Epilogue
“The future is worth it. All the pain. All the tears. The future is worth the fight.”
~Martian Manhunter
“Don’t forget your costumes for the spring show,” Nadia called as the rambunctious junior ballerinas fled the studio to greet their waiting parents. They were going to make adorable dandelions.
She gathered up the recital props and cued up the music for her next class—a private lesson for a new client.
Her roster was full since moving into the new studio, and why wouldn’t it be?
Elliot had designed a state of the art facility, one that no other dance academy in the area could compete with.
He also provided her unlimited advertisement on GeekPeek, which created an invaluable buzz way before their grand opening.
And of course—because he was Elliot—everything was secured by a top of the line security system.
He truly was a magician, because with him anything was possible.
In the months it took to get the studio off the ground, she and Elliot truly got to know each other and fell more in love with every passing day.
He no longer pulled away when the intimacy tightened around them.
Instead, he pulled closer, knowing that the intensity was a shared gift they should relish rather than fear.
She’d thought this sort of happiness only existed in romance novels, but it turned out to be very, very possible in real life.
And while her outcome had been an unpredictable one, Elliot showed her that a good partnership didn’t involve one person leading the other.
Her independence remained. She was stronger than ever, and her success had flourished since falling in love with a man who emotionally supported and encouraged her.
Switching her pointe shoes for a pair of heels, she awaited her new client. They’d probably run through the basics, maybe touch on a tango or foxtrot if he wasn’t too inexperienced. Then she’d go home to her man.
As she twisted her hair into a bun, a breaker blew and the entire studio went dark. “Oh, no.” Pinning her hair in place, she headed to the hall to check the breaker box, but before she made it across the dance floor violins began to play and she frowned.
The stereo glowed as Etta James crooned the slow intro to At Last. “Hello?”
She jumped as twinkle lights suddenly illuminated the rafters like stars. Turning, she searched the shadows. “Who’s there?”
Elliot stepped through the doorway, holding a single long stem rose. She smiled, unsure what he was doing there. “I thought a breaker blew. What are you doing here?”
“I have an appointment.”
“You…?” She laughed. “You’re my new client?”
He nodded. “I was hoping you could teach me how to dance.” He crossed the floor and handed her the rose.
“You hate dancing.”
He shook his head. “Not anymore. Not since I found the perfect dance partner.”
Pressing her nose into the bloom, she smiled. “And where will you be dancing?”
“My wedding.”
She stilled, unsure if she heard him right. “Your…?”
“Wedding. I’m asking her to marry me tonight.”
Trapped in some sort of trance, she blinked at him. “I can’t feel my feet.”
He laughed and took her hand, dropping to a knee. “I won’t let you fall.”
Her heart raced as she stared at him, kneeling before her. “Oh my goodness.”
“Wait, there’s more.” He looked to the door where something buzzed. A small robot with tank-like wheel treads and big eyes rolled onto the floor.
“That’s your robot.” She recognized it from his collections. But she’d never seen it out of the box.
“His name’s Wall-e. He’s a hopeless romantic.”
She laughed as the little robot rattled its way across the floor. A little velvet box was affixed to its head with a red bow.
Elliot untied the ribbon and opened the box, revealing a stunning diamond ring.
“I want to dance with you for the rest of my life, Nadia, you and nobody else. I want to be your partner, your lover, your best friend, and the man who makes all your dreams come true. I’ve loved you since the moment I met you and I plan on loving you for the rest of my life.
Do you think you could put up with me that long? ”
Her vision blurred and when she blinked twin tears fell. “You’ve already made my dreams come true, you silly man.”
“Is that a yes?”
She nodded, her fingers covering her mouth as she lost control of her emotions. “Yes.”
He stood and pulled her hands away from her face and kissed her. When they broke apart, she was wearing the ring. “You’ve made me very happy,” he whispered, kissing her again. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She burst into happy tears, blindsided and still in shock. “I didn’t know any of this was happening today.”
He laughed. “That’s how it’s supposed to be.”
She looked down at the little robot. “You took it out of the box.”
“It was worth it.”
She admired her ring, leaning into his chest. “I’m stunned.”
His fingers closed around her hand, the one holding the rose. He pulled the other to his shoulder. “I was promised a dance.”
She laughed. “Now, I’m sure I’m dreaming. What have you done with my boyfriend?”
“I traded him in for a better model. This one’s called a fiancé. Now, dance with me. I paid a lot for this lesson and in a few minutes we’re going to be interrupted.”
She let him lead her in a slow turn. “Who’s interrupting us?”
“Just those who knew this was happening. The guys, Lettie, my mother.”
“They all knew?”
“I’ve been obsessing over it for weeks. They’re all going to be relieved you said yes.”
“Was there ever any doubt?”
He met her gaze and smiled. “Do you know how out of my league you are, Nadia? The fact that you even look at me is amazing.”
She tsked. “Do you know something, mister? I feel the exact same way about you.” She wiggled her fingers, flashing her ring in the twinkle lights. “And now I get to look at you forever. I’m never letting you go, Elliot.”
“Promise?”
She nodded. “Promise.” They sealed it with a kiss.
THE END
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