Epilogue
Harper
World Domination
Harper lay on the couch and basked in the glow of a successful party. Ash poured out the last of a bottle of champagne and brought her flute to the sofa. She sat up to take the glass, and he slid onto the cushion where she’d been lying.
Her phone pinged, and she checked for the latest update from Harmony as she settled back with her head in Ash’s lap.
“Who is texting you at one in the morning?” asked Ash.
“You will never guess. It’s my friend Harmony in Denver. She just found out from her boyfriend why Cooper wasn’t at the work New Year’s party.”
“Oh,” said Ash, and his face puckered up oddly. “Any interesting reasons?”
Harper glared at him suspiciously. “Yes, he had to talk to the cops and the insurance company because, apparently, he filed an insurance claim on my ring.”
“No kidding,” said Ash innocently.
“What did you do?” demanded Harper.
“Well, I have to report on my taxes why I paid that ten grand. So… I just… You know… I may have called some people and the insurance company to make sure everything was completely above board. Which it was. For me. It’s not my fault he’s a douchebag who tried to have his cake and eat it too.”
“It gets worse,” said Harper. “Apparently, the ballpark found the ring in a catch basin and returned it to him.”
“No!” gasped Ash.
“Yes, over a month ago, and now they want to arrest him for insurance fraud!”
“Well, it’s illegal to make both your ex-girlfriend and the insurance company pay you and then keep the ring. And the IRS doesn’t like it either. I may also have sent them an email, come to think of it.”
“I can’t believe you did that!” gasped Harper.
“Well, you got to punch him,” complained Ash. “Which was totally unfair because I really wanted to.”
“It was very satisfying,” said Harper guiltily.
“Insurance companies don’t give quite the same feeling, but it’s still pretty good. And Cooper getting arrested is just the kick-off to the New Year I wanted!”
“What a night,” said Harper, shaking her head and flopping back onto Ash’s legs. “Honestly, everything went so great.”
“It really did!” said Ash.
“Everyone had a good time. And I don’t know what you said to your mom out on the balcony, but when she came back in, I thought she was going to burst into tears out of happiness.” Harper maneuvered more champagne into her mouth and managed not to spill.
“That was Forest. I think they finally connected. I’m not saying everything got solved, but it felt like they both made a really good step. Also, it didn’t hurt that she took care of Olly all night.”
“She was delighted, and I think Olly liked having a new audience.”
“She’s going to spoil him rotten.”
“I don’t think they really mind.” Harper paused to take another sip. “And you did not tell me that Vivian was so cool.”
Ash laughed.
“No, she really is! Like, if we were in high school, she definitely would have been way cooler than me, but she was so friendly! She said nice things about my clothes, and when Chloe’s back was turned, Vivian said nice things about her.”
“What?” asked Ash, still laughing.
“Well, usually when you talk behind someone’s back, people say mean things, but Vivian said all nice things. She said Chloe was fearless and had an amazing sense of tenderness and justice.”
“Those are pretty good compliments,” agreed Ash.
“Yes! She also said we should go shopping together, which is how girls make friends. The movies all say so. So that means she wants to be my friend. And she was fully supportive of my Mel-Piper efforts. She swooped in with cocktails at just the right time.”
“Those two were making little heart eyes at each other by the time they left. I was doubtful, but that was some serious Cupid work.”
“I know!” Harper relaxed into the couch while Ash stroked her hair. “I don’t think tonight could have gone better, and the best part is that we can stay inside all tomorrow to recover.”
Ash laughed. “We do have to leave for an hour in the morning for the cleaning crew to come in, but I figured we’d just pop out for coffee.”
“Perfect,” said Harper, looking forward to her immediate future. “We will have the caffeine, and I will try not to traumatize the barista by translating more of her tattoos on my phone.”
“That was hilarious,” agreed Ash, “but probably not the most helpful for getting our drinks promptly.”
“See? Watching me traumatize people is not always fun,” said Harper. “So you should forget the getting married thing.”
Harper wished she hadn’t said the last part.
She loved living with Ash. She wasn’t crazy about living in a building that she didn’t think had been properly seismically retrofitted, but co-existing with Ash was fun.
It was enough to make her think his getting married idea wasn’t as crazy as it had sounded on the day they first met.
It would be nice to have Ash for always.
“Actually,” said Ash, clearing his throat, and he placed a small box on her stomach next to the champagne flute, “I was thinking that it’s the best idea I’ve had lately.”
Harper set her champagne down on the floor and opened the box. Inside was a silver-colored ring that Harper assumed was platinum because Ash never took the cheap route, but the prongs twisted around to embrace an enormous sapphire and diamond. It was like the Josephine ring on steroids.
She tilted her head back and looked at Ash.
“I…” She looked back at the ring, tentatively pulled it out, and slipped it on her finger. Of course, it fit perfectly. “I’m supposed to be doing… something.”
“You need a minute,” said Ash, still stroking her hair. “I’ve got all the minutes.”
Harper looked at the ring again. She had the strangest feeling of relaxation. She twisted the ring again. She held up her hand, and behind her fingers, she saw the remains of the party.
She looked up at Ash, tilting her head back.
“You could have done this at the party.”
“This is about you and me,” he said. “Not all of them. I don’t want you or us to perform for them.”
“I don’t know why you want to marry me.”
“Because you’re smart, funny, beautiful, and damn do I love how you tell the truth.”
“I have Harper Moments,” protested Harper. “You would have to deal with them forever.”
“I can’t picture anything better.”
“But… I love you,” said Harper.
“So, that’s a yes, then?” he asked, laughing.
She sat up and turned around to face him. “But you make my life so easy.”
“Good?” He looked like he wasn’t sure that was the correct response.
“Everyone else is such hard work. I feel like this can’t be right.”
“Ah,” he said, nodding. “Right. I understand. It’s like we’re getting away with something.”
“Yes!”
“That’s because we absolutely are. So, we’ll be sure not to tell anyone how much fun we have so they don’t feel bad about themselves.”
Harper giggled and then caught sight of the ring on her hand. The stones sparkled in a subtly ostentatious way.
“It’s bigger than Josephine’s,” she said. But she meant that the stones were bigger than her sisters’. Which should not matter, but it would make her family forget Cooper.
“Well, I don’t want world domination,” said Ash. “I just want you.”
“You may have me,” said Harper, admiring the shiny rocks. Ash leaned closer, obviously intent on collecting a kiss. “But it does come with insurance, right?”
“Yes, it does,” he said.
“Awesomeful,” said Harper, and wrapped her arms around Ash’s neck.
“You’re going to keep using that, aren’t you?” asked Ash, looking embarrassed.
“Yes, and carpet mower,” said Harper. “Because I love your brain.”
She gave him a soft kiss
“And all the other parts of you, too.”
The End