Epilogue - Maddy
ONE YEAR LATER…
I walk through the glass doors, heels clicking against the floors. Behind the front desk, the new executive assistant greets me with a wave. This hiring round—the first one since I got promoted—was entirely in my hands.
And I know I made the right choice.
“Morning, Maddy!” Alicia calls, waving a stack of envelopes like a bouquet.
“Hey. Did you survive the printer migration?” I take the envelopes from her, flipping through the corporate mail.
She groans. “Barely. IT says it’s fixed, but it still only prints one-sided. I’ll keep working on it. By the way, you got a note from Adrian. He needs you at eight-thirty.”
I laugh. “I think he always needs me at eight-thirty.”
“Well, you know, I guess he’s worried the VP of operations might forget or something,” she giggles at me, shaking her head. “It’s like you’re not the most punctual person in this place.”
“Right?” I make a face. “But thanks for letting me know and don’t be scared to come and get me if you need reinforcements.”
Alicia beams. “Got it. You’re the best, Maddy.”
“No, you are.” I tuck the envelopes under my arm and then head for the regular morning meeting. As if we don’t wake up in the same place every morning these days. Riley took over our apartment at half price, under the agreement that she would stay there long-term.
Of course, she accepted.
And construction starts next week to actually knock down the walls between all the penthouses. It’s going to be a clusterfuck.
But the good kind. Just like our commitment ceremony.
I duck into the conference room, spotting my men, already there and ready to work.
Beck is sprawled in his seat, sleeves rolled and tie loose, looking like the only kid in detention who enjoys it. He spots me and waves me over, patting the seat beside him.
“Morning, VP,” he says. “You look like you’re ready for a mid-morning snack.”
I snort, swatting his shoulder as he grabs for my ass. “Stop projecting.”
“Yeah, whatever.” He winks, then drapes his arm across the back of my chair, as I take a seat.
Caleb has his glasses on, seated at the far end. He’s wearing black, per usual, and is flipping through a legal pad, pen tapping on the table. He glances up at me, nods once, and gives me a big smile.
He’s so adorable.
Adrian is at the head, posture knife-straight, eyes on his tablet. He barely looks up as I enter, but the slight lift of his chin tells me he’s clocked my arrival.
Adrian finally sets the tablet down after a few beats, probably finishing whatever email he was sending. “Thank you all for being on time,” he says, voice calm. “Let’s begin.”
For the next twenty minutes, it’s the standard update carousel. We run through sales goals, construction updates, and the new luxury residential opening in three months. But there’s a new edge to the room—a restlessness, because we all know what happens this evening.
But still, we stay focused on business, and Beck drives the conversation. “Are we really putting a climbing wall in the gym, or was that just a fever dream from the vision board meeting?” He looks at me, then at Adrian, eyebrows up.
Adrian doesn’t miss a beat. “It’s in the renderings, but budget review is pending.” He turns to me. “Maddy, can you walk us through the alternatives?”
He’s giving me a chance to show off, and he knows it. I open my laptop, tap into the slides Alicia made, and pull up the summary.
“We did a user survey last quarter,” I say, projecting the slide with a click. “Top requests for new amenities were a pet spa, a meditation room, and a climbing wall. Though the pet spa came out ahead by a mile.”
There’s a ripple of laughter, but Beck pounces. “So, dogs beat out fitness bros, huh? I guess I’m not surprised.”
Adrian’s mouth turns upward into a smirk. “Well, we cater to all demographics, Beck.”
I catch Caleb’s eye at the other end of the table. There’s a glint of amusement as he takes a few notes.
I run through the pros and cons, flipping through slides with one hand while jotting down follow-up points for each question.
When Adrian tries to pivot to the next agenda item, I already have the supporting doc up, the right cell highlighted, and a sticky note ready with his next three talking points.
I’m clearly cut out for this.
As we wrap the morning meeting, though, not a single one of us moves from where we’re seated.
“So…” I break the tension. “Are we ready for tonight?”
“You mean our commitment ceremony?” Beck asks coyly, and Caleb rolls his eyes.
“Of course, I’ve been ready for months now. Marrying you is going to be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“And I think we should also say you’re the best addition to the company, as well,” Adrian adds, still keeping it business.
“I can’t wait to hear your vows,” Beck snorts, eyeing Adrian. “It’s going to be like a performance review of your love for her and our relationship. The ring will be the bonus.”
Adrian shoots him a look, but he’s smiling. “You know, I like to be thorough.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” I chime, giving me a smile. “You each are exactly what I need. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
And as I gather my things to finish the workday, I can hardly keep my wits about me. When I pictured my wedding day, I never thought there’d be three grooms.
But I won’t complain.
This is going to be the best day of my life.
The elevator opens to the roof, and for a second, I think I’ve been teleported to a greenhouse at the top of the world rather than the rooftop pool.
The city sprawls beyond the glass, all hard angles and blue sky, but the roof itself is thick with potted citrus and a woven arch of wildflowers that someone arranged in tiny blooms. Overhead, strings of Edison bulbs swoop between trellises, already glowing faintly in the afternoon light.
It smells like orange blossom and petrichor.
It looks beautiful.
But then the view disappears because Riley drags me into a little make-shift bridal room. She starts bustling around me, arms full of tulle and bobby pins, making last-minute tweaks to my white lace dress, hidden behind the white partitions of flowers.
“We can’t let them see you yet, and stand still,” she hisses, not unkindly, and straightens the white fabric making up the train. She then goes for my hair, perfecting the half-updo. “Okay.”
“It’s all going to be okay,” I say, but she’s already spinning me by the shoulders to inspect the zipper in back.
“You look fucking ethereal,” she declares, and my lip quivers as I see my best friend looking me up and down. She’s crying a little, but she’s holding it together.
I glance down at myself, taking in the mermaid-shaped white dress. “I can’t believe I’m really doing this. I’m going to be with them forever.” I breathe out, allowing myself to feel the fullness of my emotions. “It feels surreal.”
“Well, you’re going to be the most beautiful, unconventional bride ever.” Riley positions my veil over my face, and I’m thankful I can still see her through the material.
I really don’t want to trip down the aisle.
From behind the partitions that Riley deemed our bridal suite, I hear laughter.
Beck’s is bright and infectious, and Caleb’s is lower and more contained.
There’s a ripple of sound—clinking glasses, someone tuning a guitar, the scattered chaos of people who have been told to show up and celebrate this crazy, four-person relationship.
They don’t understand, but they support it.
And that’s all that matters.
Riley finishes double-checking my hair, then steps back and just looks at me. “I know it’s not a real wedding…”
“The love makes it real,” I finish for her. “Except less about ancient property rights and more about a bunch of idiots making promises of forever.”
She smiles, her mouth quivering a little. “You sure you’re not going to freak out? You don’t even have to do this if you don’t want to. We can get on a flight and be in Florida by tonight.”
I take a breath, letting the air settle in my lungs, and find that I am completely, absurdly calm and ready. “Nope. I think I’m good. I want this more than I’ve ever wanted anything.”
Riley nods, flipping some of her pink hair over her shoulder. “Good. Then I will do whatever it takes to walk you down that aisle and not let you trip and fall.”
“Thank you for reading my mind,” I giggle.
“Well, it’s more like your shaky knees,” she nudges me. “You look like you might pass out, but like… in the good way.”
“Oh great,” I mutter, my stomach doing a nervous flip.
There’s a knock at the makeshift door, and Alicia pokes her head in. “It’s time,” she says, and even though she only started at the company a little while ago, she gives me a thumbs up that makes me want to hug her forever.
“Alright,” Riley says, offering her arm. “Let’s go.”
I take her arm and step out onto the deck, the wind blowing through my hair just enough to confirm this is, indeed, reality. My eyes flick to the altar, which is an arch that takes in the glow of the sunset.
But the sun and city aren’t the best view.
It’s them.
Beck is first in line, dressed in a pale gray suit, no tie, the shirt open at the neck. He gives me a look, his eyes wet, as he mouths, “You look beautiful.”
Caleb already has a tear rolling down his cheek, and he swats it away.
Adrian looks the most stoic, but there’s still plenty of emotion in his face.
I hold onto Riley, and together we walk the few paces to the arch, where the men are waiting.
Adrian is in charcoal, as always, and his mouth is bent in a smile that looks practiced, but I know it isn’t.
Caleb is in navy, and his whole focus is on me, and the sight of it steadies me more than anything else could.
“You guys look so handsome,” I whisper.
“Only the best for the most beautiful woman in the world,” Adrian’s voice is thick with emotion.
I nod and glance out at the seated crowd.
Adrian’s parents are front and center, both looking proud and slightly bewildered.
Alicia is beaming from beside them, along with Caleb’s mom.
A handful of people from the office are here too, some of whom I barely know, but who all look genuinely happy to be here.
Beck leans over, whispers, “Ready for this?”
I nod, my gaze bouncing between the three of them. “Absolutely.”
We stand together under the arch, the four of us. For a second, there’s just the sound of breathing, the pulse of the city below, and the warmth of the hands linked on either side of me, as Riley hands me off and heads to the microphone.
She stands in front of us, a grin on her face as she begins. “Today, we are here not to witness the union of two people,” she says, “but to celebrate the possibility that love—messy, improbable, and real—can exist in more than one shape.”
She looks at each of us in turn, her gaze steady. “You’ve all chosen to stand together, to build something lasting out of fairness, transparency, and openness. That’s no small thing for four people to do.”
There’s laughter from the crowd, but it’s gentle.
She turns to Adrian. “Adrian Frank, will you share your promise to your bride and friends?”
Adrian’s jaw tightens, but he speaks clearly, voice even as he meets my eyes.
“I promise to protect you, Maddy. I promise to always put our union among the four of us first, above my own selfishness. I will work every day to earn the trust you place in me. And when I fail, which I will, I promise to fix it. Every time. I will apologize, and we will work through hard times in a loving way. I will love you forever and always, Maddy.”
There’s a small sniffle from Adrian’s mother, and I see her dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.
Riley nods and turns to Beck. “Next.”
He grins, letting out a chuckle. “Okay, mine’s less formal, but here goes.
” He straightens, pretending to read from an invisible cue card, as he winks at me.
“I promise to always make you laugh, even when you want to punch me in the throat for it. I promise to never let a night go by without reminding you why we got into this mess in the first place. And I promise to make pancakes, or at least buy them, every Sunday until I die, or until you get sick of them, whichever comes first. But even if, at some point, you hate my pancakes, I will still love you. Forever.”
There’s real applause for that one, and I burst into laughter.
Caleb is next. He clears his throat, and for a second, I think he might freeze, but then he takes my hands, holding them tight.
“I’m not great with speeches,” he says, “but I know how to build things. I promise to make this the safest place for all of us. I promise to hold you up when you’re tired and catch you when you fall.
I promise to never let you doubt that you belong here, with us.
I promise to love you always, and care for you through all of life’s seasons.
” There’s a tremor in his voice, and it cracks something open in me.
And I swat my tears away.
“That was beautiful,” Riley breathes out, and then gestures to me while wiping her own tears away.
I swallow, and the wind tugs at my hair, but I don’t even need to look at the paper I wrote on.
“I spent most of my life thinking I had to earn my place. That love was a thing you got if you worked hard enough, or if you were perfect, or if you never needed anything too much. I don’t have a family there for me.
But you all,” I look at each of them, steady, “You taught me that it’s okay to want, to need, to ask for more than what the world says you’re allowed.
You taught me that family doesn’t have to be conventional, and that we can work, if that’s what we want.
And that’s what I want more than anything.
I love all three of you with every ounce of my being. ”
I pause, feeling the weight of all the eyes, all the hope.
“I promise to show up, even when I’m scared. I promise to fight for us, even when it’s hard. I promise to believe that happiness can last, and to never walk away just because I’m afraid of losing it.”
“Well damn it,” Riley sniffles. “That was beautiful.”
And every single one of the guys is doing the exact same thing.
Riley clears her throat then. “The four of you have brought rings to symbolize your union. You may now exchange them.”
The four of us slide a ring on the finger to the person on the left, and I can’t stop smiling as I take in the big diamond on my left hand. I then look around to see Adrian’s mom crying outright, and Alicia snapping pictures while pretending not to.
“I now pronounce you stuck together forever!” Riley says into the microphone, and the entire crowd erupts in a big cheer. I lean in and kiss each of my men, one by one, savoring every moment. And while they’re each unique in their own way…
They all taste like forever.