Calligraphy

Epilogue

Rafael adjusted his cuff links one final time before finally approving of his appearance. He was ready before his girlfriend per usual. Anais had been talking to the party planner on speaker phone all day to make sure everything was perfect for the event. She barked orders in between applications of eyeshadow and ruined her eyebrows every time she wiped her face in distress. Rafael found it amusing that she worried so much but other times it worried him as well.

"What do you mean the centerpieces are wilting?" she asked, touching up her eyebrows once again. "I told you to put them out last so they don't wilt. Jesus Christ!"

"What do we do?" The party planner sounded nervous, and rightfully so. Anais cared deeply about every detail of this party.

"Nothing now! Just make sure they don't get any worse. Try not to ruin anything else, please," she begged. "How's the lighting?"

"Anais, we need to go in about twenty minutes," Rafael said. "You only have one eye done." He couldn't help but laugh at the one eye with eyeshadow, liner and lashes.

"I know, baby, give me one second." She went back to the party planner. "So the lights-"

"Do your makeup, babe, don't worry about the party," Rafael insisted, massaging her shoulders. "Wow, you're tense."

"My flowers are wilting, Rafa, of course I'm tense."

"Give me the phone, I'll talk to the planner." He put his hand out.

"You're crazy," she scoffed.

"I'm not." He swiped the phone from her vanity table and she gasped.

"Give it back."

"Do your makeup in peace, babe! You haven't even blended your contour."

Anais turned back to the mirror and frowned. "I hate that I taught you makeup terms." She picked up a beauty blender and dabbed at the product on her cheeks.

"Thank you." Rafael took the party planner off of speaker phone. "Please just make sure the place doesn't burn down or something. I know everything is perfect, Anais is just a huge worry wart. Do something about those flowers though or else you'll be in trouble." He really cared about the flowers for some reason.

"Of course. I've got it under control. See you in a few."

Rafael hung up and put her phone on the charger. It was at 50% and there was no way it would last at that rate. While Anais finished her makeup, Rafael folded a piece of paper into fourths and sealed it inside a red envelope.

"You look beautiful," he said, stealing a kiss before she packed her purse.

"So do you. But let's hurry so I can check on my flowers." She opened the door to their condo and Rafael shook his head before exiting.

A month after the two began dating and moved in together, Anais had the grand idea of starting a skin care business. Rafael was obviously on board but didn't hesitate when explaining the risks of starting a business from scratch. They started by packaging the products in their old apartment and six months later, Anais closed on a licensing deal. Rafael's skin has also gotten much better since he started using her soap.

The guests cheered when Anais entered and Rafael couldn't help but burst with pride. She wasn't even thinking about the flowers while thanking people for showing up and supporting her product. One of those guests was Daveed, someone who'd supported both of them from the very beginning.

"Congratulations, Anais!" he said, embracing her. "Your soap is amazing. My skin feels brand new."

"You'll always get free products, Diggs, you know that," Anais said, squeezing Daveed tight for an extra two seconds. There was no escaping her hugs.

When champagne came around, Rafael insisted on making a toast. It wasn't in the schedule and Anais was on the timid side but he didn't want to leave the party without people knowing how proud he was of her. He tapped his flute with a spoon to gain everyone's attention.

"First of all, on behalf of Anais I want to thank you all for coming to celebrate her licensing deal! This is huge and she appreciates you all supporting her and I do too. You make her smile and when she smiles, I smile.

"But I really wanted to let Anais know how extremely proud I am of her for building this business up from the ground. That's shit you dream about and my girl made it happen in six months. I remember her staying up until three am trying to get every detail of these soaps and face washes right because she's such a perfectionist. It drives me crazy but it obviously pays off."

Anais linked arms with Rafael and blinked back the tears welling up in her eyes. He smiled and continued to talk.

"I'm so in love with your ambition and your drive, it's insane. You're the most hardworking woman I know and you've taught me so many things in between your creative bursts and slight breakdowns. Hopefully now that you have a licensing deal you can worry a little bit less but I know that's a bit of a stretch," he laughed. "You're beautiful and I love you endlessly. Cheers."

Rafael raised his glass and the guests followed suit. Anais pulled him in for a lengthy kiss and smiled as soon as they parted.

"I love you so much," she whispered.

"I love you more. Thank you."

"For what?" she asked.

"Moving us of out of that bum ass apartment," Rafael joked, kissing her forehead. "And for dating me for six months."

"I'd do it for six more months," she replied.

"Hey, I have something for you." He pulled out the red envelope from his jacket pocket.

"I told you no gifts," Anais sighed, accepting the envelope anyways. She pulled out a folded piece of paper and swallowed a goofy grin. "Oh my gosh."

"Read it!"

She opened the paper up and read the poem in Rafael's ear to avoid the noise:

You have never
Not been enough for me
But I have always
Not been enough for myself
And you, I've told of this

Sometimes
I just need to feel someone
Who wants the man I pretend to be.
The irony is that
Once I'm there with her
I become a man
Who would never
Do this to you

I love you
-R

"This is beautiful, as usual," she said. "What does it mean? I know it has a meaning."

"I was thinking about how I used to be before I met you and your previous relationship. I get to be myself around you and hopefully you feel the same way." He toyed with a lock of her caramel curls. "I'm just very happy. That's all."

"Me too," she replied. "You know, if you had never written these, we probably wouldn't be together."

"Oh we would be," Rafael countered, slinging in an arm around her shoulders. "I wouldn't let someone as special as you slip right through my fingers. Trust me."

*****

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