I’ve got her in my arms and this time I’m never letting her go.
“I love you,” I say.
“I love you.”
EPILOGUE
Ruby
Three years later
“Another cafe, signorina?” the waiter says to my mother.
My mom points to her chest and raises her eyebrows.
“He’s referring to me as a young woman?” she says looking at me.
“It sure seems that way,” I say.
“Why yes. Since you put it that way. I would love another. Grazie.”
The waiter nods and then winks, quickly making his way back to the espresso machine behind the counter.
“I guess life really does start after fifty,” my mom says.
“I got my second chance. Maybe this can be yours?” I ask.
“He has been looking at me a bit each morning we come in here.”
“A bit? Mom, he’s been drooling over you since you set foot in this place. And he doesn’t have a ring on his finger. He’s handsome too!”
“I’ll have to take tips from you. How you were able to land Dan down there in Australia.”
“Mom! Dan’s not a fish that I reeled in.”
“Close enough. And you were out there in the water.”
“Well, I don’t know much about Italian guys, but I do know this one has the hots for you. That’s for sure.”
“Where’s our next destination?”
“We take the train to Paris in two days. And everything’s booked so delaying it would throw off our plans.”
“You’re right. Let’s stay on plan and when I get home I’ll sell everything and just phone up Alessandro and let him know I’m coming for him.”
“What’s gotten into you?” I ask.
“I’m really inspired by what you did down there in Australia. That was very brave of you. You just uprooted and made it work.”
“Because of Dan it works,” I say.
“And Esther.”
“Of course Esther.” I take a sip of my coffee. “I never could have imagined the joy you’d experience when you become a parent until I did it for myself.”
“Have you spoken to Dan yet this morning?”
“I called him when you were in the shower. He was covering Esther in sunscreen preparing to take her to the beach.”
“It’s so nice of him to watch her while we do our round the world trip together.
“Yeah, I wish they could have joined us, but then again for this trip it’s better that it’s just the two of us.”
“Your cafe, signorina,” Alessandro says as he approaches our table from the side. “And a croissant with my compliments.”
“Excuse me, Alessandro,” my mother says.
“Yes!” Alessandro says turning his full attention towards my mother as he bends at the waist and stares directly into her eyes.
Italian men are known for their incredible abilities to flirt and charm and my mother is about to experience their full effects first hand.
I watch as Alessandro smiles, teases, and makes my mom feel like the center of the universe.
I can’t help but smile knowing Dan’s done the same thing with me, albeit in a different way.
I’m also going to get a kick out of dragging my mom out of Italy when the time comes in a couple of days. Now that Alessandro seems to be making headway it appears my mom’s going to be less than eager to leave, which is actually a good thing.
I found love in a far off land and now it’s my mom’s turn.
I guess it runs in the family, just in our case in reverse order.
Alessandro pulls his pen from his pocket and scribbles a number on his notepad before tearing it out and handing it over to my mom.
He gives her a wink and then takes off back to the kitchen.
“I’m guessing that’s not the winning lottery numbers for the next drawing.”
“It might be, but for a different kind of lottery.”
I’m glad to see my mom so happy like this. She deserves it.
“Did you make plans for this evening?” she asks.
“Not yet. Why is that, mother?” I say with a joking voice.
“Yeah…I might have plans of my own this evening.”
I extend my hand across the table and my mom meets it with her own.
We do our mini high five and then both bust out laughing.
I scoot my chair over and give my mom a hug.
I found love abroad and I sure hope lightning can strike twice.
If my mom finds a guy even half as good as Dan she’ll have a one in a million man all for her own.
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
Ruby
Five years later
“You know eight is a special number in many Asian cultures. It’s almost mythical,” Dan says.
“Eight kids! We’re only half way there,” I say.
“So we’ve got a lot of work to do to catch up, don’t we?”
I laugh and give my husband a big ol’ hug.
“Mom, will we get to see a kangaroo today?”
I turn to the side and see Esther looking up at me with her great big puppy dog eyes.
“We might honey. You’ll have to keep your eyes peeled.”
“Peel my eyes?”
“It means keep your eyes open,” Dan says.
“Oh. Okay.”
“Are you all packed and ready?”
“Yes. Grandma’s in the car. She’s ready too.”
“Okay then. What are we waiting for?”
“You and dad! Come on, mom.”
Esther grabs me by the arm and pulls me toward the door.
Dan laughs and follows behind me.
He closes the door and sets the alarm before hopping into the driver’s seat.
We’re off to the Blue Mountains Nature and Wildlife Day Tour. It’s a special treat for the kids and also for my mom who’s staying with us for the month.
Her life has changed drastically since that fateful day in Italy.
We didn’t know it at the time but that coffee shop belonged to Alessandro’s family. He was a very hands on kind of guy, which explained why he was also working the tables.
And from the stories my mom tells me he’s very hands on in a different way. She leaves out some of the details that I don’t really need to know, but she gives me enough information that I can fill in the blanks.
She’s very much in love as is he. And my mother has always loved coffee and Alessandro has introduced her and even educated her to not only the amazing ways in which coffee can be prepared, but the business side as well.
My mom has a renewed passion for work, working side by side with Alessandro in the shop his family has owned for over eighty years. She was almost the first non-family member to ever work in the shop, but Alessandro wouldn’t have that so he didn’t allow her to officially start until after their wedding.
My mom loves it. It’s not even work for her. She can’t believe she’s getting paid to do something she loves and enjoys. She’s also learning so much about fashion and the Italian way of life. She’s like a kid in a candy store just soaking up knowledge like a sponge.
But a few times each year she still finds the time to come visit us and spend time with our kids. It’s the perfect set up.
And with my mom keeping an eye on the kids it allows Dan and I to continue our own adventurous ways. It’s amazing how many places you can see in just a couple weeks.
This visit we’ll head to Bali for three days before carrying on to Vietnam for four more. Then we head back home to enjoy time as a family and so I can catch up with my mom about all her happenings in Italy.
It’s my hope that one day our kids will have the choice of studying in either Australia, Singapore, or Italy. What a group to choose from. All three offer top-notch education, depending on the path our kids want to take.
And most importantly exposing our kids to so many cultures and ways of life now will prepare them and allow them to
see just what’s possible.
As my husband likes to say, “The world will be our children’s oyster, and I’ll always be his pearl.”
It makes sense. He did find me adrift at sea after all.
And when he did he guided me to safety. The safety of his big strong arms and even bigger heart.
As we’ve grown together I’ve watched his generosity in action more and more every day. He’s always kind to our family and I first and foremost, but also to strangers and people we meet every day.
It’s part of the Aussie way. The idea that the tall poppy gets cut down meaning you never want to get too big of an ego or head or feel like you’re better than others.
I love that he’s so humble, but what I love the most is that he’s helping me raise our kids with these same principles.
Without him I don’t know how I’d do it.
But it’s because of him, and the children that he’s given me, that everything always falls into place.
Just like that day I fell into his arms and fell in love with him and the beauty that is Australia.
I’m proud to call it home.
A home I built with him and which we share with our children.
It’s just like everything we do. We do it all for each other.
Because without each other a home is just a house.
But luckily for all of us, we’ve got a true place to call home.
A home full of laughter, happiness, and love.
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Crocodile Dan D: An Older Man Younger Woman Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants Book 40) Page 7