Epilogue
MARGEAUX
Nine Months Later
My phone buzzes in my hand, and I don’t even have to look at it, annoyance coursing through me with the vibrations of the small device. I turn to glare at Gus, my lips pursed, the thunder clapping in the background highlighting my irritation.
We should have driven to New Orleans…
“Don’t even say it,” Gus mutters.
I bite my lip, trying to hold it in. But it’s not easy. The din of groans and curses around us from our fellow passengers confirms what I already know. Our flight is delayed. Again. Because of a thunderstorm.
I am not sure how this became my lot in life, but I’d like to know who I can speak to about exchanging it for something else.
Gus reaches over, placing his hand on my thigh and gently sliding it to the inside before giving it a squeeze. The gesture is both comforting and exciting at the same time, sending a zing through me, and I’m grateful he’s here with me. Because if I’m going to be stuck in an airport waiting out a storm, there is no one I’d rather be with than him.
For that matter, there’s no one on this earth I’d rather do anything with.
Still, for the three hours it took to drive to Atlanta, to be here two hours early, to now be three hours delayed, we could have already been in New Orleans.
“We should have driven,” I comment, unable to help myself.
“Why? So we could then fly to Seattle for the conference, to have to fly back to New Orleans to drive back to Hickory Hills?”
“Your logic has no place here,” I quip.
Although, right now, his point doesn’t feel very logical. New Orleans to Hickory Hills is only four hours more in the car than Atlanta to Hickory Hills. Four hours I would gladly spend in a car if it meant not being in this airport.
“Now who’s the grumpy one?” Gus laughs.
“Still you.”
Turning to face me, he levels me with the trademark Hayes smirk, and my insides do somersaults. I don’t know that I will ever get used to that look. Doesn’t matter the occasion, it floors me every time.
“Any reason you’re all worked up?”
I shake my head. “No, I just want to get there. See everyone.”
Gus narrows his eyes at me, studying me, and I can tell he’s trying to tell if I’m lying. Which, I’m not. At least not completely.
I do want to get there. See everyone. I just also want to make sure we’re there in plenty of time for Papa Duck’s birthday party. It’s not every day a man turns eighty after all .
Squeezing my thigh again, Gus leans in and kisses me, stealing my worry.
“I promise, if we reach a point where we’re pushing it, we’ll walk out of here, get in the car, and head straight there. I won’t let us miss Papa Duck’s birthday.”
I sigh, my heart ready to burst that he knew exactly what I was thinking without my having to say it. No one can read me like Gus, and this last year with him in my life has been incomparable. Sure, we got off to a very unconventional start, but looking back, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
It’s what makes us…us.
And now that we’ve had a chance to settle into life as Gus and Margeaux, power couple, things have been even better. I never thought I’d like having my significant other working at the same place. Turns out, mixing work and pleasure is a lot more fun than either of us realized. Especially since we both love what we do so much.
“Let’s head to the bar,” Gus says, nodding in the direction of the concourse. “We have some time to kill. Let’s get something to eat and have a drink. You’ll feel better.”
“Will I?”
“Okay, I will. I’m hungry.”
I sputter out a laugh, shaking my head. Should have seen that one coming. He has a good point though. It’s been a minute since we ate, and since the TV screen tells me that we won’t be leaving for a couple more hours—hours!—we might as well make ourselves at home. We can do this.
Pushing up from our seats, we dodge the crowd that is mingling in the waiting area, trying to navigate our way into the sea of passengers. The Atlanta airport is busy on a good day. On a bad one? It’s hell. Luckily, the restaurant across from our gate doesn’t look too packed.
“Grab us seats while I run to the bathroom?” Gus comments, already walking away .
I nod, half-focused on finding us a spot, zeroing in on two seats on the corner of the bar. Perfect.
Kismet, actually.
My insides lift and I’m unable to hold back a smile as I set our stuff down, memories flooding back of that first night. So much has happened since. But who would have thought that a chance meeting in an airport bar would have led to all this. To so much love.
Thunder rumbles again, the angry sound making me laugh, joy overflowing despite the circumstances. Maybe this isn’t so bad. It’s still not ideal, but again, I have the love of my life by my side.
I pull out my phone and open up my family group text, shooting off a note to let them know we’re delayed again but should still make it in plenty of time.
David
you still have the beer though, right?
I roll my eyes. Leave it to my brother to care more about whether or not we have our allotment of Southern Brothers with us rather than our safety.
Yes, it’s safely packed. Don’t worry.
Louis
Both you and Gus, right?
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
Yes!
Had I realized that my brothers’ biggest concern when I introduced them to Gus—as my boyfriend —was going to be whether or not it meant that they now got free beer, I probably would have been a lot less nervous. Making sure that the Finnegans accepted Gus the same way that the Hayeses had accepted me had me tied in knots for weeks before our first trip to New Orleans this spring. Turns out, I had very little to worry about.
Although Papa Duck did offer up the requisite threat with the butcher knife.
“This seat taken?” a familiar, deep voice asks, pulling me away from my texts.
I spin around, my answer locked and loaded. This is my favorite part.
Always will be.
“Depends.”
“On?”
Gus smirks, his eyes twinkling.
“Do you plan on sellin’ me something, askin’ about my relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, or mansplainin’ anything to me in any way?”
“Fresh out of things to sell, already know about your relationship with the Lord, and I know exactly where mansplainin’ will get me.”
I giggle, loving that Gus somehow has a fresh answer to this question every time.
Leaning forward, I smile and start to answer him. But he cuts me off.
“But, I do have another question to ask you.”
What?!
The trademark Hayes smirk reappears, but this time, it’s full of something new. Not the normal mischief. It’s confidence, and love, and happiness.
“Two years ago, on a night much like tonight, I sat down at a bar next to the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Turns out, she’s also the most brilliant woman I’ve ever met. She keeps me on my toes. She inspires me. Makes me want to be the best version of myself. ”
Gus takes my hand, squeezing it. I swallow hard, all my emotions forming a ball in my throat. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry—just that I’m so overwhelmed and want nothing more than to wrap my arms around him and never let go.
“Maybe even break a few rules.”
I laugh, tears escaping as he continues. Apparently the answer is both.
“I had a very different plan on how to do this. I don’t even have the ring on me, because I was getting your grandmother’s ring from Papa Duck. The whole idea was to do this as part of our time with your family. But something about tonight, being stuck like this, in an airport, grounded due to a thunderstorm—it just seems right. And Papa Duck agreed.”
“You…you called him?” I choke out.
Gus nods. “Just got off the phone with him. And in case it wasn’t already clear, pretty girl, I’ve already talked this whole thing over with him. And your dad, your mom, and both your brothers. They’re all on board. Oh, and Sammy. Though, I must say, he didn’t have much of an opinion. He was much more concerned with the Bluey episode that was on.”
I laugh again, my heart so full. It’s as if the seams of my soul are going to give way any moment as I burst from happiness.
Dropping to one knee, Gus takes my hand again. “Margeaux Camille Finnegan, I love you. More than anything. You are the best risk I have ever taken, and you are worth every risk I will ever take. Magic is in the air every time you are around, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, making that magic. Will you marry me?”
“Yes!”
I lunge off the bar stool into his arms, knocking him over. We both tumble to the ground, Gus letting out a groan as he catches me. Applause rings out, the crowd around us paying more attention to us than I realized. My cheeks flush, suddenly feeling very on display. Then again, another part of me doesn’t care. I’m going to be Margeaux Hayes.
Or maybe Margeaux Finnegan-Hayes. Hmmmm, things to think about.
“We’ll get that ring on your finger as soon as we get to New Orleans,” Gus tells me as he slides the bar stool back out for me.
“I don’t care about the ring,” I tell him, meaning every word. “Don’t get me wrong; the idea of wearing my grandmother’s ring means the world, but I’m more excited about spending forever with you.”
“Good.” Slipping his arm around me, he kisses me hard. “Because I’m excited about that too. Magic is in the air. Can you feel it?”
“Oh, I can feel it.”
It's college game day, and the lines are drawn for Gus and Margeaux as their alma maters are set to face off. But that's not the only thing Margeaux has up her sleeve for Gus...