Epilogue
Two years later
I’ve learned the best parts of life are the ones that are unplanned and unexpected.
Every morning I wake up with Joey’s warm body pressed against mine, her gentle breathing a reminder that I've found my home in the arms of a free-spirited woman who took a chance on me.
For the last two years, Joey, Barbara, Moose, and I have been all over the country. From the forests in Maine to the beaches of San Diego—we’re slowly checking off destinations on our bucket list.
It’s not just a list though, it’s the memories that come with it.
Like Joey’s laugh echoing when Moose took a nosedive in Lake Michigan trying to catch a fish.
Or the way her wavy hair shined bright copper in the blood orange Sedona sunset as she cuddled Barbara.
Or the rainy nights we spent in a cramped, one room rental in Maine sharing a pint of half-melted ice cream with one bent spoon.
Those moments are snapshots of why I’m so deeply in love with Joey.
I love all sides of her. But my favorite is the wild, uninhibited version of Joey. All untamed hair and no filter, laughing without a care in the world.
It’s the side of her I admire the most because it’s in stark contrast to myself.
I’m the calm to her chaos.
On paper, we’re incompatible. In reality, we’re a perfect match.
She drags me out of my shell with warm hands, and I whisper that it’s okay to retreat into hers instead.
When she needs calmness, I share some of mine. When I need chaos, she lends me some of hers—a flawless fit.
Because our meeting was no accident.
I needed someone to show me what it felt like to be accepted.
She needed someone to show her what true love felt like.
Together, our love continues to grow like a wildflower.
Untamed, beautiful, and resilient.
Joey has changed everything for me in the best way possible.
The way she sees the world in vibrant colors—finding beauty in gas station sunsets and roadside wildflowers—opened my eyes to a life I never knew was possible for me.
Sometimes I catch myself watching her when she doesn't notice.
The way she talks to Moose and Barbara like they understand every word.
Our little family—me, Joey, a judgmental cat, and an overeager dog—have created something beautiful out of nothing. A life where morning coffee tastes better shared and wrong turns lead to the right places—”
“Beckett! We have exactly twenty-eight minutes until the courthouse closes,” Joey calls out to me, her voice carrying through the ocean breeze.
My head snaps up from my daze to see Joey’s freckled nose and flushed cheeks hanging outside the passenger window of Poppy. Moose squeezes next to her, tongue lolling and floppy ears on full display.
I smile back at them, noticing Barbara sleeping peacefully on the dashboard, catching the last bit of sun before it melts into the Atlantic.
“Give me thirty more seconds,” I tell her. “Oh. And can you get Barbara off the dash before we start moving?”
“I don’t want to die before I get married, Beckett.”
Chuckling, I shake my head. “Let me finish my thought before I forget it.”
She flashes me a wink. “You got it, lover boy.” The tips of my ears burn hot.
Even after two years of being together, I still blush whenever she flirts with me.
Turning back to my journal, I press my pen to the paper and write my final words for the day.
“—Now, our story will continue to flourish in our next chapter of life together. Because today, Josephine Iris Thorne—with her tender heart and breathtaking smile—will become Josephine Iris Thorne-Hart.”