10. Epilogue
Walker
4 Months Later
The thing about autumn in Oakside is that when it comes, it really comes.
None of this gradual easing into autumn that bigger cities get.
We drive into town one day and it looked like a normal small town.
Then, one Monday in September, I wake up to find the entire town had collectively decided overnight to transform into a Norman Rockwell painting.
Pumpkins appeared on every porch.
Scarecrows materialized in front yards.
The maple trees along Main Street turned so vibrantly red they looked like they were showing off.
I can see why Hailey liked it here so much.
"Dad, hurry up! We're going to be late!" Olivia calls from the kitchen, her voice tinged with the particular brand of exasperation only eleven-year-olds can perfect.
Noah and Lexi are letting us stay in their two-bedroom basement apartment while we are here this week. Though I think Olivia is not thrilled with the tight quarters.
"Coming," I call back, fumbling with the small velvet box in my hands one more time before tucking it into my jacket pocket. My fingers are shaking. I've been hiding this thing for a week, waiting for today, and I swear it's been burning a hole in whatever drawer, sock, or ceiling tile I've stashed it in.
Olivia appears in my doorway, hands on her hips. "Dad. The pumpkin judging is at two, and I need to do final adjustments."
"To what? You've been working on that thing for days. It's perfect."
"It needs more glitter."
"Of course it does." I ruffle her hair as I pass, and she ducks away with a grin.
"Is Hailey meeting us there?" she asks, trailing me out the door.
"Yeah, she and Brooke had to set up the donation booth." I grab my keys, doing a mental check. Wallet, phone, life-altering piece of jewelry that's making me sweat through my flannel. All accounted for.
"Dad?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you okay? You look weird."
I force a smile. "Just festival jitters."
She narrows her eyes. "Is this about the puppy thing? Because I told you, I can wait until Christmas."
"What? No. There's no puppy thing." I usher her toward the door.
"Let's go before your pumpkin files a restraining order against glitter."
The Oakside Fall Festival transforms the property into something that belongs on a postcard. Hay bales create makeshift seating around a central area on the front lawn where local bands will play later. Booths selling everything from apple cider to hand-knitted scarves line the perimeter. The air smells like cinnamon, wood smoke, and that particular crispness that only October air can deliver.
Olivia immediately spots her new best friend, Zoe, and they rush off to the arts and crafts tent, while Olivia carefully balances her pumpkin masterpiece. It's covered with a cloth like it's a state secret, which, knowing my daughter, it might as well be.
I scan the crowd until I spot the donation area, where Hailey stands arranging pamphlets while Brooke hangs a banner for Oakside. Since Oakside runs a good portion on donations, I know this is a big part of the festival. So I head that way to see what I can do to help. Hailey looks up, catches my eye, and her face lights up in a way that still makes my heart skip.
"There's you are," she says as I approach.
She rises on tiptoes to kiss me, and I have to force myself not to pat my pocket to check if the ring is still there.
"How's the booth coming along?" I ask, helping her straighten a stack of flyers about what new donations will help bring to Oakside.
"Great! Though Brooke keeps trying to sneak in pamphlets about the benefits of essential oils."
Brooke doesn't even look up from her decorating. "Lavender oil would fix that tension in your shoulders, Walker. You look like you're about to snap a tendon."
"I'm fine," I insist, though my voice comes out higher than intended.
Hailey frowns, placing a hand on my arm. "Are you sure? You've been acting strange all week."
"Just works stuff," I lie. I hate to lie to them, but I can’t let the cat out of the bag just yet.
"Well, take the day off from thinking about it," Hailey says, squeezing my hand. "Today is about fun, remember?"
"Speaking of fun," Brooke interjects, "your daughter's pumpkin is causing quite a stir."
I turn to see a small crowd gathering around the pumpkin judging table. Olivia stands proudly next to her creation, which is now uncovered. From this distance, all I can make out is a riot of color and what appears to be... wings?
"I should probably go check that out," I say, grateful for the distraction.
"Go. I'll find you after we finish setting up," Hailey says, giving me another quick kiss.
As I walk toward the pumpkin contest, I rehearse what I'm going to say for the thousandth time. The words I've drafted and redrafted more carefully than any letter I've ever written.
"It's a fairy pumpkin queen," Olivia explains to Mandy and Paisley, who are judging the contest and looking at my daughter's creation with a mixture of confusion and awe.
The pumpkin has been transformed into an elaborate fairy throne, complete with smaller gourds acting as steps leading up to it. Atop the throne sits a fairy made from twigs, leaves, and what appears to be an entire craft store's worth of glitter. Tiny LED lights (courtesy of Noah's help) illuminate the whole thing, making it glow like something out of a fantasy novel.
"I see," Mandy says, though her expression suggests she doesn't, really. "And the, um, what are those?"
"Butterfly guards," Olivia says matter-of-factly, pointing to the pipe-cleaner creations flanking the throne. "They protect the queen from the autumn goblins."
"Of course they do," I say, coming up behind her and placing my hands on her shoulders. "Autumn goblins are a serious threat."
Olivia beams up at me. "Do you think I'll win?"
I survey the competition. There's a traditional jack-o'-lantern with a surprisingly detailed carving of the town square. Another entry features a pumpkin painted to look like one of those witches from a Halloween movie, complete with the signature witch hat. But nothing comes close to the elaborate fairy wonderland my daughter has created.
"I think you've got a solid shot," I tell her honestly.
She bounces on her toes. "Good, because I need that gift card prize to buy more craft supplies."
"More? There can't possibly be anything left in the store."
"Dad," she says with the gravity of someone explaining basic math to a toddler, "you can never have too many craft supplies."
I spot Noah making his way through the crowd, clipboard in hand. No doubt going over the list his wife Lexi gave him.
"Walker! Just the man I was looking for." He claps me on the shoulder. "We're still on for your reading later, right? Four o'clock at the gazebo?"
My mouth goes dry. "Absolutely."
"Excellent! Everyone is looking forward to it." He lowers his voice. "And I've been briefed on the, ah, special finale you have planned. Very romantic."
I nod, fighting the urge to check my pocket again. Noah had been all too happy to help coordinate when I'd explained what I wanted to do. In fact, he'd gotten misty-eyed and launched into a story about how he proposed to Lexi and how he couldn’t be happier.
"Thanks for your help," I manage.
"Not at all! Nothing like a public proposal to boost morale around here,” he says with a wink before moving on to greet other people.
Olivia tugs at my sleeve. "Dad, can I go get cider with Zoe?"
"Sure, just be back here by three-thirty, okay? I need your help with something."
She gives me a knowing look. "Operation Happily Ever After?"
I can't help but smile. Olivia had caught me looking at rings online last month and, rather than being upset, had appointed herself my "proposal consultant." She'd even made a PowerPoint presentation titled "Why Hailey Should Be My Stepmom," complete with pie charts and a pros/cons list that had exactly zero items in the cons column.
"That's the one," I confirm. "You've got the special delivery, right?"
She pats her overall pocket. "Safe and sound."
As she skips off with Zoe, I take a deep breath. Three more hours until the most important reading of my life.
By three forty-five, the crowd gathering around the gazebo is larger than I expected. It seems like half the town has shown up, plus tourists here for the festival. The wooden structure is decorated with autumn leaves and twinkling lights that will look even better once the sun starts to set.
Trying to calm my racing heart, I stand off to the side. Olivia is with me, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Stop fidgeting," she whispers. "You're going to give it away."
"I'm not fidgeting," I whisper back, immediately stopping my nervous foot-tapping.
"She's coming," Olivia hisses, and sure enough, I spot Hailey making her way through the crowd, Brooke at her side.
Hailey smiles when she sees us. "Front row seats for your biggest fans," she says, giving me a quick hug. "Though I still don't understand why you're reading at a fall festival."
"Noah asked me to give some inspiration to the guys here," I say, the lie sticking in my throat. "I couldn’t say no."
"Well, break a leg. Not literally, of course." She squeezes my hand and takes a seat in the front row.
Noah steps up to the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a special treat for you today. Our very own Walker Ellison as a few things to say!"
The crowd applauds, and I step up to the microphone, notes in hand and nerves on high alert.
"Thank you all for coming," I begin, my voice steadier than I feel. "What I'm about to read is something a bit more personal."
I see confusion flicker across Hailey's face, quickly followed by curiosity.
"I spent years on deployments writing letters to someone who never wrote back," I continue. "I thought that meant love wasn't meant for me. It wasn’t until my Hailey started to read them that I thought…”
Understanding dawns in Hailey's eyes, and her hand flies to her mouth.
"That maybe..." I take a deep breath. "I was writing to you all along."
I step down from the gazebo, moving to stand directly in front of her. The crowd has gone completely silent.
"Hailey, you walked into my life with your heart wide open, carrying grace I didn't know how to ask for. You gave my daughter her laugh back."
Olivia appears at my side, grinning from ear to ear.
"You didn't just read my words—you lived them with me." My voice catches, and I have to pause for a moment. "So today, I don't have a letter. I just have one question."
I nod to Olivia, who solemnly reaches into her pocket and pulls out the small velvet box. She opens it, revealing the vintage sapphire ring that reminded me of Hailey's eyes the moment I saw it.
Dropping to one knee, I take the ring from the box. "Hailey Bennett, will you marry me?"
For one heart-stopping moment, she just stares at me, tears streaming down her face. Then she launches herself forward, nearly knocking me over.
"Yes," she says against my neck. "Yes, of course, yes."
The crowd erupts in cheers as I slide the ring onto her finger. Olivia throws her arms around both of us, and suddenly we're a tangle of limbs and laughter and tears.
"I can't believe you did this," Hailey says, looking at the ring in wonder.
"I had help," I admit, nodding toward Olivia, who's beaming with pride.
"I made a PowerPoint," she informs Hailey solemnly.
Hailey laughs through her tears. "Of course you did."
Hours later, after the congratulations and the celebrations, after Olivia wins first place for her fairy pumpkin queen, after the sun sets and the festival lights twinkle like stars brought down to earth, the three of us find ourselves on the empty dance floor. The band is playing something slow and sweet, and though most people have gone home, we're not ready for the night to end.
Hailey kicks off her shoes, and Olivia and I follow suit. The grass is cool beneath our feet as we sway to the music under the actual stars now, the three of us in our own little circle.
"So," Hailey says, her head on my shoulder, "does this mean I get to help name the puppy?"
I pull back to look at her. "What puppy?"
Olivia and Hailey exchange a look and burst out laughing.
"I might have already ordered some dog beds," Hailey admits.
"And I might have picked out names," Olivia adds.
I shake my head, unable to keep the smile from my face. "I'm outnumbered, aren't I?"
"Completely," Hailey confirms, rising on her toes to kiss me.
And as we dance barefoot under the stars, surrounded by the town that's become our home and the family we've found in each other, I realize that sometimes the best stories are the ones you never saw coming. The ones that write themselves into your life when you least expect it, but need it most.