Love Condemned: Beginnings (11 page)

Epilogue

Two Years Later

Adrian walked down the street toward his apartment. Another long day at work had passed. His time in Europe felt like a distant memory by now, even though he still had dreams. When he stopped to get the mail, he saw an envelope that was all too familiar. The off-white color, foreign stamps, and the neat handwriting made it unmistakable. Why would she write to him after all this time?

Miranda was still living in England, it appeared. The return address had changed, but it was still in the United Kingdom. His hands shook a little as he walked up the two floor to his apartment. He tucked the letter in his bag before opening the door. He thought this was behind him. Two years is a long time. Life continues, people move on.

When he entered his apartment, he was greeted by a voice in the kitchen. “Welcome home, hon. Dinner will be ready soon.” His faithful girlfriend, Paige, was cooking something that smelled nothing short of heaven. He walked into the kitchen and kissed her lightly on the cheek before going to the bedroom to change. He checked to make sure that he was not followed before closing the door and pulling the letter out.

As he opened it, his mind went back to their time in Europe together. The trip that started out as unsure and awkward. Then it was turned into a nightmare with being held hostage, only to end up as being one of the best moments in his life. That was all taken from him. He tried to explain that to her in the letters he wrote, but she did not understand. Eventually, she st
opped writing altogether. It had been over a year since the last letter.

He pulled out the letter and opened it.
Without even reading it he knew what it would say. A small picture was enclosed telling him everything he needed to know. He started to cry, understanding now why she was so insistent in her responses. Paige opened the door to find him sitting on the edge of the bed, tears running down his face. She rushed over to him to see what was wrong.

“Adrian, what is it?” She inquired.

He could not find the words to describe it. He handed over the picture of a little girl just over a year old. She had stunning light brown wavy hair and dark green eyes. She was wore a cute little dress with a small silver cross around her neck. She had her mother’s smile, but there was no mistaking it. This was his daughter.

He looked his girlfriend in the eye and said, “I have to go find her.”

Dedication:

To my better half, you know who you are. You are my inspiration.

Note to Reader:

First, I would like to say thank you for giving this book an opportunity.  Your support will help me grow as a writer and provide me the chance to share my stories. Happy reading and I look forward to hearing the feedback.

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