. "Stay put. We need to talk, but I got something to take care of first."

"Yes, sir," I said. I plopped down beside Grandpa. "So, how's it going?"

Grandpa shrugged. "I'm still kickin'." His eyes gazed around the room, and he smiled. "Many memories in this room." His eyes stopped on a picture of him and Grandma in their younger years when Uncle Angel was still a baby. Grandpa frowned, and his forehead creased.

"Are you okay, Grandpa?" I asked and leaned closer to him.

He swallowed hard and nodded. "Boy, what I would give to be with your grandmother right now. But I'm just happy that she went out from old age and didn't die at a young age. I'm satisfied with dying of ripe old age." Grandpa forced a smile, but the truth of his words clouded his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Grandpa. It must be hard. We all miss Grandma too." My grandmother, Aria Garcia, died about a month ago from old age. She went peacefully in her sleep while Grandpa had been out of town on business with my dad. "Can I ask you something?"

Grandpa looked at me with blurred eyes. "Hmm?"

"Do you ever regret some of the choices you made when it came to her?" I asked, feeling awkward.

Grandpa smiled. "Girl problems?"

"There are these two girls. One likes me, but I'm not into her, and the one I like doesn't seem to be into me, so I sort of slept with the one that I'm not into," I admitted. "That doesn't make much sense, does it?"

Grandpa chuckled and shook his head. "Boy, if you could possibly sound anymore like me at that age. . ." he trailed off. "I believe history repeats itself sometimes."