A Word of Praise
Epilogue

2 years later

"Can you fucking hurry? We'll be late!"

"We will not be late, Kiara," Chris tried to appease her.

She came closer to look at the computer screen from above his shoulder and knew he was getting a pretty accurate demonstration of having someone breathing down your neck. But she was too psyched about the show, she just wanted to leave already.

"This is Michael's wedding all over again! You keep working until the last minute and then we arrive late."

"Kia, we got there two hours before the ceremony!"

"Yes, but only because Nicholas was two hours late!"

Chris turned around on his chair and brought her to sit on his lap. Damn it, he knew how she liked to watch him work like that.

"I'm almost done, I promise." He got back to typing, even if his line of sight was compromised by her body on his lap.

"Why are you working on our vacation?" She tried to fake being annoyed but couldn't. He just smiled and pecked her lips while typing the last sentences of the email.

"Ok, done! We are officially in business with our third client!"

"The mining company?" She asked, reading the content of the screen for the first time. He nodded and closed the laptop to hug her.

"We won't starve, babe!" He cheered. Kiara rolled her eyes and grabbed her purse to leave the suite of the five-star hotel they were staying in Milan. Sure, starve.

But Kiara couldn't be prouder. To open the environmental consulting company was a risk she encouraged him to take, even if it meant juggling that and the construction business while he couldn't become a silent partner. She felt partially responsible for his nights away from home and emails during the holidays, but it was all worth it if the result was that gorgeous smile on her man's face.

They got into the cab to head to the show, and Kiara was almost bouncing on her seat. If there was one thing she had quickly adapted to, now that she lived among the one percent, was the opportunity to see every single performance she wanted.

"Tell me again about the show," Chris required.

"Right! It's called Goccia di Vita, which apparently means 'Drop of Life' or something. It's a representation of this small family and all their problems."

"Don't we have enough of those already?"

"Shut up Christopher, your mother has been a sweetheart since you talked to her last."

"And saved you from endless performances to all her social groups," he reminded her once again.

"If I remember correctly you were largely compensated for that already," Kiara teased, thinking back to their most recent deal. Whenever Chris could free her from performing to Patricia's friends, he'd get... well, rewarded. "That reminds me, this week there was a book club meeting. You were supposed to do an interpretation of Jane Eyre if I didn't heroically intervene❞

"I will not suck your dick in the cab," Kiara replied. Oh, fuck, the cab driver. Kiara felt her cheeks catching fire, and Chris laughed by her side. The bastard loved to see her drawing unwanted attention.

"Tell me more about the show. You said Kate was part of it?" He always provided her a way out too, or at least something else to think about. Still a dickhead, but a sweet one. "Yes! She'll do a lyra routine."

"Wait, but you said it was a dance show."

"The pamphlet said it was. Isn't that exciting? I have no idea what will happen!"

Chris kissed her once again before they finally arrived, and she pulled him inside the theater in a rush. Two large popcorns and a soda cup later, they were heading to their seats.

Kiara was more than halfway through her bucket when the third bell rang, and she looked to the side to see Chris' was still full. She rolled her eyes and grabbed his bucket to fill up her own. "You are not supposed to ration the popcorn," she stated.

"I want to have it till the end of the show!"

"Life is unpredictable, sometimes a pretty girl steals your popcorn. That's why you never save things for later."

"Genius. Why didn't they teach me that in business school?" Chris replied sarcastically, but she knew he loved her brilliant remarks on how to face life. Probably.

The show began, and they soon understood it was a rather unconventional piece. She couldn't decide if it was a play, a dance, or a circus performance, but she loved it either way.

"I like your shows better," Chris whispered in her ear after one of the more circusy acts.

"Shut up," Kiara replied, but couldn't help the little smile that formed on her face. In the two years they were together, he didn't miss a single one of her big performances and never failed to remind her how much he loved her art. She melted a little every time he did it.

Kiara allowed herself to get lost in the play and was particularly moved by the distant relationship of a father and his daughter. It got her thinking about her own family, but in a way that she didn't think was possible a couple of years ago. It didn't hurt as much, and now she could enjoy her memories of them with a lighter heart.

"Chris, when are you putting a baby in my belly?" She whispered.

The poor man choked on his popcorn, and Kiara almost regretted blurting it out like that. She tapped his back a couple of times while he coughed the corn out of his lungs and looked around to see if he was drawing too much attention. "What?" He asked after a few gulps of soda.

Just a heads up: Narugi.com is the only place to read the complete version of this book for free. Don't miss out on the next chapter-visit us now and continue your journey! "Baby. Inside me."

"Do you want one now?" He whisper-yelled, and she didn't know if his face was contorted because of the idea or the aftershock of his choking. She began to tuck the shorter strands of her hair - results of her now ex-sidecut - behind her ear and nodded. She really did.

In a quick move she did not see coming, Chris grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the seat, apologizing to the angry spectators for the disturbance. Kiara kicked a few knees on her way out and wanted to hide inside her empty popcorn bucket from the glares they were getting.

"Chris, what the fuck?" She demanded as soon as they were out the door.

Instead of replying, he kissed her feverishly in the deserted outside of the auditorium. She tried to escape his grip to breathe, but he only allowed her a brief moment to do so while he called the cab.

"Let's make a baby," he said once they were inside their ride.

Kiara couldn't believe he took her out of the show for that, but she would never stop him from acting on a whim. It was a rare sight, and she loved it every single time. He kissed her all the way to the hotel, and she laughed when he pushed her on the bed as soon as the door was closed behind him.

"We don't have to do one right now!"

"Yes, we do." He stopped kissing her for a while and took her hand in his, twirling her ring on her finger. "Then we'll get married properly and get a dog."

"We already have a dog"

"We'll get another one."

Kiara rolled her eyes and nestled into his embrace. For a long while now, those arms around her felt like home, and she had no plans on letting him go.