Epilogue
Armani walked through the door of the quaint little cafe in Paris, closing her umbrella once she got inside, her long tweed coat a little wet from the pouring rain. She turned and saw her friends waving at her from a table in the corner, the earthy scent of coffee engulfing her senses, it was much warmer inside. Fabian, Keomi, Merilla, Victoria & Genevièvewere cooped up on a table sharing warm bread and tea, their eyes lit up when they saw her.
“Armani get over here we saved you a seat and an americano,” Victoria called, Fabian’s arm wrapped around her middle.
“We know how much you love garlic bread, so here,” Geneviève added, sliding the bowl over to her and she smiled at the gesture.
“Thank you! I’m sorry I’m late, I had a few things to finalise at a meeting.” Armani explained taking a long sip from her coffee cup.
“Oh for the academy in Athens?” Fabian wondered.
“Of course, it’s all we’ve been hearing about from them for weeks,” Merilla answered with a cheeky grin. “How’s that coming along by the way?”
“Perfect actually, it’s been a little stressful but I know that in the end, it will be worth it. We’ve had the idea to start up an art school in Greece for a long time, we never thought it’d be possible but obviously, now that it’s all in motion we’re very excited.” Armani explained to them, “it’s going to be called the Athens Academy of the arts.”
“Ah! I am so happy for you guys, if anyone deserves to teach about art it’s you.” Keomi smiled warmly.
“Thank You Keomi, what about you Victoria, how is your masters coming along?” Armani asked,
“Deciding to study criminology was the best decision I ever made to date. I graduate in the fall, and then I can start working.” Victoria told the group.
“My beautiful detective.” Fabian mused, kissing her cheek.
“Yeah yeah, whatever just rest assured that if you ever slip up I’ll know you’re cheating on me before anyone else!” Victoria warned, her English accent strong.
“You two will always be the most unlikely pair…” Merilla giggled. “How did this even happen?”
“She bakes really good cupcakes,” Fabian admitted.
“And he’s a bit of a loser, but that’s okay because I like them pathetic.” Victoria joked and Fabes rolled his eyes at her.
After that Armani learned that Merilla and Muleya would be moving in together soon and that he met her parents and they loved him. That Keomi would be the first Japanese woman to lead an orchestra at the Sydney opera house all on her own, that she had fallen for one of the pianists she’d met during rehearsals. She’d learn that Fabian won an award for being the best upcoming artist to look out for and Victoria had gotten a pet cat named Chester. Geneviève had been spending her free time travelling the world and seeing all the beautiful places that it had to offer. Armani learned that alas, her friends had grown up, that they were doing well and it made her the happiest person in the world.
“I’ve got to answer this, hold on,” Keomi spoke, excusing herself rather suspiciously.
“When is River getting here, it’s kind of late?” Armani huffed checking the time on her watch, he was supposed to arrive twenty minutes ago.
“Don’t worry about that, tell me more about the academy,” Genevièvesuggested, then glanced at Keomi almost as if in an attempt to distract Armani from asking any questions.
After about an hour Keomi stumbled back and called out to them “It’s time, come on!” And everyone immediately stood up from their seats.
“Wait, what?” Armani wondered,
“Already?” Fabian asked, making sure.
“Yes, yes it’s happening right now come on!” Keomi answered, pulling Armani along with her as they made their way out of the cafe, Armani having to hold onto her beanie so it wouldn’t fly away.
“Where are we going?” Armani shouted over the rain.
“Somewhere special!” Merilla answered her, running alongside the girl.
“You’re all crazy!” Armani protested.
“That was confirmed a long time ago, babes.” Victoria reminded her.
Soon enough they stopped on a cobblestone pathway that Armani easily recognized stopping in her tracks, there were rose petals on the ground, and she turned around to look at her friends who were just smiling at her, noticing that Keomi was getting teary-eyed.
“What is all this?” Armani asked, her voice small.
“It’s yours.” Was all Victoria answered? “Follow them.”
And at that she began to follow the rose petals until it led her right to a very familiar bookstore, she glanced up at the sign that read LE CHAT CURIEUX and her heart swelled in her chest at the realisation that she’d been here before. That this was where she’d met him for the first time. She pushed open the door and the bell chimed above her, the bookstore seemed to be vacant except for oil lamps giving the rustic room piled with novels to the ceiling a dewy orange glow. The room was ornamented with various paintings of Armani, dating all the way back to her first year at St Katherine’s, when she was much younger. All with River’s signature on them, she realised then that he had been painting her…always. He never stopped. That this must’ve all been orchestrated since the very first day, that there was never a moment in which he hadn’t loved her with intention.
There was a note on the front desk that read;
FIND THE BOOK.
So she made her way down an aisle with the author’s names beginning with R and found the copy by Robert Louis Stevenson. She opened up the book and right inside was a blue diamond ring, she cupped a hand over her mouth in shock, her heart racing in her chest, tears trickling uncontrollably down her cheeks. There was an engraving on the inside that read 9/9/10 which was the date that she was first here.
“You can come out now silly.” Armani chuckled, wiping her tear-stained cheeks. “You’re so creative.”
Just then, as if it were the very first time River appeared from behind the shelf, her deep blue eyes pinning her in place, still effortlessly taking her breath away. He knelt down on one knee and reached out for her hand,
“Armani Oyana Nnandi will you do me the extraordinary honour of allowing me to be eternally yours?” River proposed and she smiled because he did not know, he did not know that she had been his since the very first day.
And where it all started, was where it was destined to end. With a midnight girl in a bookstore and a beautiful boy who only ever dreamed of bringing her all the happiness in the world.
A year later
Armani held the camera in her hands narrowing her eyes to shield them from the midday sun, it was much harsher here in Nairobi than it ever got to be in France. She positioned the camera to suit her liking, having recently gotten into photography since graduation.
“Move a little closer,” Armani suggested as Jaadi moved closer towards River, the elephant swinging its long trunk beside them as they fed it bright green leaves.
“I’m scared!” Jaadi admitted and River chuckled.
“No need to be afraid, the only thing the elephant wants from you is more food.” River attempted to console the younger boy.
“I don’t want to become elephant food!” Jaadi expressed and Armani shook her head slowly in disbelief.
“Elephants don’t eat meat,” River explained to him.
“You mean like you?” Jaadi wondered.
“Just like me,” River affirmed and Armani couldn’t help but giggle.
“We don’t compare human beings to animals!” Armani’s mother scolded. “Jaadi you’re going to give me a heart attack.”
“Sorry, mama.” Jaadi quipped, holding his hands up in surrender.
“And what do we say?” Her mother asked,
“Sorry Uncle.” Jaadi apologised.
“You can just call me River if you want, you know?” River suggested with a smile. “You don’t have to be so formal with me.”
“It’s in our culture out of respect, baby you’ll always be his uncle.” Armani reminded River.
“The coolest uncle!” Jaadi assured him reaching for a high five and River returned the gesture, his heart was so full knowing that he had a whole new family to love and care for him, to welcome him. “Are we still going to visit the train station after, just you and I? No girls allowed?”
“Am I supposed to leave behind even my favourite girl?” River questioned teasingly.
“My sister? Yeah, we’re ditching her!” Jaadi protested and I laughed.
“It’s alright you boys go ahead without me, mama and I will go to the spa and have a day out,” Armani told them, and her mother smiled at her.
Slowly but surely, she was able to build a better relationship with her mother, both of them making a conscious effort to understand the other and where they were coming from. It was a lot on her mother’s part, to have to unlearn a mindset that was taught to her, to let go of even the harsher parts of her culture. But she was able to do so, for the sake of her daughter’s happiness. To learn to see Armani, not as an extension of herself, but as her own person. There is a reason why doctors insist that a parent be the one to cut the umbilical cord when a child is born; to help engrain the fact in their minds that while that child is theirs that they had a body and mind of their own.
“Can I get my picture now?” Armani wondered, tilting her head to the side with a smile, “Keomi and Gene are blowing up my phone begging for photos from this trip.”
“Smile for the camera.” Jaadi called out, “Feed the elephant River!”
River smiled, the brightest Armani had ever seen that day, capturing the perfect shot of her family together now, and trusting that they’d be together always.
“Does he know yet?” Armani’s mother turned to ask her.
“About what?” Armani played along,
“That you’ve been eating for two this entire trip?” Her mother smiled.
“How did you know?” Armani smiled,
“A mother knows these things.” Her mother assured her, stroking her hair.
“He will soon, he’s very intuitive.” Armani pointed out.
Two years later, somewhere in Greece
Armani watched in the Mirror as River massaged oils into her scalp and she sighed deeply in relief, he was always so good at it. He then reached for an Afro comb and gently moved it through her thick curls, it never hurt when he did it, everything about him was always so very gentle.
“Tell me if I’m hurting you okay, love?” She asked her.
“You never do.” She assured him and he smiled, shaking his head slowly.
“Don’t you have to oversee some things over at the academy today my love?” Armani asked.
“I’ll do so tomorrow, today I want to spend it with my favourite girls,” River told her and she rolled her eyes playfully at him.
“You don’t even know if this one’s going to be a girl yet?” She reminded him.
“I know but I can sense it,” River assured her.
“You want to be a girl dad so bad!” She chuckled.
“I was born to be exactly that.” He affirmed, “Don’t you think?”
“True.” Armani smiled as he wrapped his arm around her waist placing his palm over her belly.
“Hi, sweet girl.” He whispered. “I can’t wait to meet you.”
“It’s so odd…” Armani mentioned,
“What is?” River asked,
“It’s like having you living inside of me.” Armani explained to him, “You quite literally breathed life into me.”
“I did, didn’t I?” He held her gaze, just then they heard the sound of familiar tiny feet padding across the hallway as the door swung open and a little baby boy with bright blue eyes, a face full of freckles, warm brown skin and long curly hair walked into the room holding a box of beads and string.
“There you are Rain!” Armani chuckled.
“Hi, mommy! Papa, pick colours!” The child asked tugging at River’s sleeve.
“Of course petit lumière.” Little light, River agreed to choose the blue, purple and pink ones, Armani smiled because she knew why he chose those. “These.”
“Pretty, wanna make it now.” Rain told his parents, just as Armani pulled him onto her lap. “Hey!”
“You can make papa’s bracelet while I braid your hair, my sweet,” Armani told him, beginning to knit cornrows as the child frowned adorably.
“Are you excited to be a big brother Rain?” River asked,
“Yes!” Rain answered, he was getting good at talking lately. He was always a quiet baby, very introverted just like his father, he also happened to look a lot more like River than Armani. The blue eyes were a shock to everyone at first, but that unwavering kindness, that smile…it was all hers. “Here daddy!”
“Thank you.” River accepted, allowing Rain to slide the beaded bracelet onto his wrist, and he never once took it off, “It’s very beautiful.”
And it was then that one would realise that that was exactly who they were at their core, and who they were destined to be, a family bursting with colour who turned ashes into beautiful things.
