Two weeks later

It was him.

I vividly remembered the roman nose he sported because it complimented his prominent high cheekbones. No one had such precise features. His hair was in a low fade, unlike his usual side part. His face no longer carried him a gloomed beard, instead, it was hairless; just like when we first met.

He was smiling gracefully at Hannah Garner, who was laughed loudly at whatever he was telling the older woman.

Had she been the one to invite him?

Was he here for me?

My body quickened in response, my belly roiling with tangled emotions even after all these years.

He's alive.

Suddenly couldn't stop myself from walking toward him only to stop when he turned his eyes in my direction.

His eyes were a completely different colour: a strange crystal grey instead of amber. That wasn't the only thing different about him. His cheekbones weren't as high and his eyebrows thick and bushy. As he lifted the champagne glass to his lips I noticed something else, his hands were bare, free of tattoos.

It wasn't him.

I felt every ounce of blood drain from my face.

Of course, it's not him!

Gabrielle died three years ago.

You buried him.

You visit his grave twice a week.

I took a deep breath and looked at my dead husband's doubleganger as he laughed. Gabrielle never laughs, you'd be lucky to even get a smile from him.

Sensing that I was staring, he glanced at me for a second and continued his conversation.

I quickly started walking towards the other side of the room. I couldn't stay close to him, he looked too much like Gabrielle yet acted so differently.

Who was this man?

The room was filled with strangers who were here to donate to the Dakoda Foundation for Single Mothers annual charity.

But out of all the men who could have attended tonight's function, he did. He looked more like Gabrielle than his own brother, Niccolo. Yet he was so different from the two men. Gabriele would have never attended a charity. He hated big crowds and he preferred to donate in private. He was also cautious when it donating money to certain organisations. He trusted no one and so he saw each organisation as a scam or a potential one.

"The world didn't need to know what I'm was doing," he said when he was invited to a Christmas charity ball our first year together. He declined and we stayed home. I remembered how disappointed I was because I'd never got the chance to experience something so lavish. He managed to get my mind off the ball by passionate and demanding lovemaking.

Gabriele was my everything and when he died half of me died with him.

"Are you alright?" I turned my attention to my friend's concerned gaze. She looked beautiful tonight. Her dark hair fell on her shoulder with care-free curls and her blue dresses fitted her perfectly.

I managed to fake a smile. "Of course, Why wouldn't I be?"

Jakobia shrugged, "For one, you look like you've seen a ghost."

That's because I have.

"I'm just tired." I lied. The centre was closed all day and so I spent the day at home sleeping until I picked up Alessandro, my son from school.

"You should rest when you get home." Jakobia looked down at my feet, "How are they?" Two weeks ago Jakobia's ex-boyfriend tried to run us off the road. I ended up being hurt in the process. I wasn't hurt too bad though, just a broken anklet and some bruises. The accident could have been way worst since Alessandro and Jakobia's daughter Jamaica was also in the vehicle.

Thanks to Niccolo, William, Jakobia's ex won't be a problem ever again.

She finally got her happy ending.

She had a husband who loved her dearly, so much that he adopted her child as his own.

She deserves all the happiness in her life after all she's been through.

"My feet are okay. I started driving again Monday."

She frowned, "Did the doctor clear you?" I shrugged. The doctor told me to wait at least two months before I started driving again but I hated being chauffeured around town by Niccolo's pets. "You should be careful. Not put any pressure on your ankles."

I gave her a genuine smile. If only she knew.

A broken anklet was nothing compared to what I've had to endure in my life growing up.

"I'll be fine," I assured.

I heard a giggle behind me so I tilt my head to look. Emily, the last member of our trio joined.

Jakobia frowned at her, "Are you okay? I think you might have had a little too much to think."

Emily shook her head, "No, no." she lifted the drink that was in her hands, "This is non-alcoholic champagne. If I got drunk tonight who would bring Harry and Jason to school tomorrow."

Emily was the funny one in the group. Always laughing and enjoying herself. "Come on, tell us what's so funny."

"Oh, it's nothing funny." she looked at the two of us and smiled, "I think I might be falling in love."

I raised my eyebrows at her, "Really."

She nodded, "Yes. Don't turn around but a man is talking to Valdo. He might be the most handsome man I've ever met in real life and do you know what the best thing is?"

I shook my head, "No."

"He smiled at me," she answered with a blush.

I chuckled at her schoolgirl behaviour.

"Did you get to talk to him?" Jakobia asked.

Emily shook her head, "No. I haven't. I'm not brave enough to go up to him just like that."

"Why not?" Jakobia asked, "You're one of the bravest and boldest women I've had the pleasure of knowing."

"Really?" Emily asked with a blush. "Well, he's different. There is just something about him."

"Can we look around now?" I asked. As much as I'm dedicated to my dead husband, I still enjoyed looking at handsome men. They, of course, will never replace him or even be given a chance to replace him. It was too risky for me to entire into a different relationship. They were so many things to think about and the most important one was Alessandro.

"No, don't look yet. He's looking in this direction. Act normal." I tried to act normal by placing the glass I held in my hand to my head.

"What do you even know about this guy?" Jakobia asked.

"Well considering this is the first time I'm seeing, him not much but he's probably like everyone here, well except me," she mumbled.

Dakoda Foundation for Single Mothers Annual charity targeted the wealthy and so all the attendees were at least millionaires. Emily excluded her self because she wasn't a millionaire and she wasn't close to being one. She was a single mom of two with a pile of debt. She was here because she helped organize the whole thing and she's also been a friend to us when we've needed her.

"See, I told you. You're getting your own millionaire." Jakobia said joking. She didn't know about Emily's financial problems because I'm the only one Emily has ever been able to talk about it with.

It would be great if Emily could get herself a kind rich man like Jakobia's husband Valdo. Emily had a pile of debt that her ex-boyfriend left her with.

I've offered to help her a few times but she's always declined my offer. I didn't make much sense to me. We all had enough money to make sure she never has to worry about working again but she's refused my help. There wasn't anything else I could do.

Emily blushed, "I was joking."

"Yea, you were," I responded sarcastically.

"My kids are still young. They still ask for daddy. I think they're ready for a step-father as yet." Emily's ex got arrested early this year for raping his neighbour's ten-year-old daughter. It was rough for her because persons in the community started threatening her for something she had no control of. How was she supposed to know her boyfriend was a paedophile when he showed no such signs?

"You've got a point. But why are you even crushing on him if there will never be a relationship with him?

She shrugged, "A girl's got fantasies."

Jakobia and I chuckled the same time.

Emily paused, "Don't look around. He's coming our way." This time Jakobia and I couldn't obey her instructions. We turned and look to see how was coming our way.

My breath stopped once I noticed who she had been crushing on all the time.

I turned my head away from him and closed my eyes.

He remained me too much of my late husband, physically that is. I was still curious to find out how he was. I thought I'd have to do it my way.

"Good evening, ladies," I told myself I wasn't going to turn around and look into this man's face. He reminded me too much of Gabriele.

Emily gave me a tiny but painful causing me to turn and look at her. She smirked and tilt her head to the man who just joined our conversation.

I rolled my eyes before turning to look at the man who shared similar features to my late husband.

He placed his hands out to me, "I'm Kayson Brown and you are?