Chapter 54-Epilouge

I placed my flowers on the grave and dropped down to my knees. I cleared away the weeds and wiped off the dirt from his headstone. It had been almost five years since he had been gone. I found a way to visit on his birthday every year. It was August 7th, only twenty days away from my twentieth wedding anniversary. I took my time telling him all about the boys and updating him on their lives. In just six short months they would both be turning twenty-one years old. Santino Matteo Manoso went by Matty and he loved to brag about being eight minutes older than his brother. Markos Hector Manoso went by Marko and he was definitely mommy's boy. Both boys were born on February thirteenth.

I smiled as I remembered their christening ceremony. We had chosen Matteo and Santanna as godparents to Matty. For Marko Hector and Celia served as god parents. My little Matty stayed stone faced the entire ceremony just like his father and my Marko cried and whined like his mother. I smiled to myself as a million other memories flew through my mind. First words, first steps, first day of school, first driving lessons and all of the other firsts. I laughed remembering how Carlos freaked out about having to discuss the birds and bees with our boys.

Matty was working at Rangeman hoping one day to become CEO. He lived in an apartment on four in the Rangman office building on Haywood in Trenton. Marko was finishing his second year at Rutgers and was making plans for medical school. Matty was following in his Uncle Lester's footsteps and had a different girlfriend every month. Marko was still dating his high school sweetheart and they were talking about getting an apartment together off campus. It wasn't easy for me to accept another woman in their lives, but I was determined to eventually be a good mother-in-law.

I told him about how I had started my own Private Investigations division of Rangeman with Santanna as my partner. I kept an office on the bottom floor of the Haywood complex and still found time to fit in the occasional searches for Rangeman when Rodriguez needed help. I wore a business suit with pants most days, I still detested wearing panty hose. I laughed at this knowing he wold find it amusing.

The boys had attended Catholic School and I had been roped into helping with Bingo every weekend. By the time they were in high school I found myself volunteering as scorekeeper for Matty's basketball games and timekeeper for Marko's debate club. I think I surprised everyone by becoming the typical PTA mom who constantly volunteered at their kid's school. Now that the boys were out of high school I had more time for myself and was free to travel.

I spent winter in the penthouse apartment inside Rangeman Miami. The spring always found me working from home at the house in Maine. Fall was when I spent my time in the penthouse at Rangeman Boston. My summers were always reserved for Jersey. The Batcave in Princeton where the boys had grown up was sold and I finally had my house on the beach in Point Pleasant.

My birth parents and Grandma Mazur had all died in a house fire. It started in the middle of the night because my mother had left the iron on. It was rumored she was pretty heavy into the booze and everyone had figured she was too drunk to remember to turn it off. I didn't go to their funerals but I did send flowers. It was only at Carlos' suggestion that I did that much.

Abuela Rosa had passed away ten years ago. There was a huge showing for her viewing and so many flowers the funeral home needed three cars to transport them to the cemetery. The boys had been devastated when they lost their Great Abuela. We consoled ourselves knowing she had a long and happy life. She touched so many. She always had faith that everyone was good and deserved love.

Grandpa Louis had passed away five years ago and Grandma Ella moved into the Batcave with us. The boys missed their Grandpa but we were all happy to have Ella living with us and it wasn't just for the cooking. Ella had decided to get a condo in Miami when the boys moved out of the Batcave and we all visited her for Christmas every year.

Our Thanksgivings were spent with Mari and Anton. When I was FTA I thought I lost my family and every friend I had. Instead I gained a huge loving family and the best friends a girl could ask for. Santanna and I had the relationship I had always wanted with Valerie. The difference was Mari loved us equally and Santanna and I supported each other. She had been the one to encourage me to open the PI firm and quickly became my partner. A week never went by without us at least chatting on the phone.

I sighed as I told him how much I missed him. A tear slid down my face before I heard the car door close behind me. I didn't bother to turn around. I knew who it was because every year he knew exactly where I was on this day. I got to my feet and felt the strong arms wrap around my body as I was pulled back into his chest. He rested his chin on my shoulder.

"We all miss him. He was a great man." he whispered in my ear.

"I keep having to remind myself it's not my fault. I keep having to remind myself it was the drunk driver." I sighed as I leaned into him.

"I know it's hard Steph." he comforted me.

"The nightmares stopped, but from time to time I still see his face in my dreams. I watch him die in front of me all over again. The life leaving his body as he laid in my arms. I felt so helpless." Another tear slid down my face.

"You did everything you could for him. He felt your comfort in those last minutes." he reminded me.

"He turned that damn car so the full impact would be on the driver's side." I sniffled.

"It never surprised me that he thought to protect you. You know how much he loved you." he spun me around and wiped away my tears.

"I know." I whispered before I placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "I just wish..."

"He made sure you made it back to your boys. It's what he wanted." he pulled me in tight against his chest.

I sighed as I pulled back to look at him. "Thank you for coming."

He nodded. "Where else would I be?"

"I had a nightmare about Morelli last night." I admitted as I spoke softly.

He cupped my face in his hands and tilted my head up until our eyes met. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I didn't want to upset you." I sighed as I tried to look away.

"The only thing that upsets me is Morelli himself. I still think a part of him chose to do that in front of you to make you feel guilty. To burn that imagine in your head for the rest of your life." he leaned in and kissed my forehead before pulling me against him.

"I don't feel guilty anymore." I reminded him "Ten years of therapy bills..."

"You stopped feeling guilty about every one who hurt you and turned their backs on you. You learned to open up more to others and let them love you. Money well spent." he kissed the top of my head.

"I love you." I smiled

"I know." he chuckled

"Hey!" I playfully slapped at his shoulder.

"Come on. The boys are waiting for us at the house. They want to celebrate before Marko goes back to school to start the semester." he pulled me against him for one last hug.

"I'll be good. I was just updating him on everything. I'll meet you at the house." I told him as I placed another kiss on his lips.

"Drive safe." he reminded me before he pulled away to head back to his car.

I turned and looked back at the headstone.

"I'm happy. I have an amazing life. I am so lucky to be in love and watch my dreams come true." I wiped away my remaining tears as I spoke to him.

"I still miss you every day." I kissed my fingers before I reached out to touch his stone.

I took a couple of steps away before I turned back one more time to read the headstone.

Matteo Vito Palazzo
August 7,1985- March 24, 2032
Trusted and Loyal Friend

On August 27th I found myself laying on a lounge chair on our deck in Point Pleasant. I took in a deep breath of ocean air. Markos had returned to Rutgers and Matty was on monitors at Rangeman. Carlos came out and laid on the chair beside me. I glanced over at him and licked my lips. He looked just as amazing as he did the first day I had met him in that tiny Trenton diner.

"Are you sure you want to spend our anniversary at home this weekend Babe?" he asked me

"Your parents and Ella want to throw us a big party. You know Ella has been depressed without Louis around. It will do her good to focus on the party." I reminded him.

"You're right." he agreed "I just thought you might want to get away for the weekend like we usually do."

"We have everything we need right here. We have beautiful ocean views, a hot tub on the deck and a king size bed inside." I pulled up my sunglasses and tried to wiggle my eyebrows.

"Babe" he laughed as he leaned over and kissed me.

"Oh I forgot to tell you. We got an invitation to Lester and Skye's wedding." I announced

"Finally." he shook his head. "Tank's been married to Roxanne for ten years. Bobby and Cindy for eight. Brett and Lisa for six or seven. And Bret and Mary...how long for them?"

"They have been married the longest of all the guys. Fifteen years this December." I remembered

"Now finally Lester is going to get married. He's been with Skye for twenty years. It's about time." Ranger laughed

He pulled me across the chair and I settled in beside him. He wrapped an arm around me and stroked my back.

"Did you ever think we would be here? Like this?" Carlos asked me

"No." I smiled "I never thought we would get our shit together. I figured I would end up an old maid."

We both laughed before I spoke again. "Sometimes I did fantastize that you would hobble into my ursing home one day saying you were finally ready for a relationship."

"And did you agree?" he asked

"Of course." I shrugged "You had a sexy cane."

"You still don't disappoint." he flashed me his sparkling smile.

"We're old." I told him.

"I'm not old." he disagreed

I rolled my eyes. "You do realize we will likely be grandparents in the next few years."

"I don't even want to think about that." He pulled me tight against him. "I'm just surprised I lived this long. I thought I would be dead by now."

"Hey! Don't say that." I playfully slapped his chest.

"It was the life I lead before I ended my contract and married you." he reminded me

I stroked his strong muscular chest. After all this time he still maintained his incredible body. He moved his hand lower and slapped my butt before he caressed it. I had been able to stay in shape by finally learning to appreciate running. Carlos learned to compromise and would run with me at night a few days a week. It wasn't running I hated so much, it was waking up so early. The last couple months of my pregnancy were difficult for me and I spent the last month before they were born on bed rest. Carlos and I both agreed we wouldn't be having any more kids. Our twin boys were more than enough.

"You're still my Cuban Sex God." I told him as I slid my hand down lower and squeezed him. "Everything still works."

"Babe we're not even fifty yet." he squeezed one of my cheeks.

"So you think we can still make each other scream?" I teased

"Babe. You were screaming last night." he nearly rolled his eyes.

"You weren't so quiet yourself." I nuzzled his neck.

He wrapped his other arm around me and pulled me on top of him. I was straddling him and he had his hands in my hair. He pulled me down for a deep and passionate kiss. He was definitely reminding me that we still had it. He slid his hands up and untied my bikini top. I moaned out as he pulled me down against him. We lay chest to chest as his fingers stroked down my spine. He moved them to my hips and slowly untied my bottoms.

"I intend to spend the whole weekend showing you just how I can still make you scream." he spoke as his lips brushed against mine.

"I'm counting on it." I told him before crashing my lips down hard onto his.

*****************************************THE END***************************************

Well, that's the end of Stephanie Plum FTA. I have had many requests to write about life with the twins and I may do that at some point but as I mentioned before I already have some ideas floating around in my head.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to send me a review or private message about my story. You don't realize how much just a sentence or two from you inspires more writing. Often times the reviewer reminds me of something I forgot to add. Other times a reviewers suggestion acts as a muse for me and my mind moves that way swiftly.

Thanks again! Look for my next story Saved to begin soon!