Ian smiled his dangerous smile. “It took some time to take Don Pedro’s visions seriously, especially when you seemed so reluctant to return my affections. I stopped counting the times you broke my heart.”

“I wasn’t sure you had one, Ian.”

He took my hand and placed it on his chest. “I do, and I entrust it entirely to you.”

“I promise to care for it.” I kissed his warm hand. “How many of Don Pedro’s stories are actually your own adventures?”

“We have the rest of our lives, together, and I think I shall save those stories for other nights. You and I will have so many adventures.”

Laughing, I said, “Ian, I think I can dedicate my life to going to parties in order to save the world.”

“I never doubted that you could, my own girl. Shall we go for a swim?”

“Go ahead, mi vida, mi corazon, mi amor,” I said, because he was all those things to me: my life, my heart, my love. “I’ll meet you on the beach.”

He kissed me and strolled off, leaving me alone but not lonely as I looked into the star-spangled sky.

Before meeting the vampires, I was a girl with dreams. I dreamed of being in love with a fabulous yet worthy man and being loved in return. I dreamed of having my stories published. I dreamed of having a home. I dreamed of being surrounded by friends and family. I dreamed of making a difference.

My stories were dreams, too, of a world that was bigger and more fantastical than what seemed prosaic reality.

And all those things had come true for me. I was loved by a fabulous, amazing man who could laugh with me. I had success as an author, albeit under Don Pedro’s name. Oswald’s family had become my family, and now I also had the Ducharmes and all my friends.

I’d made a difference. I’d united couples, created gardens, and thwarted the dangerous ambitions of madmen, death merchants, and extremists, while always finding time for friends and fun.

As for my home, the earth was my home, and, like Ian, I was a citizen of the world.

Death and happy endings were only the transfer points of an amazing journey. My story had just begun.

I walked down the hill to the beach. The white sand sparkled in the bright light of the moon. I pulled my clothes off and ran into the water and into my husband’s arms.

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