Epilogue
Nearly one year later
“I can’t handle this, Jeff!” I whispered, gripping his shoulder tightly. “I hate waiting. Just tell me what it is!”
He peered down at me with a quirk of his lips. “They say good things come to those who wait, right?”
“They also say you should create your own destiny,” I said with a frown, “and being patient is not part of my destiny.”
A laugh erupted from Jeff’s smiling lips, and I found myself returning his smile.
He spun me out with his arm outstretched, my shimmery red dress flaring as I twirled out and back toward him, laughter dancing in my eyes. Back in his arms, I gazed up at him and wrapped my hands around the back of his neck.
“Fine, I’ll wait a little longer, on one condition.”
His right eyebrow rose. “Demanding now, are you?”
“You know I am,” I said, a shiver running down my spine as I realized how much more confident I was than the Roxy of one year ago.
Jeff stepped in closer as our feet still moved in time with the slow tune playing distantly, outside our bubble. “I know just what you need,” he murmured just a breath away from my ear.
Before I could utter some saucy reply I’d never imagined I was capable of, his lips captured mine as his palms cradled my face.
As his lips moved over mine, I let out a sigh of happiness, and I felt his lips form a smile as he continued kissing me gently.
When I parted my lips, he accepted the invitation to deepen the kiss.
But before I lost all sense of where we were and why we were here, I gently pulled back. “You know how to stall with me—I’ll give you that.”
He laughed once again as our feet resumed the rhythm we’d apparently lost during the kiss. As I gazed into his deep hazel eyes, I started to speak but then noticed his eyes veering left.
I shot him a questioning look and swung my head around before nearly tripping on his feet.
My eyes flew back to his in question. He was biting his lip to suppress a smile.
“What—Jeff, did you see her? Is that Julia?”
Before I knew it, my best friend was by our side, enveloping me in a tight hug as I still held Jeff’s hand. “Julia, it’s been so long. It is so, so good to see you.”
Julia laughed and released me. She smiled and nodded at Jeff, who returned the smile.
I glanced up at him in awe. His eyes were sparkling in the dim party lighting, and I gasped. “You invited her … you arranged for her to be here?”
“I did,” he said, his voice low. “A few others too.”
I scanned the perimeter of the dance floor, seeing my other friends, Hazel, Peter, Mariana, and Terry, whose arm was supporting his grandmother, Nora.
I knew Nora’s partner was currently in the hospital, so I hadn’t expected her—or Terry for that matter—to show up to the New Year’s Eve party tonight.
I was startled to see his sister Abby too, with a friend I hadn’t met.
My widened eyes softened as they landed on the striking blonde woman on the end.
Jenna.
I swallowed with some difficulty as I bit my lip and looked back at Jeff nervously.
“Julia,” I said as my gaze swung to her. “We have so much to catch up on. But can you excuse me for just a moment?”
My best friend nodded, her face shining as she gave Jeff a conspiratorial glance.
I let go of Jeff’s hand and turned to him briefly. “Give me a moment, Jeff. I need to do this alone.”
Inhaling deeply, I took careful steps toward my former neighbor. We hadn’t spoken since summer. I’d attempted to make amends in the spring, but she had brushed me off—and rightly so.I’d been rude and dismissive to her every time we’d spoken prior to that.
“Jenna, hello,” I said with a tentative smile.
She wasn’t smiling. “Hi.”
I swallowed again, my throat scratchy as I said, “Thank you for—for coming. I … I don’t know how Jeff convinced you. But I’m grateful.”
She put a well-manicured hand on her hip. “He didn’t.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Oh. Well, thank you—”
Jenna sighed. “I’m not really into grudges. Such a waste of energy.”
I inhaled and exhaled slowly. “Thank you. I need to apologize—”
“Roxy, it’s fine.”
“I was a jerk to you. You were just trying to be nice and befriend a lonely, anxious woman, and I was totally ungrateful—”
“You don’t need to be grateful if someone pays attention to you, Roxy.” Her mask of indifference was softening now. “But, yes, you gave me the brush-off a lot. And I didn’t understand why, back then.”
My mouth opened and then closed.
“When you moved out of our building in the summer, I figured I’d never hear from you again.
” She paused. “But you kept trying. I got texts, calls, apology notes on my door. That long email telling me about your anxiety. You didn’t give up.
The thing is … I’d given up. I went through some personal stuff with my parents deciding to move into assisted living but then deciding not to, and back and forth.
Plus the usual dating drama, which I thought I’d be long done with by the time I hit 45.
” She shook her head with a rueful smile.
“Oh, I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”
“Well, you couldn’t have known because I didn’t tell you.” She offered a half-smile. “Because I was being stubborn and hormonal and, well … stubborn, mostly.”
I nodded, still shocked. “I understand family drama.” I took a deep breath, realizing it would probably be a good time to actually open up to show her I’d changed.
“My parents and I … well, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for a long time.
Maybe ever. But I’ve been doing therapy to help manage my feelings and reactions.
Realizing I didn’t need their approval but still trying to find better ways to communicate with them has actually helped, even if we’ll never really see eye to eye.
” I shook my head. “Sorry to go on and on—just trying to say that I can emphathize. Just like friendship, family is important but not always easy. I’m sure your parents are lucky to have you as a daughter helping them out.
” I offered a shy smile. “And I’d be lucky if you wanted to give this friendship thing another try. ”
Jenna pursed her lips. “Even though you won’t have to see me anymore, since you’re living in some cozy little cottage on the lake now and I’m still stuck downtown?”
“Yes, even then. And even if one of us moves away.” I looked out of the corner of my eye to see Julia coming to stand beside me.
“Roxy’s actually pretty good at long-distance friendship. If you don’t mind the occasional ghosting.” Julia laughed. “I’m joking. She doesn’t do it anymore.”
Eyebrows raised, Jenna stuck out her hand. “I’m Jenna. And you are?”
“I’m Julia. Roxy and I go way back, but I’ve been studying in England so we haven’t seen each other.
” I saw Julia tense her hand after it dropped to her side.
It was one of the subtle signs of social anxiety for Julia, who hid her nerves much better than I.
“So, Jenna, you’re the extroverted neighbor? ”
Jenna flashed her perfect white teeth in a smile. “Loud and proud. ”
We all laughed as Jeff appeared and pulled me into his side.
“You two are adorable, almost nauseously so,” Jenna said with a teasing smile, and then her expression became more serious. “Fresh start, Roxy?”
Putting my finger to my lips, I pretended to think about it for a moment. “Um, absolutely. Yes. I am, after all, making a list of New Year’s resolutions in my head already.” Jenna laughed, while Julia rolled her eyes.
And Jeff … he planted his warm lips on my temple before asking for another dance.