Epilogue
EPILOGUE
JAMES
One Year Later
“ T o the team,” I said, holding my champagne glass up and nodding at Jess and Henri.
“To the team,” the rest of our group echoed, then clinked glasses.
It was the final toast of many that evening, at the end of a lavish meal celebrating the official launch of Henri Fournier Designs. Back at the beginning, I never would have imagined Jess’s crazy idea to launch a fashion line with her friend would result in our entire family and many of their friends gathered in a rooftop lounge in Paris, raising a glass to their success. Kaitlyn tapped her flute against mine then snuggled up against me. Harper was on the far side of the table holding court next to my mom, crashing her sturdy Shirley Temple glass into everyone’s delicate champagne flutes.
Henri’s runway show had been the showstopper of Paris fashion week, a dark horse debut line that caught the haute couture establishment off guard. Henri and Jess had managed to snag the hottest models to walk for him, and the models’ celebrity plus the creativity of his designs left everybody chattering about the rockstar upstart. The early success of the line meant Jess had already made her investment back times three. I was surprised, but at the same time I wasn’t. My sister had stepped up and proven herself. I couldn’t be prouder of the woman she’d become, now that we’d both decided to leave the past in the past.
“Daddy, toast me,” Harper appeared at my elbow, holding up her glass of mostly ice.
“Of course,” I replied, leaning over to tap my flute against hers. “Cheers, my dear.”
“When are we going?” she asked, glancing at Kaitlyn. “You said we’re going to look at the lights.”
Harper’s drive to go everywhere and see everything was yet another beautiful surprise I owed to the woman nestled in my arms. In the past year, Kaitlyn had managed to expand my daughter’s horizons from our little corner of Florida to the world at large. We’d checked off every place on her list and then some, including skiing in Switzerland and a real-life safari in Kenya, where she got to see giraffes and elephants in their natural habitat. So far Harper had been a tireless tourist in France, from a bike ride in Provence to exploring the beauty of Paris. The only spot we had left before we headed home was the Eiffel Tower.
“You’re not too tired?” I asked her even though I already knew the answer.
“No!” she crowed. “Kaitlyn, can we please go now?”
She drew back and looked up at me with sleepy eyes. “I’m so excited to see it but can we do it tomorrow? I’m a little tired from all the food and drinking.”
“You heard her,” I said to Harper, giving her a wink. “Tomorrow it is.”
“Nooo,” Harper howled. “Please, please, please tonight !” She clasped her hands in a prayer position and hopped up and down.
“Harper,” Kaitlyn laughed. “Where do you get all your energy? Aren’t you tired, too?”
“ Never tired,” she shouted, throwing one arm in the air in a superhero pose.
I chuckled at the two of them. “Up to you,” I said, giving Kaitlyn a squeeze. I knew she couldn’t resist Harper’s enthusiasm, and I hoped it would be enough to get her to agree to the plan.
“I guess I have no choice,” Kaitlyn said, sitting up. “But hold on…isn’t it closed now? It’s late.” She checked her phone.
“Don’t worry, I know people,” I reassured her softly.
My lifestyle still caught Kaitlyn off guard, even after a year together. She constantly forgot I could make nearly anything she wished a reality, including getting the tourist attraction to give us after-hours access for a once-in-a-lifetime view.
“Off we go, then,” Kaitlyn said, standing up and taking Harper’s hand.
I stood up to address the room. “Folks, we’re heading out, but please feel free to stay and keep enjoying this incredible celebration. Henri, Jessica, I’m so proud of the two of you.”
My sister placed both of her hands to her lips and blew me a kiss across the table with tears twinkling in her eyes.
A few minutes later, we were tucked in my Maybach cruising through the back streets of Paris. Harper’s enthusiasm had rubbed off on Kaitlyn, and the two of them chattered as we got closer to our destination.
“Whoa,” Harper said as we pulled into the parking area near the base of the monument. “Lights!”
“Lots of them,” Kaitlyn laughed. She reached for my hand. “It’s beautiful. I’m so happy we decided to come tonight.”
“This is nothing, wait until we get to the top.”
“We’re going in there?” Harper exclaimed.
“Yup. You won’t be scared of being up so high, will you?”
“I’m not scared of anything,” she said, her chin up in defiance.
I knew for a fact my daughter wasn’t afraid of heights thanks to her many trips to the playground climbing wall. She loved it so much that we signed her up for climbing lessons at a local gym, where she wowed the instructors with her grace and bravery. My damaged little girl had come back stronger than ever.
All thanks to Kaitlyn.
I gave her hand a squeeze as we walked to the entrance, and she went up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on my cheek. I was happier than I’d ever imagined was possible.
The Tower looked like it was decked out in diamonds, shimmering in the darkness. I couldn’t wait to get to the top.
“Bonjour and welcome,” my contact Alphonse greeted us, holding open the glass door. “Are you ready to fall in love with Paris?”
“ Oui oui ,” Kaitlyn laughed as she shook his hand. “But I already am.”
Harper had stopped outside and was craning her head back. “But how do we get all the way up there?”
“Oh, don’t worry, chère ,” Alphonse said. “There are only about a thousand steps to the top. You should make it up to the top by tomorrow morning.”
Her face fell and she reached her arms out to me. “Carry me, Daddy?”
“He’s joking with you, there’s an elevator,” I reassured her.
“Harper,” Alphonse said as he escorted us in. “How old do you think the Tower is?”
“Ten years old?” she asked.
“You’re very close,” Alphonse said, nodding his head as he punched the elevator button. “This beautiful structure is over one hundred and thirty years old! What do you think about that?”
Alphonse continued making touristy small talk with my daughter as I tried to keep my composure. I’d been looking forward to this moment since we landed, and now that it was closer than ever, I wished I could cut directly to it.
The elevator finally pinged. “Mr. Morris, I trust you know the way?”
“Thank you, Alphonse. Appreciate your help, as always.”
The three of us filed into the glass-walled elevator and started our ascent through the steel beams, bypassing the lower floors and speeding directly to the top.
“It’s beautiful,” Kaitlyn breathed as she stared out the window to the endless vista.
“You’re beautiful,” I said, pushing up against her and planting a kiss on her temple. “Thanks for coming tonight. She had her heart set on it.”
“Why, though?”
I shrugged. “I might have told her that the Eiffel Tower goes very high up, and only the bravest people go to the top.”
Kaitlyn placed her hand over her heart and glanced over to where Harper was staring outside, mesmerized by the twinkling lights. “She wants to be brave.”
“Thanks to you.”
The elevator doors opened, and we were deposited on the observatory level at the top, granting us a bird’s-eye view of the miniature city below.
“Daddy, look at all the buildings and lights,” Harper exclaimed.
“How do you feel about that?” Kaitlyn asked her, walking over to stand beside her at the wire fencing.
“I like it!”
I watched the two of them from a distance, taking in the beauty of the moment. The bond between my daughter and Kaitlyn had become so strong that sometimes Harper opted to turn to her instead of me when she needed comfort. At first it smarted a little, but I couldn’t begrudge Harper for her love of Kaitlyn. She’d come into our lives and changed so much for the better.
And now it was time for yet another change. I took a deep breath and walked over to where they were standing.
“Beautiful,” I said, leaning down to give Harper a kiss on the top of the head before I gathered Kaitlyn in my arms. “I’m so happy we’re sharing this moment.”
Kaitlyn reached back to circle her arm behind my neck. “This trip has been incredible. Thank you for making it magical.”
“Ah, but the magic came here with me from Florida. It’s the two of you.”
I never imagined I’d have trouble finding my voice when the moment came, but here I was feeling a little anxious about everything. I cleared my throat and gently turned Kaitlyn so she was facing me.
“Everything changed the moment I met you.”
Kaitlyn quirked her mouth at me. “Do you mean the first time, when I was covered with mixed drinks, or the second time, when I almost walked right back out your front door?”
“Both,” I laughed. “You made quite an impression on me both times, and I’m forever grateful that you were brave enough to stick around despite…”
“Everything,” she offered helpfully.
“Yes, despite everything,” I repeated. “We’ve all been through so much together, and our lives are better because you’re here with us. And, well, it’s my hope… I mean it’s our hope,” I glanced down at Harper who was watching us with wide, excited eyes, having been prepped on what was coming, “that you’ll consider spending the rest of your days with us.”
Kaitlyn was frozen as I kneeled in front of her.
“You can grab it now, Harp,” I whispered to my daughter. She reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out a small navy box, popped it open then handed it to me.
“Kaitlyn, will you marry me?”
“Will you marry us ?” Harper shouted as she jumped up and down and clapped gleefully.
I held the box out to her so that she could see the three-carat diamond glittering as brightly as any of the lights on the horizon. When I finally looked up at her, tears streamed down her cheeks.
It took a few seconds longer than it should’ve for Kaitlyn to react, and I started to get a little nervous, but then she dropped to her knees in front of me, crying and laughing.
“Yes, yes, I’ll marry you! Both of you!”
She threw herself into my arms and smothered me with kisses while Harper turned in circles beside us singing a nonsensical victory song.
“Get over here, young lady,” Kaitlyn held her arms wide, and Harper crashed into us. We hugged one another tightly until I had to cough back the tears I felt welling.
When we finally pulled apart, Harper had an endless list of questions for us.
“Does getting married mean there’s going to be a wedding?”
“You bet,” Kaitlyn said, smoothing Harper’s hair out of her eyes. “We’ll both get to wear pretty dresses.”
“And does getting married mean you’re never going to leave again?”
“Yes,” Kaitlyn glanced up at me for a beat. “That’s what it means to me.”
“Yay!” Harper paused to consider another question. “Does getting married mean…”
We waited for her to gather her thoughts.
“Does getting married mean I can call you Mommy?” Harper whispered the question.
Kaitlyn gasped as the tears sprang back to her eyes. “Is that what you want to do?”
Harper nodded silently.
“I want that too,” Kaitlyn tried to hide a sob as she pulled Harper to her.
It was more than I could’ve hoped for. My daughter was about to have the mother she’d always wanted, and I was about to marry a woman who would help me love harder and better every day. I’d always considered myself a lucky man, and I knew that to the rest of the world it looked like I had everything.
But it took me too long to realize that without love, I had nothing.
“You two ready to go?” I asked them.
Harper and Kaitlyn nodded, and we walked to the elevator holding hands, leaving this perfect moment and getting ready for a lifetime of many more.
Together, as a family.