Epilogue
Brooke busied herself around the shop. There was a business in her actions that she found comforting.
“What do you think of this one?” Emily asked from the yellow velvet chair.
Brooke glanced up from the box of books she was organizing. Ever since Emily and Scarlett had decided on an actual wedding date her friend had been obsessively thumbing through wedding magazines. Today, she was thoroughly enraptured by the topic of outfits.
“It all depends on what you want,” Brooke said with a grin. She loved seeing her friend this happy.
“Brooke,” Emily whined.
“Okay. You don’t like dresses, you want the jumpsuit or even a regular suit. Scarlett also probably doesn’t want a dress. So decide on the colors. You could both wear white or black. Or one of you could wear white the other could wear black.”
“Oh, what if we both wore white?” Emily asked excitedly.
“I love that for you,” Brooke beamed a smile at her.
“Are you sure you’re up to be my maid of honor?” Emily asked.
“I love that you think I’d allow you to make anyone else your maid of honor,” Brooke teased.
“I love how possessive you are as a friend,” Emily teased back.
She waited a long time, studying Brooke.
“So did you get the ring yet?” Emily asked.
“I did,” Brooke felt a hot blush spread across her face.
“Let’s see it,” Emily demanded.
Brooke huffed an exaggerated sigh before walking to the front counter. She was careful to glance across to Drew’s shop before pulling out the ring box. Once she was sure the coast was clear she pulled out the ring and handed it to Emily.
The ring had a silver band with a heart shaped diamond. Brooke couldn’t help smiling every time she looked at it. Emily’s eyes widened.
“Wow. So, this is really happening?” Emily asked.
“It is,” Brooke reaffirmed.
Altogether she and Drew had been living together for six months. Though Brooke had known much sooner that she wanted to marry Drew.
“I can’t handle this. You and I are both going to be getting married,” Emily squealed with excitement.
“Only if Drew says yes,” Brooke corrected.
Emily shot Brooke a get real look. Brooke had to laugh.
“She’s going to say yes,” Emily insisted.
“I obviously hope so. There’s never been anyone else I’ve ever felt prepared to marry. No one else that I wanted to share my space or my time with.”
“I know what you mean. I feel the same way about Scarlett. I can’t believe we’re both going to be engaged and married.”
“I promise to let you get married first,” Brooke laughed.
“You can get married as soon as you want to. By the way, how are things going with Drew and Frank?”
Brooke gave a slow smile. She remembered back over the last few months.
Things between Drew and Frank had been tense for months.
They would take one step forward and three steps back.
With time things, between them had settled.
Now that Drew knew she could count on Frank, at least for some things she was more inclined to include him in her life.
It had been interesting for Brooke to watch the relationship between Drew and Frank grow.
“Things have been going really well. Frank has season passes to the Preds games. So I guess Drew and I are hockey fans now,” Brooke chuckled.
“I never thought I’d see the day that you became a sports fan,” Emily laughed.
“You and me both. But it’s fun going with my mom and Frank. And Drew,” she smiled fondly when she mentioned Drew. Emily bumped her with a shoulder.
“What’s the proposal plan?” Emily asked with a grin.
Brooke ducked behind the counter and pulled out a box of rose tea. Emily took the box from Brooke and stared at it. When she met Brooke’s eyes there was an unspoken question there.
“It’s Tuesday,” Brooke laughed.
“I still have so many questions,” Emily teased.
“Tuesday is the day that we close up our shops then meet over here and have a cup of tea together,” Brooke explained.
“You’re going to propose over tea time?” Emily asked.
“I can’t think of a better time to give her a ring,” Brooke answered.
Emily tossed her the box of tea. Brooke caught it with a grin.
“If it means something to the two of you, that’s all that matters.”
“It does mean something to us,” Brooke explained.
In the months since their one disagreement Brooke and Drew had made Tuesday tea an official ritual.
It was the time they checked in with each other.
They told each other about the day. They talked about the upcoming week and how they were feeling.
Tuesday tea time was the perfect moment to propose and Brooke couldn’t wait.
“With that in mind I’m going to need you to scoot. Drew will be here any minute.”
Emily met her with a look of mock affront.
“Fine then. I’ll get going. Just let me know how everything goes,” Emily flung the words casually over her shoulder as she strode towards the door.
“I love you. Can you flip the closed sign on your way out?” Brooke called after her.
“I love you, too.” Emily flipped the sign and disappeared into the parking lot.
Brooke was happy to find that the tea box was the perfect fit for her ring box. She slipped the lid closed on the tea box just as Drew pushed the store’s door open.
“Hey, sweetie. How was your day?” Brooke called.
“Pretty good. I had a full line up today,” Drew answered.
Drew leaned in and gave her a kiss on the lips, their bodies were separated by the store’s counter.
“You ready for tea?” Brooke asked.
“I am,” Drew answered. There were no words for the mounting anxiety deep inside of Brooke.
They walked to the back. The ring box added some heft to the tea. The weight settled into Brooke’s hand reminding her of what she was about to do.
“Do you mind taking the tea and getting it ready? I need to set something up in the back room,” Brooke tried her best to toss the words out casually. Drew took the box and gave it a second glance. She could feel the heaviness inside as well.
“Of course. Do whatever you need to do. I’ll have the tea ready when you get back.”
“You’re the best,” Brooke leaned up and gave Drew another kiss on the lips.
Brooke pretended to walk away. She waited until Drew turned towards the coffee maker where the hot water could be found. Brooke dropped to one knee and waited. Drew opened the box and stood almost frozen staring inside.
“Hey, Brooke,” Drew turned to call. When she turned around and saw Brooke on one knee her hand flew up to cover her mouth.
“Drew, you have been more than I ever expected from a partner. You’re kind when I’m grumpy.
You’re patient when I’m bossy. You’re funny and supportive.
You’re the longest list of good things I could ever say about someone.
I want you to be here with me for the rest of our lives.
I don’t want to imagine ever going through another week or year without you here. Will you marry me?”
Brooke watched as a smile spread wide across Drew’s face. Tears rolled like tiny rivers down Drew’s cheeks and for a long moment she didn’t answer. Brooke rose to her feet and took Drew’s hands in her own. It wasn’t often that she saw Drew speechless, so Brooke knew this was a big moment.
“I don’t know what to say,” Drew answered.
“A yes or no would be a good place to start. Though I would be partial to a yes,” Brooke grinned.
“You already know my answer is yes,” Drew laughed.
“How would I have known that?” Brooke chuckled. A lone tear had floated down her own face and Brooke wiped it away.
“How could my answer be anything but yes? Brooke, you have my whole heart, scars and all. I wouldn’t want to spend a day without you in it. We have nothing but things to look forward to ahead of us,” Drew answered.
“So, a yes then?”
“My answer is an absolute yes,” Drew laughed. Her hands wound around Brooke’s waist, pulling her in close.
“Good, I can’t wait to start our lives together,” Brooke smiled.
“Sweetheart, we already have,” Drew responded.
They leaned in giving one another a kiss. Brooke could feel Drew smiling against her mouth and let a smile of her own form.
“How did I get this lucky?” Brooke answered.
“We’re both pretty lucky.”
“You know Mom and Frank are going to die when they see you wearing a ring?” Brooke cackled.
In the last few months Brooke had begun getting closer with her mom.
Drew had also been getting closer with both Frank and her own mom, Gail.
They’d gone to several Preds games with Brooke’s mom and Frank.
Gail had them coming over for a monthly dinner.
Everything felt settled and pleasant. Brooke looked over at Drew and gave a small smile.
“Do you think they’ll be shocked tonight when they see us?” Drew asked.
“They probably will be initially. But overall, I think they’ll just be happy,” Brooke answered.
“Are we still going to the game tonight? All I can think about is snuggling you,” Drew gave a half whine.
“You know how cold I get at Preds games, you’ll have plenty of chances to snuggle me. I was not born to be a hockey fan. I was turned into one,” Brooke laughed.
“You do look cute in your yellow jersey,” Drew bent down to kiss the tip of her nose.
“See, there’s an upside already,” Brooke teased.
“With you there’s nothing but upsides,” Drew chuckled.
Drew and Brooke spent the rest of the afternoon together before finally making it to the Pred’s game. The Predators were the NHL hockey team in Nashville. Brooke had never thought of herself as a hockey fan, but she’d come to really enjoy coming to the games with her mom and Frank.
They made their way to the seats where Frank and Susan waited on them.
Susan waved frantically with a large smile on her face.
Brooke smiled back, it had been a long time since she’d seen her mom this happy.
As they drew closer Brooke couldn’t help but notice a glint on Susan’s finger.
She sat beside her mom and pulled her in for a huge hug.
“Did the two of you get engaged?” Brooke asked with a wide smile.
Susan showed Brooke the ring. The smile on Frank’s face was the biggest Brooke had ever seen on the man. Her mom’s smile warmed Brooke’s heart.
“Frank asked me last week. And I said yes,” Susan announced.
“We have a bit of an announcement of our own,” Drew said. She turned her hand so that Frank and Susan could see her own ring. As if they weren’t happy enough Frank and Susan’s smiles widened.
“You’re engaged?” Frank asked.
“I am,” Drew answered. The joy in her tone warmed Brooke down to the soles of her feet.
Frank pulled Drew into a tight hug.
“I’m so happy for you, sweetheart,” Frank offered as a tear rolled down his cheek.
The sheer perfection of the moment caught Brooke by surprise.
Brooke couldn’t help thinking about how angry she had been at Drew’s arrival.
Now how much good had been brought into her life simply because Drew opened her shop next door?
Drew was nothing Brooke could have ever imagined, and yet everything she needed.
Forever had never been something Brooke had paid particular attention to.
The only thing she knew for certain was that Drew was the only woman she’d ever wanted forever with, and now they were on their way.