Epilogue
“Play with me,” Avery begs.
Gabriel demurs for about half a second before sitting down across from her. He couldn’t deny her much before, but the larger her tummy grows, the more he anticipates her every whim. I think he’d build a castle on a cloud if she asks for it by the time we get to nine months.
A large crystal-cut chess set presides over the room, available for anyone to play. They begin their game, sparring with words as well as pieces.
The Den is still a private club in the city, but less about s*x or gambling. Now it’s a place where the citizens of Tanglewood can gather to discuss s*x and mathematics, to eye f**k and play chess.
The city still has poverty and violence. There isn’t an equation that fixes that, no matter how late I stay awake and work. But it has hope
