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Romy gasped, clapping her hands together. “Oh my god, that's great news, Emmy!” Romy watched as Emerald's eyes filled with tears of gratitude. “Oh wow, I can't believe it. He's finally out of my life.” The actress glanced at Romy, squeezing her hand. “Sorry, I meantourlife.”
Romy was filled with joy. Emerald was now safe and was able to live her life fully. She knew this was true love and that she and Emerald could have a real future together. “Babe, I can't wait to start our life. In fact, it's starting right now.” Pulling Emerald close, Romy kissed Emerald Crowle,the Emerald Crowle, now her girlfriend. Any physical discomfort had completely left her body; love had cured all.
Epilogue
5 years later
Emerald positioned a bouquet of tropical flowers in the center of the dining table. “Ah, perfect. That looks lovely!” Satisfied with the place settings, she returned to the kitchen to check on dinner. Tonight, she was celebrating her second wedding anniversary. Her fourth marriage, but this was the first one that was real for her. First real love. Romy Russell. While the festivities were far more low-key than Emerald had previously been accustomed to, she was happier than she had ever been in her life.
Emerald opened the oven door, taking a whiff of the baked chicken she had prepared for her and Romy, knowing the recipe was her wife’s favorite dish. Knowing that she was a novice in the kitchen, Emerald had practiced a few times, wanting to perfect the recipe. It was a simple meal compared to the extravagant dishes that Emerald had enjoyed in the past. But while sophisticated restaurants could superficially impress with their opulent atmosphere and expensive price tags, these venues couldn’t match the loving warmth of a home-cooked meal.
Not long after she and Romy officially became a couple, the now ex-actress began a healing journey with the help of a therapist. In addition to the trauma she faced with Thomas, with the help of Romy and her counselor, Emerald was able to get back in touch with her authentic self. Emerald recognized how vapid and superficial she had become in the movie industry for decades. Now, with Romy by her side, Emerald felt courageous; true love had empowered her. Acting was finished for her now. There was no shortage of roles that had been offered to her since she had come out, but she realized she wanted different things now.
She was considering taking on a lesbian role if the right one came up. But it would need to be one she believed in passionately. She was done acting in movies purely for the box office.
After checking on dinner, Emerald noticed the time.Romy should be back from teaching any minute. I should bring down her gift.She ran up the stairs to the second floor of their Renaissance-style home, which the couple purchased in Hawaii Loa Ridge's gated community. In the master bedroom, Emerald retrieved her wedding anniversary gift for Romy.
Running her finger along the Koa wood frame, Emerald smiled as she studied the photo of herself and Romy. During their honeymoon, it was taken in front of the Namaka Wellness Retreat.
Emerald barely recognized herself; she felt she had changed so much in the past five years. With a pang of nostalgia, she gathered the framed photo and a small jewelry box containing a custom peridot and black coral ring she had made especially for Romy. Emerald thought it would make a fitting gift, considering black coral was the official gem of Hawaii, which the couple had since made their home.
Just as Emerald returned to the main floor, she heard Romy enter their home. “Hey, Em! My day is finally done, and now I can relax.” She rushed into the living room to embrace her wife. “Happy anniversary, my love.” Then in a playfully scolding tone, Emerald added, “You’d think that a co-owner would’ve taken a day off on her anniversary!” Emerald was only teasing Romy; she was impressed with her partner’s work ethic and passion. She wanted Romy to have something in her life that gave her purpose and enjoyment.
Romy pulled in Emerald, tightly squeezing her. “I know, babe. But I love teaching these classes, and with Marisol sick, I felt obligated to help out the team owner.” Kissing Emerald lightly on the nose, Romy joked, “I thought your diva days were behind you!”
Emerald lightly swatted Romy on the arm. “Oh, shush! You know I’m only kidding. I admire how committed you are to the Wellness Center, and I think it’s important that we remain active and connect with the community,especiallyas owners.” She pointed towards the kitchen, adding, “If I weren’t so busy watching over a hot meal in the kitchen, I would have run my Tropical Landscaping & Tiki class. But I told Lolani to cancel that session for this week.”
Emerald beamed as Romy pulled her closer, kissing her neck softly. “Well, I think you made the right choice. It smells amazing in here. Did you use fresh rosemary?” Romy asked, pausing to sniff the air.
“I did! Why don’t you get settled, and I’ll serve us dinner in the dining room,” Emerald suggested. She loved the look of seeing Romy sweaty and flushed, but she was also eager to eat. Her appetite had been robust ever since moving with Romy to Hawaii. Emerald assumed it was from a combination of clean air and their work to restore the Namaka Wellness Retreat as the new co-owners. And Emerald especially loved Romy’s dedication to her women’s self-defense classes. She knew it gave Romy a sense of purpose through helping people, paired with a physical workout.
After Romy showered, the couple sat to eat, surrounded by candles that Emerald artfully placed around the table. They reminisced over their early days of meeting one another, laughing at their personality differences that ultimately brought them together in marriage. Even after five years together, Emerald was still in awe of Romy’s strength, beauty, and patience. And she was also surprised at her own self-growth.
“And I have you to thank you for that. Did you ever imagine ushere, co-owning a wellness retreat? I swear, I never saw it coming!” Emerald exclaimed as she gripped her wife’s hand.
“I can’t say I saw this exact scenario coming, but Ididhave a feeling that, eventually, our lives together would change. I didn’t knowhow, but I knew we couldn’t continue a life in the spotlight for longer. At least, I couldn’t.” Romy commented between bites of roasted, rosemary-flavored chicken.
“Oh, Romy, it was beyond time for me to move on, too. Well, not that I will ever be exactly low profile unfortunately, but life is much easier out here for someone like me.”
“Oh, that reminds me!” Emerald had placed Romy’s gifts on a chair hidden beside her. “Happy anniversary. These are for you.”
Dimples formed on Romy’s cheeks, and she gave Emerald a delighted grin. “Oh wow, thank you! I have something for you as well.” Romy narrowed her gaze seductively. “But it’s upstairs. I was going to give it to you later.”
Emerald blushed. The passion between them was thriving; Romy still had a way of giving Emerald butterflies. Joking as she dramatically fanned herself, “Oh my! It sounds like your gift may be more like dessert.”
“More likeyou’rethe dessert! But that can wait until after dinner.” Romy grabbed Emerald’s hand, pulling her closer. She met Romy’s gaze, kissing her softly. “Okay, fair, but can you open your giftnow? I’ve been waiting to give it to you all day!”
Romy chuckled, shaking her head. “Alright! I don’t want to keep the princess waiting. But, no, I’m kidding; I’d love to, and thank you for thinking of me.”
Emerald handed Romy the gift-wrapped parcels. “Here, start with this one.” She passed the larger, rectangle-shaped present to her wife, grinning with delight. Emerald watched as Romy carefully unwrapped the package.
“Oh wow, Em!” Romy freed the present from its covering, presenting an 11x17-inch Koa wood picture frame. She ran her hand over the glass that covered the image. “This wood is absolutely gorgeous. And look at us! We look so happy outside of the retreat.” Emerald observed tears forming in Romy’s eyes, and she, too, was full of emotion. “That trip was such a turning point for us; this is a memory I will cherish forever.”
Emerald bobbed her head. “I know, right? An incredible honeymoon combined with the perfect business opportunity. Who could’ve imagined that?” Romy nodded in agreement. “As soon as we arrived at Namaka, I felt like it was home. After meeting Mia and spending those few days with her and her wife, everything felt like it was meant to be.”
“Oh, I loved Mia; they were so cute together. I trusted her immediately; her energy was amazing. And I can’t believe the deal we got! Namaka Wellness Retreat is an incredible venture.” She squeezed Romy’s hand and added, “I have so many ideas for the place.”
Romy replied gently, “I know how much you care about the center. But for now, don’t get overwhelmed. Your garden and landscaping classes seem to keep you busy enough. I want you to focus on yourself too, babe.”
