Epilogue
SIX MONTHS LATER…
I gaze up at the giant flashing lights of the Tony Awards marquee, still hardly believing that I'm actually here.
There’s so much energy in the air around us, it’s almost like molecules surrounding us are electric.
I take a deep breath as Holden and I walk down the red carpet hand-in-hand, flashes going off all around us. This is our big night—we've both been nominated for Tony Awards for our roles in the hit new musical that took Broadway by storm.
Looking around, I see celebrities and Broadway legends mingling as they make their way inside the theater. My heart races with nerves and excitement. I can't believe this is really happening. Just a year ago I was serving lattes and going to countless auditions. Now here I am, nominated for a Tony alongside the love of my life.
Holden gives my hand a supportive squeeze as we make our way down the red carpet. Cameras flash all around us and reporters call out our names, eager for a quick pre-ceremony interview. I try to take it all in stride, channeling the confidence of the character I'm nominated for tonight.
As we near the shining lobby of the theater, I catch glimpses of dazzling ballgowns and sharp tuxedos. Holden straightens his bow tie before we step inside and I note the way he fiddles with his grandfather’s spinner ring.
He’s nervous even though he isn’t showing it as much as I am.
Rows of lights illuminate the ornate lobby, packed with Broadway’s biggest stars. I recognize famous faces from the silver screen mingling alongside Broadway icons. Waiters circle with trays of champagne. Laughter and lively chatter fill the air.
I can’t help but notice that Holden’s nerves seem to be getting worse. He’s sweating and jittery, pulling at his bowtie and twisting his ring over and over on his thumb.
“Hey,” I say, taking his hand, giving it a squeeze. “Tonight doesn’t matter. Win or lose, you’re an incredible director. And one of the best actor’s the Broadway stage has ever seen.”
It’s the only thing I could think of for why Holden would be nervous. He’s already won Tony awards for acting… this year is his first time being nominated for both Best Performance for a Leading Actor in a Musical, and Best Director.
I’ve been nominated for my work as Skyler and even though I’m telling myself it’s an honor just to be nominated, deep down, I know it’s going to be a brutal blow to lose Best Performance for a Leading Actress in a Musical.
If I lose.
I could still win. Even though I’m up against Missy Howl.
Holden nods, but his face is pale. He mumbles something about needing some air and excuses himself. As he pushes through the crowd, I feel a pang of worry. This isn't like him at all.
I decide to follow him outside through the back door onto the curved balcony. The crisp night air hits me as I step through the heavy doors. I spot Holden leaning against the brick wall of the theater, taking deep breaths.
"Hey," I say gently. "What's going on?”
Holden shakes his head then lets out a trembling laugh. "It's stupid. I mean, I know I should just be grateful we're here. But..." He trails off, looking down.
“Hey,” I say, taking his hand in mine and running my fingers across his grandfather’s ring. “Talk to me. Whatever it is, it’s okay. We’ll figure it out together.”
Holden nods, composing himself. Slowly, he pulls his hand from mine, twisting the ring around his finger, a faraway look in his eyes.
“This fucking ring. For years, I’ve used it as some sort of reminder to not be like my family. As though wearing it was a talisman or compass pointing me in the direction of being a better person. But I hate this ring. I’ve always hated it.”
Gliding the ring off his thumb, he clutches it in his palm. "But now, being here with you, I realize I don't need a ring to remind me anymore. You make me want to be the best version of myself. You are my north star. When I’m with you, I already am the best person I can be. As long as I have you by my side, I know I'll do right in this world."
The balcony overlooks a narrow alleyway, where towering dumpsters line the walls. Holden leans against the railing and extends his arm, his hand trembling as he releases his grandfather's ring into the gaping mouth of one dumpster. The metal glints momentarily in the blue hue of the moonlight before disappearing into the depths. His breath catches audibly in his throat as we watch it fall, symbolizing the weight of his family's legacy slipping away from us.
He exhales a heavy, relieved sigh, both hands falling to grip the railing with white knuckles.
“I love you,” I whisper to him
“I love you, too,” he says. Then, turning to me, he takes my hands. “I was going to do this in the theater, in front of everyone, but now that the night is here… it feels wrong. So many moments in our lives have been for an audience. This moment… this moment should be just for us.”
I tilt my head, his words confusing me. “What are you talking about?”
Still trembling, Holden pushes his hair back from his eyes and slowly lowers to one knee.
I gasp and this time, I know. I know it’s not part of the joke. It’s not for show.
This time, this moment… it’s real.
And it’s just for me and Holden.
From inside his tuxedo jacket, Holden pulls out a Tiffany blue box. “As soon as I saw you on day one of class, this curious little blonde who wanted to open the closet door knowing she was being set up… I knew you were the missing piece of me. From day one, you saw me for who I really am, not just my family name or reputation. With you, I've learned how to open my heart in ways I never thought possible. I made a promise to you years ago. A promise that you and I would be the star-crossed lovers that would rewrite the ending.”
He opens the box to reveal a dazzling diamond ring that glitters in the moonlight. “Katherine… my Rose… forever my Juliet… will you, against all odds, do me the extraordinary honor of marrying me?” Holden asks, his voice thick with emotion.
Unable to form words through my joyful sobs, I nod enthusiastically and whisper hoarsely, “Yes.”
Holden's face lights up and he slides the exquisite ring onto my finger.
He stands up and wraps me in a warm embrace as I whisper "Yes!" again and again into his ear.
On this quiet balcony, far from the crowds and noise, we've found our own private world.
“One more thing,” Holden says, wiping the tears from his cheeks. “There’s enough Dorseys in this world, wouldn’t you say?”
“Uh… I guess?” I’m confused by the question.
“I don’t want you to take my last name. I want to take yours.”
“But isn’t your last name now James? You legally changed it?—”
“I did,” he nods. “But James is still a family name… and my grandfather’s name. A name given to me in his legacy. I want to leave that entirely behind me. I want to be Holden Harris. And I want our children to have your father’s legacy… not mine.”
Tears stream freely down my cheeks and I can barely choke out my reply through joyful sobs. It is the ultimate gesture of love and respect, honoring my family over his own prominent lineage. “My dad would be so happy,” I whisper, pulling Holden close and burying my face in his shoulder.
The weight of this gesture sinks into my heart, mending the grief that had settled there since my father's passing.
The city lights twinkle around us as we hold each other close on the balcony, the cool night air a gentle caress blowing my hair loose from the skilled updo twisted at the nape of my neck. Holden brushes a strand of hair from my face and cups my cheek in his hand.
"I can't believe this is really happening," I whisper, glancing down at the ring on my finger, the diamond glinting in the moonlight. "It feels like a dream."
He smiles. “Don’t cry Juliet. The dream isn’t over yet. We have some Tony Awards to sweep.”
Holden tilts my chin up until my eyes meet his. He leans in close, so close I could feel his breath warm against my skin. "But soft,” he murmurs, his nose brushing mine. “What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East. And Juliet is the sun.” He pauses only to pepper kisses over my cheeks, nose, and eyes. “Don’t ever stop shining, Rose.”
“Give me my Romeo,” I start. “And, when he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars. And he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun." I smile up at him, even though his face is blurry through my tears. “Don’t stop sparkling, Lights.”
Then his lips meet mine in the softest, sweetest kiss. With the New York skyline glittering behind us, we hold each other under the moonlight and let the world fall away. This is our moment—everything else can wait.
Even the Tony Awards.