Epilogue #2
Jesse gives me a few pats on the back before rushing over to her daughter. “Baby girl,” she cries, hugging her tight.
Dirk comes running from the kitchen, barreling into them and wrapping them both up in his strong arms.
Raffe steps behind me. “We should go upstairs and change.”
I nod, giving the little family one last look before heading upstairs with him. The entire club is wearing pajamas tonight. I’m so excited because honestly, when are you ever going to see a bunch of scary bikers in red and green jammies?
Raffe and I smile at each other as we get dressed. I swear we get cheesier and cheesier the longer we’re together.
When it’s time to open presents, everyone goes one by one. “Okay, these are from me. Everyone got the same thing. All but three of you,” I say to the adults. The kids tore into their gifts hours ago.
“Alright!” Brody yells. “Fuck yeah.” He shoves an entire piece of fudge into his mouth.
My mother holds her quilt up proudly for everyone to see, but when the attention focuses on Billie Rose, she lets out a little sob. She’s reading the card I wrote to her. The one that explains my gift. Her hands shake as she lifts the wind chime from the box.
“Grandpa told Jenny it was his mother who told him about the wind chimes. That’s who he got it from. Maybe when he heard them it was his mama calling him home.” She begins to cry.
I almost feel bad for making her so emotional on Christmas Eve, but when she jumps from her seat to give me a hug, I’m glad I did.
She whispers in my ear, “I needed this so bad, Jenny. I’ve wondered my whole life what he meant. Now I know. Oh my gosh, and he actually listened to these.” She hugs them to her chest before rushing over to show her mom and dad.
Dirk gives me a little nod of his head. He’s pleased his daughter is over the moon with her gift.
“Okay, who’s next?” my mom asks.
“Oh, I’m not done! I haven’t given Raffe his gift.” I hand him a little box with a red bow on top.
His brows pull together curiously as he opens it. When he sees what’s inside, his mouth falls open. He doesn’t say anything for a long moment.
“What is it?” Jackson asks.
Raffe lifts his head and stares at me. He wants to know how I did this. So, I tell him the same story my mother told me while she sobs quietly across the room from us. Ray wraps his arm around her and hands her a tissue.
“I always thought your dad hated me,” Raffe chuckles sadly. He stands up and walks over to my mother, pulling her to her feet and hugging her as if she were his own.
“Dad’s bike is here?” Jackson asks excitedly, handing Rowan to Billie Rose. He grabs his dad by the shoulder and pushes him toward the door. I don’t know who is more excited to see this bike.
When we step outside, there it sits. Raffe stops, covering his mouth with his hand while Jackson hops around it like a little kid. “Fuck. I can’t wait for spring. Aspen and I can ride it around the farm.”
Most of the women stay inside where it’s warm. “Don’t let Willow here you sayin’ that,” Jesse says, giving me a side hug.
Everyone goes back to the party, leaving Raffe and me to make starry eyes at each other in the falling snow.
“I want to take you on a ride so bad right now,” he says, a youthful smile pulling at his face.
“Maybe a midnight ride around the parking lot?” I suggest.
“It’s a date.”
He takes my hand and together we walk back inside, finding the family already on to the next person. I take a deep breath. “I love this,” I say, pointing to the group.
“Me too.”
We sit down next to each other.
“We’re down to two people. Jackson and Raffe,” Ray announces.
“I’ll go last,” Raffe says.
Jackson passes out his gifts. When he hands me mine, he keeps hold of it. “Aren’t you even going to ask why this is the first gift you’ve gotten all night?” he asks.
“No. I don’t need gifts, Jackson. Just being here with all of you is gift enough.”
He laughs. “I’ll give you a hint. Big bug eyes, four wings …”
“The dragonflies.” I place my hand over my chest, touched. “Oh, you guys. I’ve had so much fun finding them all week. Thank you so much. Really, that’s so sweet.” Tears begin to stream from my eyes. “They’re my favorite.”
Everyone laughs because of course they all know.
I wipe my eyes and open Jackson’s gift. “I don’t know if I can take much more.” I pause to rub my hand over my chest before ripping the last piece of paper off. “Oh.”
The tears come hard and fast. It’s a homemade frame, the kind kids make in school with tongue depressors. It’s covered in various sized colorful fingerprints. Rowan’s little print melts my heart. They’ve been made into tiny bugs, just like the ones on his old bug catcher.
I stare at the picture of my son and his family inside the frame. “I love it,” I tell him, standing up to hug him.
“Happy first Christmas, Mom,” he whispers in my ear.
Oh, Rachel. Look at our boy. He’s so sweet, and I know that’s thanks to you.
Raffe stands up and whistles. “Okay, none of you fuckers open your gifts until I tell you to.”
Everyone looks as confused as I do. “Are these bubbles?” Brody asks.
When Raffe gets to me, he doesn’t give me the same thing, and I have to say I’m a little disappointed.
Raffe blows on the little stick again, sending tiny bubbles floating above us as we lie in the grass.
“I love that you gave me bubbles for my birthday.” I smile up at the round rainbow swirls. “How can something so simple bring so much joy and beauty?”
He turns his head. “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me? How do you do it?”
I laugh, my cheeks turning pink. “Are you saying I’m simple?”
“In the purest way,” he says, blowing bubbles in my face.
It makes me giggle. “Stop.” I try pushing him away.
He caps the bubbles. “Sorry about that. This isn’t your birthday gift.” He drops the bottle to the ground. “Impulse purchase,” he says, propping himself on an elbow beside me. “This is your real gift.” He opens his palm, and a chain dangles over my face.
I stare at the little silver spinning dragonfly at the end of it. “Raffe,” I whisper. “This is too much.”
He shows me the tiniest scratch on the back. “I got the old man at the jewelry store to lower the price,” he says proudly.
“It’s beautiful. They’re my favorite,” I tell him.
“I know,” he says. “Do you know why they have four wings?” he asks me.
“No.”
“It’s so they can carry angels on their backs.” He helps me to sit and then clasps the necklace around my neck. “You’re my angel,” he whispers against the shell of my ear, making me shiver.
Raffe hands me a small jewelry box. I look up at him confused, but when I open it, everything begins to make sense. He pulls me to my feet, taking the box from my shaking hands.
“Aspen still has the original,” he assures me. He spins me around to face the tree. He stands behind me and clasps the silver chain around my neck.
The lights blur on the tree as my fingers dance over the dragonfly resting just below my throat. I take a deep breath, suddenly feeling whole again.
His beard brushes against my ear. “You will always be my angel,” he whispers.
When my heart begins to beat again, I spin around, facing him.
He’s … oh my god! Is … is he proposing to me?
Raffe is on one knee, presenting me with the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. I barrel into him, knocking us both to the ground. Everyone around us cheers.
“Don’t you dare open those bubbles. It’s not time.” Raffe points to Brody.
“I love you. I love you. I love you,” I say, kissing his face obsessively. “Wait, not time for what?”
Dan stands up and moves to the front of the room, clearing his throat. “Will everyone please take their seats? The wedding is about to begin.”
My mouth falls open, and I stare down at Raffe.
He smiles up at me, holding my hair out of my face. “Will you marry me, Jenny?”
“Now?”
“Right now,” he says.
“You’re terrible,” I accuse.
“You wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I continue to stare at him for a few more seconds. I want to remember this moment forever. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Again, the room cheers.
Before I know what is happening, I’m waiting in the kitchen with Ray. He’s giving me away. We both stand awkwardly in our Christmas jammies.
“You sure about this?” he asks. “You’re in pajamas, for God’s sake.”
I chuckle. “It’s perfect.”
The ceremony is just as you’d imagine. It’s magical … ending with bubbles. Lots and lots of bubbles.
Later that evening when everyone is sound asleep, and the warehouse is quiet, we sneak outside all bundled up.
Raffe helps me with my helmet, smiling at me like a kid who just robbed a candy store.
When he gets on and starts up the bike, he cheers.
“Hey, it still works!” he says, pulling away from me.
He circles the lot as the snow falls softly around him, enjoying a piece of his youth he never thought he’d experience again.
I watch him, my heart growing by the second.
He rolls to a stop in front of me. “Do you want a ride?”
I glance behind me. “Me?”
“Yeah you,” he laughs, remembering our first bike ride.
“Oh, I don’t know. Do you have a license to drive that thing?”
He looks down and pats the handlebars proudly. “It’s definitely not street legal, and neither am I.”
“That makes you both sound a little dangerous.”
“Naw, I’ll keep all three of us upright. I promise.”
We stare at each other as the snow continues to fall. “I have missed you, Raffe.”
He reaches out, tugging me so close our helmets bump together with a thud. “And I have missed you, Jenny.”