Epilogue: A Date

“And in a surprising act, Sunny Shores’ negotiations with Hell for aid have finally ended, with Hell agreeing to a full restoration of the city. In exchange, the city will work on becoming a Demon Haven, a place to exchange ideas and further relations. Many nations are skeptical of the matter, however, the mayor insisted it as thanks for defending their home.”

David smiled as he walked past the construction sites. Despite the recovery of his home, everyone seemed happier than before. Calacas and demons aided in repairing the buildings while the people continued to operate their businesses from just outside.

Soon, David arrived at the park, where Morgan used her magic to repair the gardens. She was dressed in a white and purple dress, and her smile radiated far brighter than she had ever been. Turning around, she saw her love approaching. “Honey, look! I got the roses blooming!”

David looked down at the purple roses, squatting low in order to get a better look at them. He smelled their aroma and felt pride in his girlfriend for what she had down. Plucking one of the flowers, he handed it to her. “They’re beautiful. It’s clear you put much of yourself in them.”

Blushing, Morgan took the flower and smiled down at it. “David… You’re so cheesy sometimes, I swear.”

“Ohhh, I’m cheesy!” He laughed and nudged her. “Says the girl who openly declared her marriage to me at my work!”

“Oh, shut up!” She laughed and pushed him. She then realized she forgot to restrain herself and found David face first in the sharp roses.

After David picked himself up, they walked down the park as their pre-date warmup. He looked down at his phone and saw texts from friends. “Jacob is going to be promoted to head of Software Development… Sinclair now has 54 percent shares in his company again… Oh! Harold’s going to be a dad!”

“Oh my gosh! Tell him I said congrats!”

“And he wants us to be the godparents.”

“Huh??” She blushed in embarrassment, looking away. “M-Maybe… Don’t you think that maybe it should be someone… B-Better?”

“You’re damn right it should be!”

The two looked up to see who they came to meet. Standing proudly before the two with crossed arms and a scowl on her face was Bethany. “No good would come if that child had the DEVIL as a godmother! If anything, I should-!”

She was suddenly knocked upside the head with a fan as Gabriela approached behind. “Enough with the posturing. You’re not strong enough to back up those words.”

David smiled at the two and waved. “Beth, Gabby. How have you both been adjusting since the… You know…”

“That’s BETHANY, you dumb mortal! I will not take your-!!”

Gabriela quickly covered Bethany’s mouth. “We’re managing. I appreciate you helping us find cheap apartments and jobs in all this mess.”

David shrugged with a smile. “Well, I knew at least one vacancy was available after I quit. I figured it should go to someone who deserved it.”

“Yes… Deserved it…” Gabriela sighed as she rubbed her head. It was clear that trying to learn to code on the fly was taking a toll on her, an exhausting pain that drained her.

Morgan sauntered forward, maintaining her proud facade. “Well, I can say that we are doing much better than you, Bethany. Our house and net worth can attest to that.”

Bethany stepped forward. “Well, at least we work for our money instead of sitting around letting it pile up.”

“At least I don’t come to my significant other smelling like pizza grease.”

“At least MY significant other can satisfy me!!”

“I am the Queen of Hell! You sling pizzas for a living!!” The two were in each other’s face, scowling.

“At least I can get around faster than you, considering you’re five minutes late!!”

“Oh, you want to bet??” Morgan pointed to a distant ice cream stand. “First one to get two cones back for our loves is officially the fastest in Sunny Shores!”

“You’re on, Goat Legs!!!” Bethany shouted before sprinting out towards the stand. Morgan quickly followed, the other two just watching as they competed with each other over something so petty.

“Goddammit…” David muttered, rubbing his head. “We should probably go before they start blowing stuff up.” He began walking towards the stand but was stopped by Gabby grabbing his shoulder.

“Wait. I need to ask you something.” Her face spoke of the same quiet coldness she clearly always had inside. As he nodded to tell her to go on, she spoke in the tone of a detective. “Angels aren’t mortal when they’re defeated. We go to Hell forever. You clearly spoke to God and that means you’re the reason all the angels involved became mortal. Why?”

“Oh, that…” David looked away and scratched his face. “I don’t know. I guess… In my head at the time, it didn’t make sense to punish you for being manipulated by someone else. You literally thought that I was going to start the end of the world. I figure that if you had to be punished, you should at least work to get back to a better life.”

Gabby simply watched as the mortal spoke, being quite earnest in his answers. Maybe it was because she couldn’t see into souls, but she felt that David was someone who could be trusted. She nodded and gave him a soft smile.

“Mercy and forgiveness… You really are a spiritual man, aren’t you?”

“Me? Nah…” He laughed, walking forward. “I’m just learning from the lessons of someone better than me. Now come on. Otherwise, our girlfriends are going to kill each other.”

Gabby nodded and followed close behind her. She swore that in the light, there was someone walking next to the one who saved him. Perhaps it was just the light. It didn’t matter. It was a beautiful day for a double date.