Epilogue
Jenna
A year later, I stand at the entrance of a sun-dappled chapel in Hartlow, a beaming smile that rivals the summer sun on my face.
It seems fitting that we get married in this town that shaped our lives, where we share so many memories, so many tears, and bonds.
We’ve both relocated to L.A. now, and everything has fallen into place. Maggie now fully runs The Hartlow House Café, and I didn't end up selling my parents’ house. Instead, we renovated it, and Dylan and I spend our days there whenever we come to Hartlow.
My latest novel, Second Chance, a deeply personal story about love, loss, and redemption, has already become my best-selling book, and the response has been overwhelming. It feels strange, sharing such a vulnerable piece of myself with the world, but it feels right.
It feels like closure.
On the surface, it’s a story about two people finding each other despite the odds, but for me, it’s more than that. It’s about healing, about forgiveness, about the way love can rise from the ashes of tragedy.
Writing it was cathartic, a way to process everything that’s happened, and now that it’s out there, I feel lighter, like I’ve finally let go of the past.
Life has been amazing, and sometimes I have to pinch myself to be sure that I’m the one living this happy life with the man I love by my side.
My fingers tighten around the bouquet in my hands—lilies and roses, delicate and fragrant, their petals trembling slightly in the gentle breeze.
My gown, simple yet elegant, the white lace flows around me like a whisper, its fabric a soft contrast against the rough-hewn stone of the chapel. I’ve never felt more present, more alive than I do at this moment, standing on the cusp of forever with Dylan.
It’s surreal knowing that after everything we’ve been through—the heartbreak, the years apart, the fears—we’ve made it here, together. I hope our parents are looking up from above and are smiling at us.
I hope my mother’s proud and full of happiness whenever she thinks of me.
The doors creak open, and my aunt appears beside me, her face glowing with pride and joy. Her hand rests gently on my arm as we take the first steps down the aisle. The chapel is filled with friends and family—Kim, Mrs. Anderson, Lola and Paul, Maggie and Tom, Jake, Emily and Ian, Mrs. McCormick, Old Jake, Kim’s parents, and other faces I’ve known for years and faces I’ve only just come to know—but my eyes find only one.
Dylan.
He stands at the front of the chapel, his gaze locked on mine, and butterflies take flight in my stomach. His dark hair is tousled in that familiar way that makes my fingers itch to run through it, and he’s wearing a suit that fits him impeccably, but it’s his expression that steals my breath.
There’s something raw in his eyes—a tenderness that sends a warmth radiating through my chest.
I walk toward him, my heart aching with the love that has only grown deeper over the past year. When I finally reach him, he takes my hand, and the world seems to fade away.
“Jenna,” his voice breaks through the haze, low and steady. “I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. Through the ups and downs, the many twists and turns, you’ve always been the one constant in my life. Today, I promise to be that for you. I promise to stand by your side, no matter what, to love you fiercely, and to never let go. You’re my heart, my soul, my everything.”
Tears well in my eyes, but I blink them back, refusing to let them spill just yet.
When it’s my turn, I take a breath, my voice soft but unwavering. “Dylan, you’ve been my strength when I had none, my light when everything felt dark. You’ve seen me at my worst, and you’ve loved me anyway. Today, I vow to love you with everything I am, to cherish you, to fight for us, and to build a life together that’s full of love, joy, and adventure. You’re my past, my present, and my future.”
As the words leave my lips, the truth of them settles deep inside me, anchoring me to this moment. The officiant says something, but I hardly register it until I hear the words I’ve been waiting for.
“You may kiss the bride.”
Dylan’s hands are warm as they cup my face, his eyes never leaving mine. The kiss is soft and full of love. The room erupts in applause, but it feels distant, like we’re the only two people in the world.
When we finally pull away, breathless and smiling, Dylan leans his forehead against mine. “We did it,” he whispers, his voice thick with emotion.
“We did,” I whisper back, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I believe it. We’ve made it through the storm, and now we can finally step into the sun.
When we turn back to see our friends, my aunt, Dylan’s mother, and Lola are weeping softly into a napkin. Meanwhile, Mrs. McCormick is telling Old Jake rather loudly, “I told you so; they're made for each other! My prophecy came true.”
Dylan and I exchange glances and burst into laughter; our hearts are full of a love that is untouchable, a love that has been through trials and only came out stronger. A love that will carry us through the years and forever.
And now, nothing can take that away.
***