Epilogue
The sounds of festivity filled the cemetery, coming through a small door that had remained open after Daniel went out, in need of a moment to be alone. The atmosphere on the dining room was certainly comforting, and he could spend hours there, sharing experiences and laughs with the Count´s friends and the few humans invited to this Christmas dinner, but he needed some fresh air to assimilate all that had happened that night. A few hours earlier, he was returning home after a day at work, and now, he had traveled thousands of miles to be with them -and especially Winnie-. Thinking about her caused him to tenderly look at the gold and silver ring with refined appearance that he had put on his finger moments ago.
The cemetery's night ambiance was damp and cool, but pleasant thanks to the long jet-black coat he was carrying , and thinking about it, it could make him pass as a vampire wrapped in his cloak. The frigid temperatures and the smell of mud and vegetation contrasted against the warm atmosphere inside where everyone enjoyed a hearty dinner
- "Something happening, my friend?"- he heard the Count's familiar voice from behind his back , swooping down on his winged form through the dense fog that seemed to never disappear from the cemetery, hovering all over the place.
-"No, I just needed to get some fresh air"-
-"Well, if you do not mind, and since we are alone, i would like to give you something" – the Count said, changing into human form as he fished with a hand into one of the pocket inside his crimson coat and taking a paper that he extended to the boy.
-"What is it?"- he asked, hesitantly taking the small paper that the Count gave to him, opening his eyes widely as he looked at the amount written on the check.
-"Drac... what's this? You need this money, besides I didn't ..."-
- "My friend, don try to deny it, we know everything ... everything. And thanks to the donations that have arrived, we can afford it"-
Daniel was speechless for a moment ... it was clear that denying it was useless, and, although he couldn't understand how they had found out about it, it was clear that being able to refund the mortgage loan requested to pay off the initial hotel debt with the Romanian public institutions represented a relief to the grateful youngster.
-"Besides, I wish to make you a proposal"– the count continued with a growing smile, seeing Daniel´s reaction – "we would like you to manage the hotel's bills; you clearly have experience in legal aspects of the human world that none of us have. It would be very useful to have you around here... "–and, pausing before continuing, he looked back over his shoulder to watch the incorporation of other monsters – "I think everyone will agree"- the vampire said, as everyone began appearing on Daniel's line of sight: the werewolf couple and their cubs, the Stein marriage, Murray, Griffin, Johnny and the count´s daughter, slowly circling them with a smile of complicity, while Winnie stepped forward to take the young man's hand, who began to shed some tears.
-"Well? What do you say?"- Johnny asked him.
-"You would have here not only a job, but a home too, if you wish to"- Mavis cleared before, despite his best attempts to keep his calm, the young man broke in tears of joy, hugging Winnie and Drac, all of the present joining in a big family hug under the blessing of the sweet moonlight.