Epilogue
FRANKIE
“Isee Des. I’ll set us up next to her.” Calysta gave me a quick peck on the lips and beamed at Noelani. “Go kick ass. We’re so proud of you!” After hugging Noelani, she headed toward the stands.
When I quit watching my woman walking away, I turned toward Noelani. “What?”
“You should propose tonight.”
My brows shot up. It had been six months since Calysta and I had made our relationship official on my bed, kitchen island, couch, and every other wipeable surface in my home. “Noel, today is your day—”
“Which is why I think you should do it. Cal won’t see it coming. Dad, I see how you two look at each other. I don’t think I ever saw you and Mom look at each other like you hung the moon.”
I chuckled. “Hung the moon? I think you’ve been watching too many of those teen dramas.”
“Shush!” Her face became serious. “Life’s short, Dad. Regardless of whether or not I qualify today, I want you to propose. She’s amazing, Dad. And I love how happy she’s made you. You’ve been carrying around that ring for two months already.”
“I don’t want to rush her.” My gaze swung toward the stands, where I found Calysta speaking with Des. Both women laughed animatedly, and my heart did a little somersault.
“I’m not sure that’s possible.”
“I’ll consider it. Okay?”
Noelani rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
I pulled her in and squeezed her tight. “Leave it all on the track. We’re all so proud of you. Qualify or not, you’re a rock star. Now quit thinking about my love life and leave them all in your dust.”
She kissed my cheek. “Aloha au iā ‘oe.”
“Aloha au iā ‘oe, always and forever.” I watched her walk away with her shoulders pulled back and her head held high.
Once the tears pooling in my eyes dissipated, I headed to the stands where the other half of my heart sat.
CALYSTA
Not only had Noelani qualified for nationals, she’d beat her personal record by ten seconds.
We’d gone out to dinner to celebrate with the James family, except there’d been something weird between father and daughter.
When she’d asked to sleep over at Des’s, he’d given his blessing after a private exchange.
I didn’t get involved between the two. I wasn’t Talia, who’d missed the race due to a scheduling conflict, and the last thing I wanted to do was upset Frankie for overstepping.
The air in the car had been thick as he drove us back to his place, where I’d left my car. I was torn between bringing up whatever was clearly on his mind and giving him space to handle it.
We were dating. It hadn’t been long, even though in my heart, I knew he was different. This thing between us was deeper and more important than anything I’d ever experienced in my life. Dating a man with a child was an added challenge, but Noelani had made it effortless.
Talia and Frankie were lucky to have a kindhearted, talented, and intelligent kid. And from everything I’d witnessed in the short time we’d been together and the handful of times I’d seen Talia, both of them knew it.
“Are you okay?” I blurted after I shut the garage door behind me.
Frankie turned from the doorway that led to the kitchen. He looked both confused and nervous. “What?”
“You’ve been off since dinner. Well, no, since before, but I chalked it up to nerves over Noelani’s race. But now you’re off. Are you okay? Are we okay?”
Frankie pulled my purse off my shoulder and set it on a chair before drawing me to him. My arms wrapped around his waist automatically as he cupped my face, pushing back stray curls that had escaped my bun.
“I’m okay, and I thought we were okay. Have I missed something?” he asked, brushing his thumb along my lower lip.
I leaned against him, our bodies lining up thigh to waist. I sighed. “Good.”
He kissed my forehead. “I’ve just had some things on my mind. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
Leaning back so I could see his eyes, I asked, “Want to talk about it?”
The air around us changed as his entire body stiffened. I stepped back, and he caught my hands in his. We stood like that for what felt like hours but was probably only seconds.
“You’re scaring me,” I whispered, my throat becoming raw with emotions.
Frankie shook his head and lowered his chin to his chest. “I’m screwing this up already,” he muttered under his breath. I heard the words nonetheless because I was hanging on as I waited for the other shoe to drop.
He squeezed my hands and released them. The next thing I knew, he lowered to the ground, my brows pinching in confusion. Why was he worried about his shoe? Or had he dropped something in the weird exchange, and I’d missed it?
“Calysta María de Lourdes Sánchez, you came into my life when I least expected it. I’d sworn off dating while I put all my energy into Noelani.
But you… You have become my everything outside of Noelani.
I haven’t felt this much joy since the day she was born, and I can’t live without you.
Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? ”
I was both cold and hot. Tears slipped down my cheeks unchecked as I stared down at Frankie. I wanted to scream “yes, a thousand times yes,” but if this was why he and Noelani had been off, I couldn’t.
I wouldn’t.
Swallowing thickly, I shook my head. “I won’t get between you and Noelani.” I pressed my fingers to my mouth to hold back the sob threatening to break free.
“What?” Frankie asked as he pushed to his feet.
“You and Noelani have been off. I saw you two talking quietly. She’s not ready for this, and I won’t come between the two of you.”
He cupped my face between his hands, and I memorized the feeling. I doubted he’d want to stay together after my rejection.
“Darling, you’re right. We were off, and it was about you—about this—but not in the way you think.” He shut his eyes and sighed. “Noelani was encouraging me to propose tonight, and I didn’t want to steal the spotlight from her. She was upset I didn’t propose at dinner.”
I shook my head. “No, dinner was about her!”
He chuckled. “That’s exactly what I told her.”
The emotions swirling inside me, making me dizzy, eased. “She wanted you to propose?”
“She’s probably the only person more excited than me to propose.”
I pressed my forehead to his chest and laughed. “No.”
He pulled me back. “Excuse me?”
“No, I’m equally as excited as she is.”
Frankie wiped my face dry. “Oh? So, what do you say? Will you marry me?”
“Yes! A thousand times yes!”