Saepe tuo dulci tristes ex ore recursent.

Uentum ad supremum est.

“What is it?” Giovanni asked.

“It’s from Virgil. The last book of The Aeneid.”

His voice was soft. “What passage?”

“It’s when Juno and Jupiter are making peace in the end. ‘Now cease, at last, and give way to my entreaties, lest such sadness consume you in silence, and your bitter woes stream back to me often from your sweet lips.’” She paused, blinking back the tears as she read the final line. “‘It has reached its end.’”

Beatrice heard him gasp, and she spun around. Giovanni’s jaw was clenched tightly, and he was staring up at the window. She could feel his energy reach out toward hers as he held out his hand. She walked over and his arms encircled her. She closed her eyes and held him tight.

“Has this reached its end, Gio? Even after all the evil, he did some good, too. So much lost, but so much gained. We found each other. The past is gone, and no one can take our future. You asked me once to let it be enough.” She nodded and pressed her cheek against his chest. “It is. For me, it is enough.”

Giovanni pulled back and cupped her face in his hands. His eyes searched hers before he nodded. Then he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her mouth. “Yes, Beatrice, it is enough,” he whispered before he kissed her again. “It is enough.”

The light behind the stained glass glowed brightly, a reminder of all they had searched for and all they had found. Beatrice pressed her cheek against Giovanni’s as they embraced, and she could feel their hearts beat together in a slow, steady rhythm. The two lovers held each other as the light poured over them, and everything was illuminated.

The End