Page 104 of Modern Romance September 2025 5-8
The love of my life.
She arches against me, my name on her lips. And then she looks at me, her hand on my face.“Dragostea mea,”she whispers.
And I am lost.
I spill myself inside of her, and cling to her after, the shock of my orgasm leaving me breathless. She leaves me breathless.
“I’ve never thought about why I do anything,” I say. “Everything I’ve ever done has simply been another move on the chessboard. A bid for survival. But I’m not that man anymore. The choices that I make are not just about power, or survival. They are about loving you, and loving you well. They are about… Finding a way to do as much good in the world as my family ever did bad.”
Because I want to be a man worthy of her love. And I know that there is penance to pay so that I become him.
She puts her hand on my face. “I need you to know that I loved you exactly as you were. But it was just so hard. Because I felt like I was losing myself. But I want you to know that I’ve loved every version of you. And I’m so grateful that this is the journey you’ve gone on. That this is the way you want to love me.”
Because she would’ve taken me either way. Eventually. I do not take that unspoken truth lightly.
“I loved you the whole time,” I say. “Perhaps that’s why you couldn’t leave me.”
She nods. “I think so. But I’m glad that it happened this way. Because now…”
“Now we have found a way to live this love in a way that will not drive you mad?”
She lets her head fall back and she laughs. “Yes. Yes. But best of all, I get to know you. All of you. Not the fantasy of you that I created in my head. Because Dragos, the man that you are is a man so very worthy of love. You have taken the darkest things, and you put them in the light. You chose the light. Even when you didn’t know why it was important.”
“You make it sound as if choosing to love in a broken world, especially when you’ve seen just how broken it can be, is an act of astonishing bravery. I don’t need to be brave. I only need to be yours.”
She smiles at me. “How beautiful to know that we can have all this passion forever.”
“I promise.”
EPILOGUE
Cassandra
IWOULDN’T SAYthat I’m stressed. But the gallery is coming up soon, and I’m rushing to finish up a final piece, because I’m not happy with how the collection is rounding out. I’m finally doing an exhibition of the paintings I did of Dragos when we separated. And more that I’ve done during our time together since. It’s an evolution of our love. Because it was always there. I recognize that now. In the years since, it’s clear to me that we always had it. We had to learn how to show it, so that we could be together always. Because marriage is long; it’s different than a fling. Different than a one-night stand.
We’ve been living that gloriously in the time since. Several gallery shows, a great many triumphs for him in his business and two children after our world could’ve fallen apart, but instead was remade into something stronger than ever.
“And how is everything coming along?” Dragos comes in with our son on his hip, and our three-year-old daughter trailing behind him.
“Good,” I say, though that’s a lie, but I don’t want to get into my hysteria now. Even though I could. Because he’s always here for my temperamental nature, my temper and my passion.
Because he’s always here for me.
And I’ve learned I can love so many things. Him, our children, my art. I contain so much more than I ever thought I could.
We contain the universe.
“Good. I think that you should take a break and eat something. You can take it in here if you like, the kids are well managed.”
“You’re very good to me. I appreciate it. And I greatly appreciate the neglect that you’re enduring while I finish this up.”
“Well, I know that you’re going to support me as I embark on my next scheme.”
“And what is that?”
“I’m aiming to give away about half a billion dollars.”
“Really?”
