Chapter 8: Epilogue

Asha slowly opened her eyes, expecting to see Eric lying next to her. To her surprise, he was gone. She sat up and was relieved to see him in the kitchen, doing what looked suspiciously like cooking. He was dressed in nothing but a towel around his waist and a chef's cap on his head to cover his hair. He tussled the pan forward and backward with gusto as its content sizzled and filled the air with a sweet, mouthwatering aroma.

She got off the bed and walked towards the kitchen in nothing but her pair of sexy lingerie. It was red and made of lace with elegant patterns created from varying levels of thickness and transparency.

She took a seat on her favorite stool in the kitchen and watched him work. His massive left hand held the frying pan as he scooped eggs out of the pan and served two plates. He carried both plates and turned around to see her. His face spread into a broad smile of genuine happiness. Her face always had that effect on him. Her glassy blue eyes, high cheeks, and full lips came together to form the face of an angel.

'I thought you didn't know how to cook,' Asha said as Eric placed a plate of eggs and bacon before her.

'I didn't,' he replied as the toaster let out a ding, and two slices of perfectly toasted bread popped out. He dropped one of the slices on her plate and put the second slice on his. Then served two cups of juice before sitting down and digging in.

'It's tasty,' Asha said, unable to hide her surprise.

'Really?' Eric asked, unsure if she was being honest or just being kind.

'Really.' Asha said affirmatively.

'Thank you. I took an interest in cooking during our trip. But those dishes were too difficult to cook. So I watched some YouTube videos, and voila. I'm glad you like the food.'

'I do,' Asha said as she continued eating.

They ate in silence for a few seconds until Asha finally decided to address the pink elephant in the room.

'I'm sorry about everything. I know what you would say. That it isn't my fault. But somehow, I feel like it is.'

'It's not. You owe it to yourself to be happy, Asha. You deserve joy and love. We all do. What would you have done instead, remain in misery and bondage? I have no regrets, Asha, and neither should you. The future is bright. Let's focus on it,' he said as he walked around the tabletop and walked towards the living room. He switched on the sound system and Frank Sinatra's old devil moon flowed out of the tall speakers.

He walked towards Asha, who was watching him with a bright smile on her face. He swayed from left to right, flowing with the music until he got to her. He took her hand in his and led her to the center of the apartment.

He wrapped his arm around her waist as they danced to the music, laughing and giggling, enchanted by the joy and bliss of their love. And so basking in love flowing out of their hearts, they danced for half an hour as the sound system moved from one song to another, filling their hearts with joy and compelling their bodies to move.

They finally collapsed on the bed, totally exhausted. They stared at the ceiling, enjoying the sound of music, their bodies too tired to move with the rhythm. They listened to music in silence, and in that moment, they both knew that what they had was beyond special. They didn't need words or sex for their hearts to always sing with love or for them to enjoy being in each other's presence. Simply breathing the same air was more than enough to keep them happy. They slept off to the sound of music flowing in their ears and love beating in their hearts.