Epilogue

Roberto George Vargas & Antonia Leticia Vargas

It was that night, as they lay in bed together for the first time as husband and wife, that Toni raised herself on an elbow and looked down at her husband. "'Berto, I have some news for you."

"What could be better news than hearing that we're married?"

"I'll let you judge how good the news is, though I confess that being your wife is a superlative joy. The news, which I just confirmed on Tuesday, is that I'm pregnant."

"We're going to have a baby?" His face was alight with an added joy.

She nodded, suddenly unable to speak. Instead, she bent her head down and kissed him on the lips.

When she drew back he said, "Toni, this is the perfect cap to our wedding day. To become a husband and a father on the same day ... it's just too marvelous, I don't know how to express it." He pulled her head back down.

This time he ended the kiss. She reached out and smoothed his hair, mussed from the bed. "My darling husband – I expect I'm going to be very emotional for a few days, and call you all sorts of pet names – my darling husband, I have much to thank you for. You loved me when I was not very lovable. You taught me to love again when I thought it was impossible. You made me happier than I'd been in a very long time. You took me into your heart when I didn't make it easy for you. You've now made me your wife, and given me your child. I don't know how to express my happiness, or my gratitude. All I know how to say is, I love you."

His finger traced her eyebrow, her cheekbone, her jaw, the shape of her lips. "I love you, Toni. As we said this morning, only death shall separate us. And what's even better, my love – death will only separate us temporarily, for the one who dies first will simply go ahead to the home that awaits both of us. I don't know exactly what heaven is like. I know we won't marry there – I've learned that already. But I have to believe that though what we'll have will be so much better than what we have now that we can't even begin to imagine it – I have to believe that when we're both there, when we see each other again, we'll still love each other. I can't believe that our love is only temporary."

"Oh, Roberto. You've spoken the thoughts of my heart. I have thought of this myself, of how we'll love each other here on earth, and then love each other again, and forever, in heaven. I don't know all the details either, my darling, but I'm like you. I can't believe that the love God gave us will end here. I believe, like you, that it will continue, only better, when we're in His presence."

His face was now wet with his joyful tears, as was hers. "Then come here, Toni. If we die together tonight, we've had our time here, and it will be so much better there. And if we both live another 80 years together, then we'll praise God for it. Come here, my love. Sleep beside me as my wife."

And she did.