Epilogue
EPILOGUE
MY GIRL BY THE TEMPTATIONS
Brianne Archer:
The second the plane landed about 15 minutes ago I was bouncing up and down in my seat and tapping my toes every second with anxiety. We’re all in a group chat. Me, Bell, Kam, Lawson, Sienna, and Parker. They said someone would be here to pick me up, but they never told me who. I don’t even know if it will be one of them or someone random. I’ve never been to the Boston airport, but there’s a first time for everything.
Three years ago Parker graduated from Seattle Pike with not only a degree, but a Heisman trophy, a lot of new records, and a rookie spot on his hometown team, the San Francisco 49ers. I was actually more than happy he would be moving just down the coast instead of across the country, but I wasn’t at all happy to be at SPU without him or my brother… It took a lot of learning, being there without them. Growing up with my best friends, watching new friends come, and old ones graduate. Watching people fall in love, break up, find love, find themself. I did all of that too, except for the breakup part. Parker and I never did that again.
After I graduated, I packed my bags and moved south to California into Parker’s absolutely lavish apartment. I mean… I mean insane. Life altering. I had visited him when I was still in school, but he moved before I could protest, somewhere bigger. A place for both of us. I’ve been living there for a year now. I struggled a lot with what to do with my life the summer after I graduated. Parker said to do what I loved the most, which would be dance. I wanted to. Always. But dancing professionally doesn’t pay well unless you really break into the scene. He said money didn’t matter and I hated the thought, but ultimately, Bellamy talked me into trying.
I’m thankful I did. I’ve been professionally dancing with the San Francisco Ballet Company for the past year. I’ve also been content creating, mostly dance stuff as well as football behind-the-scenes content when I can sneak it with Parker. All of that combined has made it to where people notice me and want me to teach them. To come to their studios or judge at dance competitions. I’ve been flying around non-stop for the past few weeks just to teach master classes and answer questions for college students. I was in their shoes a little over a year ago and here I am now, living a dream I never thought possible.
Parker said that dreams were funny because they can be something made up, or something that can materialize if you work hard enough. If the stars align. I think dreams happen with luck and timing. And I’m really damn lucky the timing was right because I wouldn’t know where I’d be if it wasn’t dancing. Or in Boston, finally getting to see my brother and Kam after a few months, Lawson and Sienna after a long time, and Parker after weeks of FaceTime calls and screens. We start leaving the plane and I make sure to get off in a timely manner so I’m not stuck behind the slow pokes. The second I’m off, I’m racing to baggage claim and then I’m walking where the pickup is and I see an entourage, the whole crew standing in front of me.
I’m thankful there was no gap. No years apart like I thought there would be. First was Sienna and Lawson's wedding. I was a guest, Kamryn was the only bridesmaid, and Bellamy was the only groomsman. It was a very quiet ceremony, they got married at a vineyard and we all got drunk on wine after, including Lawson’s mom which was a sight to see. We always met up for Christmas, even if it was late or early. We also tried our best to meet up for both Bellamy and Parker’s NFL games. My favorite games were when they played each other. They came to see me at SPU as well, always welcomed by Coach Corbin.
After that was Bellamy and Kamryn’s wedding. Which as expected was a huge party. They got married in Washington on a Ferry Boat. They set sail, married with the sunset in the background, and got everyone drunk off wine, but lots of tequila for me and Dakota. Every single teammate of his was there. I was a bridesmaid at the wedding and Sienna was the maid of honor. I could have kissed Kamryn for picking out the prettiest baby blue for us to wear. She said it reminded her of the color she wore on her and Bell’s first date which was apparently on a ferry boat too. We had the night of our lives that day. I’ll never forget it.
But finally after years of trying we’re meeting in Boston. Lawson gave up playing football to coach an award winning high school team and Sienna still plays her sport and was called to this city. It was always in Lawson’s head I think that he didn’t want to continue to the NFL and from what I can see, this career looks and feels really good for him. He’s always stepped up with his teammates and seemed like a leader. So him coaching and teaching, it just makes sense. As for Sienna, I watch all of her televised games when I can and have become a huge fan of lacrosse, especially when she plays. We’re here for one of her lacrosse games, and Lawson has finally gotten Bellamy and Parker at the same time to come and meet his high school football team and coach them alongside him. It’s the very beginning of their training season, so they are going to think Lawson is the coolest coach ever. That’s definitely going to go to his head. But seeing all of them now, none of that matters. I just care that I’m with them. I leave my bags only a second behind me and Parker is the first to hug me, per usual.
“Hi, Sunshine.” His lips brush my ear and his hand is brushing my hair down on the back of my head.
“Back off. You get to see her more than I do,” Bellamy’s voice echoes behind Parker, and he quite literally pulls him off of me.
“Hey, I will—”
“If you two get in a fight at the Boston airport where there is quite literally paparazzi taking photos of all of us right over there, I will never hear the end of it from your coach Bellamy. You better stop.” Kamryn snaps and I smirk, ignoring Bellamy altogether and pulling Kamryn into a hug. Over the years Bellamy and Parker stopped acting like friends and really started acting like brothers. They fight and snap and argue, but they love each other more than I could explain. That’s how I feel about Kamryn. She’s the sister I was never lucky enough to have on my own. Sienna is like the cousin I never see but when I do it’s like no time has passed.
“Get your ass over here.” Lawson and Bellamy practically bear hug me to death together and I don’t care. I let them squeeze me until I can’t breathe.
“Where’s Dakota? And how’s Leah?” Bellamy asks me about my two best friends.
“Let’s talk about that in the car that’s waiting for all of us, get a move on.” Sienna claps her hands and we all move in, Parker being the one to grab my bags.
“Did you pack your closet?” he mumbles.
“You and I both know there’s far more in my closet than those bags,” I smirk.
“Dakota is in LA. He’s got some huge influencer event thing he’s planning. Honestly, I didn’t understand what he was saying when he was explaining it, but it looked cool. Leah is still in Washington, she finished school with a graduates.” I tell them. Dakota decided he wanted to start somewhere new when he graduated with me, so he did. He moved to California too and started working as an event planner. With his personality he’s made it easy for himself, booking things left and right. And if Dakota is good at anything it’s planning. Leah had one year left of her graduates degree after I left SPU, so thank god that’s finally over with.
“I miss him,” Kamryn pouts.
“I don’t,” Parker mumbles, running his hands through his chin-length hair. I roll my eyes at the constant battle between Dakota and Parker. They love each other but definitely at a distance. Parker I've learned doesn’t like sharing me when we each have the time. I’m absolutely fine with that thought.
“Where are we going first?” I ask.
“We’re going to my practice. I pushed it back to come pick you up from the airport you brat,” Lawson jokes and I scoff.
“One of you would have been fine!” I snap.
“You deserve the best, B.” Bellamy nudges my shoulder and I shake my head with a sigh, but I still keep a smile on my face. I lean my head against Parker’s shoulder and smell the light scent of his cologne, feeling at home for the first time in weeks. I know I’m going to have to tell him and Bellamy all the things I’ve been doing the past few weeks once we settle down in Sienna and Lawson’s apartment tonight, but for now, I enjoy the peace and quiet while we drive to the high school Lawson works at.
The high school is giant. I’ve heard him talk about it, and I’ve heard Bellamy say things too as he visited his first year in the NFL, but this is still more than I expected. The car brings us to the football field and then Bellamy leans his head in, telling the driver where to take my bags while we’re here.
There’s apparently a sports medicine program here and Kamryn is going to talk to the students in that, the football assistants on the field, and such. She’s excited because she’s been working to get her graduate degree all these years so she can work in the NFL. She has to be at the top of her class considering how hard she works and how smart she is.
Lawson offered to have me talk to the cheerleaders there as I cheered all four years in college, but I said I would feel like a poser considering I stopped cheering last year when I graduated.
We all make our way to the field and there is an assistant coach already warming the players up on the field that is smaller than the one at SPU but not by much. I’m shocked by how nice this school is. Considering their sponsors dump money into the football program I guess it should look like this. Lawson jogs forward and announces to his team who he has behind him, but before he can even say it, I see the excited faces of some of the players. They already know who the two people I’m standing by are.
“I brought my best friends to practice today, and I’ve been trying to get this to happen for years so today you listen, you learn, and after you can ask as many questions as all your little heart's desire, but until then, you focus. Understood?” Lawson snaps and they all nod in unison, looking at Lawson like he hung the damn moon.
“Heard,” the team echoes.
“Go on, introduce yourself.” Lawson claps my brother on the back, Sienna, Kamryn and I take a seat on the bench, watching the three idiots together.
“Do I really have to do that?” Parker asks Lawson and he sighs.
“Well if you learn one thing today guys, it’s that the NFL isn’t going to make you any less shy,” he jokes and I smirk.
“I’m Parker Thompson. I play starting wide receiver for the 49ers,” he introduces himself.
“And I’m Bellamy Archer, I play starting quarterback for the New York Giants,” he tells them.
I look at Kamryn and she’s already looking at me, a smile on her face.
“What?” I ask.
“It’s just sweet. How you look up to him. And also how much you love Parker just with your eyes,” she tells me and I shrug.
“Well, we’ve been through a lot already. It’s hard not to love him when he’s stayed true to himself… And you two have no room to talk when you both have weights on your ring fingers,” I mumble to both Sienna and Kamryn.
“That’s what happens when you marry good ones. Besides, you're next,” Sienna shrugs and Kamryn winks at me which only confuses me.
Do they know something I don’t? Kam stands up when the football assistants make their way onto the field with full water bottles.
I stay with Sienna, watching Lawson coach and Bellamy and Parker just have fun. They teach and play football with all of the team. It’s cute watching the young players look at my brother and boyfriend like they’ve never seen anything cooler. Like this will be the best thing to ever happen to them. After the practice ends and the players ask their million questions we all head back to Sienna and Lawson's penthouse apartment that stuns, to say the least. Both of them have done extremely well for themself, especially Sienna being a professional on the biggest Lacrosse team in the US.
We went to dinner and it felt… It felt like home. Like everything I always crave when I’m away. There’s never a shortage of laughter or warmth when we’re all together. It’s easy for us to mold back into the shape of our friend group. None of us feel like outsiders or the odd man out. It’s just right. It makes sense… Even if there are people that stop Bellamy and Parker for pictures every now and again. Something I still am not used to.
But now we’re back in the apartment, Parker and I in one of the guest bedrooms, readying ourselves for tomorrow, Sienna’s big game. Everyone else has snuck off into their corners of the apartment and I’m happy to finally be alone with him. After weeks apart. After so much time without feeling his fingers brush over my face.
“You look tired, Sunshine…” he mumbles and I nod.
“I am, but I haven’t seen you in weeks… I missed you,” I admit.
“I missed you,” he tells me for the first time.
“You looked really happy today with Lawson’s team… It was really sweet actually,” I admit, and he pulls me closer to him while we lay in the queen-sized bed, staring at each other.
His skin is warm against mine and I missed it, the way he feels pressed to me, the warmth of his touch and his breath fanning over me.
“I was happy. I am happy… I like talking about what I’m good at. I like playing with Bellamy. I miss it.” He tells me.
“I miss seeing you two on the field together,” I admit.
“Rumor has it… He hasn’t told you yet because he doesn’t want to get your hopes up, but I think that he might get traded… He might be moving, Brianne,” he tells me and I sit up.
“Are you serious?” I ask and Parker nods. I push him back, leaning over him.
“But we still have a while before that decision could be made… I’m just happy I got to see your face when I told you. See your smile…” He whispers, and then his fingers start tracing over my freckles. He’s never gotten to count all of them. But to this day I catch him trying. Every time he does, my heart melts.
“I don’t think you can count that high…” I admit.
“I don’t care.” He leans forward, pressing a whisper of a kiss on my lips.
“We should probably go to bed,” I tell him.
“I think we should get married,” he blurts out, and I shake my head, almost falling out of bed at the confession.
“Pardon?” I ask.
“I’m serious…” he whispers, kissing the pads of my fingers.
“And I am too. What did you just say?” I ask, thinking back to hours earlier what Sienna had said.
“Marry me… While we’re here in Boston,” he tells me.
“What in the… Parker? Do you even have a ring? I don’t have a dress… Is this… I mean have you thought this through?” I ask.
“Yeah. I have since the second I graduated and had to leave you in Seattle. I thought about it every single day. I actually already talked to Kam and Sienna about the possibility. And I do have a ring. I have the ring your mom wore, Bellamy got it from your grandparents and gave it to me a year ago. He gave me his blessing with it. It’s in my suitcase I can—”
“Parker!” I raise my voice.
“Shhhh.” He covers my mouth and I push it away.
“You’re insane? I… I mean, you… We….” I panic.
“We don’t have to. You can say no.” He shrugs.
“I want to say yes. Wait, yes. Of course, yes… What are we going to do? Why is this the way you asked me?” I laugh.
“Well, I imagine we elope while we’re here with our family,” he tells me.
“But what about—” I start. He barely lets me get a word in.
“Then when we go home we can have a reception and a ceremony with everyone else… That way Dakota, Leah, Xander, and everyone else can be present too. You can have bridesmaids and a really pretty dress and anything else you want. But—”
“Yes. Okay, yes. But why now?” I ask.
“Well, I’ve been wondering when it would feel right. And right now, right here after a few weeks apart it felt right. You feel right. Like sunshine.” He traces my lips and I kiss his fingertip, my eyes welling up.
“Parker you are the sweetest, most romantic, most—”
“Oh shut up you kiss ass…” He kisses me then, stopping my words and I smile with his lips pressed to mine.
“Leah is going to be so mad and Dakota is going to be pissed at me. We had a rule. We’d be each other’s best man and best woman at our wedding ceremony. That was the one rule I had!” I urge.
“Well, I think the past few years are proof that neither of us are very good at following the rules. Especially if the rules keep me away from you.” He tells me, his lips whispering on mine.
“I love you…”
I feel my lips turn up into a smile and I watch his eyes immediately soften. Parker hasn’t changed much. He’s shy. He’s grumpy. But he’s still the kindest, biggest-hearted man I’ve ever met. I know my parents would love him. I’m happy my brother does. And I’m happy I found the person that I never knew I always needed. Connecting with him, committing to him, and choosing him… Though they were rocky at times, they were the easiest decisions I ever made. I’d never regret Parker. Never in my life. So I kiss him again and again and again, never tiring of the feeling.