Epilogue
EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER: STEPHANIE
“Where’s my grandson?” Oliver Norcross demanded as he stepped across the threshold.
Smiling, Stephanie held a finger to her lips. “Rory’s still napping,” she said. “But he’ll be up in about half an hour, and he’s so excited to see you. He’s been laughing and clapping all day, every time Elijah or I mention that Grandpa is coming over tonight.”
Bruno let out a happy bark, and Oliver bent down to scratch him behind the ears. “I’m happy to see you too, sport.” He straightened up and smiled at Stephanie. “You’re looking very well,” he said.
“Thanks,” she grinned. “So are you.”
She had grown close to Oliver, surprisingly and wonderfully.
The fact that he had gone out of his way to tell Elijah the truth about their arrangement, the fact that he had taken accountability for his part in it, had gone a long way toward healing things.
Oliver had also taken an active interest in Rory’s life since his birth, and Stephanie couldn’t resist anyone who loved her son.
But what had really pushed things over the edge from animosity into family was the fact that Elijah and Oliver had grown closer.
He had given up his role in his father’s business.
What was especially wonderful was that Oliver had made Elijah a legal partner in the business years before, and though Elijah had offered to sign over his share at a nominal cost, Oliver had insisted on buying him out.
“After all,” he’d said, “you gave a lot to this company over the years, and I did talk you into spending a lot of your life preparing to run it. You should be compensated for that.”
The buyout had been substantial, and Elijah had immediately turned around and invested a huge chunk of it into SilkSoft.
Stephanie had been able to take on a bunch of new staff, which meant that even though she was still devoted to her role as CEO of the company, she had time to spend at home with Rory.
But she also had a coparent—the best she could possibly have asked for. And now he appeared in the kitchen with Rory on his hip. “I thought I heard your voice, Dad,” he said.
“What are you two doing?” Stephanie asked, moving forward to take her son. “I thought he was still napping.”
Rory leaned eagerly into her arms. Stephanie had worried, when they had decided that Elijah would be the stay-at-home parent and she would go on working, that it might diminish the bond she was able to form with her son.
But that hadn’t happened. She and Rory were incredibly close, and he was always eager to be with her whenever he could.
He flung his arms around her neck. Stephanie closed her eyes for a moment, relishing his baby embrace.
“He really does look exactly like Elijah did at that age,” Oliver remarked. “Well, except for the hair, of course.”
The three of them laughed. From the moment he was born, Rory had shared Stephanie’s distinctive red curls. His eyes were blue like his father’s, but there could be no question as to where that hair had come from.
“Are you ready to spend the night with Grandpa?” Stephanie asked Rory.
He didn’t answer. He had only begun speaking at all very recently, and he was still shy around everyone besides his parents. Still, when Stephanie gave him one last hug and then passed him over to Oliver, he didn’t protest.
“All right, you two,” Oliver said. “When am I expecting you back home?”
“We’ll be back by eleven, I’d think,” Elijah said. “We’re just going to have dinner to celebrate the quarter. This one still doesn’t like being away from Rory any more than she has to.” He nudged Stephanie’s shoulder and gave her a fond smile.
“You wouldn’t like it either if you were away from him for eight hours most days.” She missed working from home sometimes, but business was booming these days, and being in the office had become almost a necessity. She went to her son and kissed his forehead. “You be good for Grandpa, now.”
“Come on,” Elijah said, taking her by the hand. “We don’t want to miss our reservation.”
They were dining at the restaurant where they’d had their first date—or perhaps it was their second.
They had never worked out the solution to that argument, but it was a fun thing to laugh about now.
They made their way to their usual table and placed their orders—they came here often enough that there was no need for a menu.
“We should get the really nice wine tonight,” Elijah said. “Since we’re celebrating.”
“It wasn’t that big a deal.” Stephanie blushed.
The truth was that it very much was a big deal.
This quarter had been the most profitable in the history of her company, and that was exciting, but much more important than the money was the fact that she was able to point to actual mile markers of success in a way she never had before.
Nowadays, she could walk into a store and find SilkSoft products on the shelf.
Not only that, but they could often be found at the very front of the skincare rack, where people would be able to find them easily—because store owners knew that people were likely to be looking for them.
She had achieved the goals she had set out for herself, and business was only continuing to get better. She had deals with distributors in New York and even Paris. SilkSoft was becoming a household name around the world.
The wine was definitely called for, and they both knew it.
Elijah had the waiter bring the bottle to the table and poured out some for each of them. After they had taken their first sips, he set his glass down and reached across the table to take Stephanie’s hand.
“Sometimes,” he said quietly, “I can’t believe how far we’ve come, you and me. Sometimes I can’t believe you’re the woman I put the moves on at that awards night.”
“Sometimes I can’t believe I ever said no to you,” she laughed. “It’s a ridiculous idea now. To think I almost walked away from the best thing that ever happened to me—and I never would have known!”
“Yeah, it’s lucky my dad got involved,” Elijah chuckled. “I was furious at him at the time, but looking at how it all turned out, I have to admit that I’m grateful he did.”
“Maybe he’s always known what’s best for you after all,” Stephanie said cheekily. “Maybe he was wiser than we ever realized.”
“All right,” Elijah groaned. “You know, sometimes I wonder if you’re really on his side after all.”
The fact that they could make such a joke was, Stephanie thought, a testament to how healthy things really were between the two of them, and it always made her smile. She raised her glass to him, and he clinked his with her.
“I love your father,” she said. “You know that. And you also know perfectly well that I love you more—that you’re the moon and the stars to me. I would do anything for you.”
“And I’d do anything for you,” he said, his expression turning serious. “In fact, that’s why I wanted to bring you out tonight. I mean, I want to celebrate all your success, but I want to celebrate something else, too.”
Stephanie grimaced. “It’s not our anniversary, is it? I have a terrible head for dates.”
“No, it isn’t,” Elijah said. “Although I wouldn’t even know which date to call our anniversary, would you? Would it be the day of the awards dinner, or the day we met up at the gym?”
“Oh, who knows,” Stephanie said with a laugh. “You’re right. I guess that would be pretty arbitrary.”
“Would have been,” Elijah said. “After today, I think we’ll have a date we can point to. And I’d like us to get on our way to establishing another.”
He rose out of his chair, and before Stephanie could put his words together with his actions, he was down on one knee.
She sucked in a breath, shocked.
They had talked about marriage in the abstract, now and then, and had agreed it was something they both wanted. But she’d had no idea it was this close on the horizon. She had thought maybe a few years down the line, once they got used to being parents.
Now he was pulling a ring out of his pocket, though, and it occurred to her that she didn’t even need to hear the question.
She knew the answer. Of course this was what she wanted.
It always had been. To be married to a man she was deeply in love with, to be raising a family together—it had all come about in an unexpected way, but really, even that was sort of wonderful. There was a feeling of magic about it.
“Elijah,” she began, but he held up a hand.
“Let me,” he said, beaming. “I’ve been thinking about this for an awfully long time, so let me say the words. Okay?”
She nodded, a hand pressed to her mouth, doing her best not to burst into tears.
He cleared his throat. “Stephanie, I never meant to fall in love,” he said.
“When I met you, I thought you were gorgeous, and I wanted to spend time with you, but I didn’t think it would last more than about twenty-four hours.
When you turned me down, I figured that was it.
And when you came into my life again, I was as surprised as anyone to realize that I genuinely wanted to give things another try…
because no woman had ever made me feel like that before.
Because no one in the world has ever made me feel the things you do. ”
Her heart pounded. She couldn’t help it—she slid out of her chair to kneel before him. She had to be close to him, on the same level with him. Around the restaurant people were turning to look at them, but she didn’t care at all.
He took her hand with the one that wasn’t holding the ring box.
“I’ve changed because of you,” he said softly.
“I’m a better man because of you, Stephanie, and I can’t wait to find out how that continues.
How you and I go on changing one another, making each other into the best versions of ourselves, for the rest of our lives.
I want to raise our son. I want to have another.
Whatever adventures life brings me, I want to go on them with you. ”
She couldn’t find words. There was nothing to say but yes. She nodded, forcing herself to wait. He wanted to ask the question. He hadn’t asked it yet.
“Will you marry me?”
The acceptance burst forth from her—she’d barely been holding it back. “Yes, Elijah, of course I will. Nothing would make me happier in all the world.”
He pulled the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger, raising her hand to his lips so he could bestow a kiss. She melted at the sheer romance of the gesture.
And then he was getting to his feet, pulling her up with him, taking her into his arms and kissing her fully and properly. She lost herself in it, melting against him, succumbing to lips and tongue, scent and touch.
Around them, the restaurant patrons burst into applause, but Stephanie was only dimly aware of the sound. Every bit of her was devoted to Elijah.
And that was the way it would be for the rest of her life.
The End
I hope you’ve enjoyed Elijah and Stephanie’s story!