Epilogue 1
Deanna
A ddie is twirling in the mirror, thoroughly enjoying the frilly dress she gets to wear. It’s a courthouse wedding and she’s not a flower girl, but as Luke told her, there’s no reason she doesn’t get to be a princess for the day.
“You look pretty, Mama”
I glance in the mirror and for the first time in a long time, I don’t want to deny it. I do look pretty. My hair is curled, my makeup is on, and above all, I look happy. And free.
With the evidence against Joe and Kyle pointing toward their plot to, at the very least, abduct me, and at worst do something way more permanent, it’d been a cinch to get a search warrant for their respective homes. And those searches had turned up evidence of enough different criminal activities that neither of them will be seeing the light of day for a good long time.
Not looking over my shoulder is a new experience for me, but one I’m definitely working to get used to.
There’s a knock on my door and Malcolm walks in. He looks so handsome in his suit, and so grown up. But when he smiles, it’s that same sweet smile I’ve seen on his face since he was a baby.
My life definitely did not go the way I planned, but looking at Malcolm and Addie, even with all the misery Kyle created for me, I wouldn’t change a thing. I wouldn’t risk not having this moment.
“Wow! You look amazing, Mom.”
“But do I look hot?”
He grimaces. “Don’t make it weird.”
“Fine. I’ll say it. I do look hot.” I didn’t go for a traditional wedding dress, not even the short courthouse variety. Instead, I’m wearing a lace slip dress and a little velvet shrug. If I’d gone to prom back in the day, I imagine I would have worn something very similar.
We all pile into my car, Malcolm driving, and head for the courthouse. Luke is waiting for us outside, pacing up and down the sidewalk. When we pull up, he stops immediately and walks over to open my door.
“You’re not supposed to see me,” I tell him. “It’s bad luck.”
“I’ve got you,” he replies. “There’s no such thing. But I do want to talk to you about something before we go in. Mal, will you take Addie on inside?”
Malcolm nods and takes his sister’s hand, leading her into the building. She’s skipping every other step, happy as a clam. When they’re out of sight, I turn back to Luke. “Is something wrong?”
“Kyle killed someone in jail last night.”
It doesn’t surprise me. “So what does that mean for all of us?”
“Well, it means that he’s definitely never getting out until Addie is well into her adulthood. So, I thought, if it’s okay with you, I’d have a talk with Damien Sizemore about what it would take to terminate Kyle’s parental rights.”
“For Addie?”
“For Addie definitely. For Malcolm, too, if there’s time and he wants it. It’s kind of weird for him, being as grown as he is, to think about getting adopted by someone.” Luke stops. “But whether he wants me to adopt him or not, I can promise you that I will always be there for him. For all of you.”
I nod. “I know you will. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me outside of having my kids. You saved me.”
“No. We saved each other,” he says. “I might have taught you self-defense, but you save my life every damn day just by being part of it.”
—-
An hour and a half later, we’ve had our wedding cake at Lizzie and Troy’s. JT is there. Along with Emma and Cody. Britt is there with Karli, even though Silas is working. It’s amazing to me that these people have rallied around me. That after all the destruction Kyle has wrought in everyone’s lives, we can all be here celebrating together.
Luke talked to Addie about potentially adopting her. He said that if she wanted to keep her daddy’s name she could, but that he wanted to give her his too. She’s over the damn moon with it. Malcolm is happy, but still holding himself back a little. But I don’t think it’s lack of trust or even worry that maybe Luke isn’t all he seems. Malcolm is doing what all teenagers do before they leave the nest—he’s creating space for himself to be on his own. It’s so hard to let go, but that’s what he needs from me.
There are horns blaring and honking outside, so we walk over to the window and see that some of the fellow officers have taken great liberties in decorating Luke’s truck for our honeymoon. In addition to Just Married, there’s a sign on the back window about what not to do if the truck is rocking.
“Bunch of grown-ass men,” Luke grumbles.
“That’s our cue. Time to make our getaway. There’s a mountain cabin and a hot tub waiting for us.”
There are rounds of hugs and kisses, well wishes, and a few tearful goodbyes with Addie, who is going to spend the next three days with Britt and Karli. Then we’re in that overly decorated vehicle speeding down the highway toward a future that is far brighter than I ever dreamed possible.
Mrs. Deanna Hartford. I get to spend the rest of my life wearing a name I can finally be proud of.
“Thank you for rescuing me. Thank you for teaching me how to rescue myself,” I whisper.
In response, Luke just lifts my hand to his lips and kisses the back of it.