Epilogue #2
"Asha," Dar continues, leaning forward slightly. "I'd like to throw you a traditional Indian wedding."
I blink. "What?"
"A proper wedding," she says, her eyes bright with excitement.
"Mehendi ceremony, where we are going to adorn your hands and feet with henna in beautiful designs.
Sangeet, a night of music and dancing where both families perform.
The haldi ceremony, where we cover you in turmeric paste for blessings and good luck.
A baraat procession with Trigger arriving on horseback, maybe, with all his people dancing in the streets.
Followed by tying of the mangalsutra, which is a sacred thread and applying of Sindhoor.
And the Pheras around the sacred fire where you make your vows.
Days of celebration, Asha. Vibrant colors, traditional clothing, so much food you won't believe it.
Music, joy, rituals that have been passed down for generations.
" She pauses, and her voice grows softer, more tender.
"In our culture, a wedding isn't just about binding two individuals together.
It's about bringing families together. Creating bonds that last generations.
" Her eyes glisten. "I believe your mother would have given you this, Asha.
It's why she taught you how to cook Indian meals for your father.” She glances down the table at my dad.
"And I think it's another reason she wanted me and your father to meet.
So you could get to know your family and our culture.
I'm certain she would have planned every detail, made sure you knew every tradition, every meaning behind every ritual.
And I—" Her voice catches. "I can't replace her.
I would never try, but I can honor her and do for you what I believe she would've done. "
Dar's gaze shifts to my father again, who's gone very still at the head of the table.
"I also want to give this to my brother," she says quietly. "I want this for you, for us just as much."
My father holds her gaze, his eyes softening almost imperceptibly before he looks down at his glass, and I'm certain it's to collect whatever feelings her confessions have stirred. He's trying, he really is, but my father is nothing if not stoic.
"Listen, I know love doesn't need a ceremony to be real," Dar says with a smile.
"But sometimes a ceremony makes real things feel sacred.
And after everything you two have been through?
You deserve days of nothing but celebration.
Joy, family, and honoring what you've built together and giving everyone who loves you a chance to witness it properly. "
The table is quiet as I weigh her offer.
Dar's right, my mother would have loved this.
I know she would have spent months planning to make my big day special.
She's been gone so long that sometimes I forget what I lost, what was taken from me.
But Dar knows, and she's offering to stand in that gap, not as a replacement but as a bridge to what was.
Plus, I do think it would go a long way in bringing her and my father closer.
"Dar," I finally manage, my voice breaking. "That's—"
"Too much?" she asks gently.
"No." I shake my head. "It's perfect."
There's a beat of silence, and then Dar's face lights up as I've just handed her the world. She actually squeals and claps her hands together. "You're saying yes? You're really saying yes?"
"I—" I look at Trigger, who's watching me with that steady gaze that says he's with me, whatever I decide. "Yeah. Yes. Let's do it."
"Oh my god, okay, okay." Dar is already pulling out her phone, her fingers flying.
"We'll do it at my home. In Spain. The estate has beautiful gardens, and we can set up the mandap there.
You've seen the grounds; you know how stunning they are.
And now we'll fill it with color and music and celebration," she immediately goes into wedding planner mode.
"Spain?" I repeat.
"Spain," she confirms, beaming. "The villa has plenty of room for guests, and there are hotels nearby for overflow. We can make a whole week of it. End of summer, I'm thinking September. That gives us six months to plan everything."
She's scrolling furiously now, muttering to herself.
"We need to find you a lehenga, red of course, it’s traditional, but we can modernize it if you want.
And Trigger needs a Sherwani. I know the perfect boutique in Barcelona.
We'll need a pandit to perform the ceremony, a caterer, musicians, and a mehendi artist. And we can't forget we'll need to book travel for everyone, coordinate with Trigger's family.
" Her face flashes up from her phone. "Do you have a big family, Trigger? "
"Not particularly," he says, the corner of his mouth lifting.
"Good, that makes it easier. Still, we'll want them involved. We'll need to coordinate flights and accommodations." Her hand squeezes Rohan's arm beside her. "You'll handle the logistics?"
"Already on it," Rohan says, grinning at me.
Laney leans across the table toward me, her eyes wide. "Asha, a wedding in Spain? This is incredible. Can I help plan?"
"Please," Dar says before I can answer. "I'll need all the help I can get. We'll need to schedule a trip out there soon, you, me, and Laney. We'll meet with vendors and do dress fittings in Barcelona."
I look around the table. My father is watching Dar with something akin to wonder.
Laney is already pulling out her own phone to take notes.
Rohan is shaking his head fondly at his mother's excitement.
And Trigger, his eyes on me like I'm the only person in the room as he holds our son.
Spain. End of summer. A wedding with everyone I love.
"Okay," I say, and I can't stop smiling. "End of summer in Spain it is."
Dar squeals again, and the table erupts in laughter and excited chatter about flights, dates, and what to pack.
But as the noise swells around me, my eyes drift to London.
He's listening to Laney rattle off ideas, but there's something in his expression, something careful that makes my chest tighten.
"London," I say quietly, and he looks up. "Have you heard anything from Fisher? Do you think Sydney will come?"
He pulls in a deep breath that matches the weight of my question.
I haven't seen Sydney since the day I ran out of my father's house after learning what really caused my mother's death.
No one has heard from her or seen her since.
Trigger said she was around the week I disappeared, and then she was gone.
I know she's not dead. Her brother Fisher has told us as much, but that's it.
We don't know where she went or why. She cut off all communication.
London's jaw works for a moment. "Asha," he says finally, his voice soft. "You know I wish I could say yes, but I don't want to lie to you."
I look between Laney and London, something nagging at me. "Are you guys sure nothing happened while I was gone?"
At the head of the table, my father pushes his chair out abruptly, the legs scraping against the floor and garnering everyone's attention. "I'm going to grab another bottle of wine," he says through tight lips when he notices he's caught everyone's attention.
The tension settles over the table like a blanket. London meets my eyes, his expression careful. "Sometimes people don't stay gone to hurt you. Sometimes they stay gone because they think they're doing the opposite."
I consider his words. Out of anyone at this table, he would know. He's been the guy who cut out his friends and family, leaving no trace. London had a damn good reason, but what I can't put together is what Sydney could possibly be protecting any of us from.
Beside me, Trigger reaches for my hand and gently squeezes. "Fisher will get word to her."
I let out a resigned breath. "I doubt she'll come.
" I brush my fingers over Avi's feet. She knew I was pregnant before she left, which means she has to know I'm a mom now, and still nothing.
No congratulations, no well wishes, nothing.
I release a heavy sigh. "I have to at least try; if I don't, then I'm the one closing the door.
" I swallow hard. "It just sucks, is all. "
"It does," Laney says softly.
Dar's bangles clink as she reaches across the table, her expression sympathetic but not pitying. "The invitation will be there," she says simply. "That's all you can do."
My father returns with two bottles of wine, setting them on the table with more force than necessary.
"So," Rohan says, his voice deliberately lighter. "September in Spain. Mother, you think you can pull off a full traditional wedding in six months?"
"Six months?" Dar scoffs, already back in planning mode. "I could do it in three if I had to. But six gives us time to do it right."
"September twenty-first," Trigger says suddenly, and everyone turns to look at him. He's looking at me, Avi still cradled against his chest. "That's when we should do it. The equinox. Equal day and night. Balance."
My throat tightens. "You've been thinking about this."
"Maybe," he says, and there's the smallest hint of a smile.
"September twenty-first," I repeat, testing the words. "That's perfect."
"Perfect," Dar agrees, already typing into her phone. "I'm putting it in the calendar right now. September twenty-first. Spain. Your wedding."
Laney raises her glass. "To September."
"To family," London adds.
"To new beginnings," my father chimes in, and this time, when we all raise our glasses, it feels like a promise.
I look around the table at the people who've stayed, who've fought to be here, who've chosen to build something new from broken pieces. And I think about Sydney, wherever she is, and I hope that somehow she'll find her way back. But if she doesn't, I can't let that stop me from moving forward.
September twenty-first. A wedding in Spain. A week filled with celebration of everything we've survived and everything we're becoming. I lean into Trigger, feeling Avi's warmth between us, and for the first time in a long time, I let myself look ahead without fear.
The future is waiting, and it's beautiful.