Epilogue
HAZEL: ONE YEAR LATER
I stand on the back porch of my grandmother’s Victorian beach house, glass of wine in hand, as the waves crash onto the shore. The aroma of fish grilling mixes with the sharp, salty sea air. Overhead, fairy lights twinkle, creating a warm glow as the sun sets over the Atlantic Ocean.
Lucas and Anabelle stand together on the opposite end of the porch, facing the sea.
She’s nestled her back into his chest, and he has his arms wrapped around her.
Her long maxi sundress blows in the wind, and her hair is down, long and loose.
They came down to Twin Waves, NC to celebrate Lucas’s birthday with the family and for Anabelle to get to know us all better.
“Mom, can I get Grandpa to put a hot dog on the grill?” Kira, my twelve-year-old daughter asks, referring to my stepdad who’s cooking the fish.
I’ve gotten really close to my stepdad over the years, and I hardly talk to my dad.
He left scars on all three of us kids. I got the brunt of it as the oldest. After he left, I became Mom’s right-hand woman.
I was Kira’s age when he walked out on us.
“Sure you don’t want to try the fish?”
Kira shakes her head, her short, light brown waves flying. Her eyes are big and hopeful.
I sigh in resignation. “Fine. Grab it from the fridge and take it to him.” I brought extras just in case. I’ve been trying to convince her to expand her food choices, but apparently, it isn’t working as well as I’d like.
As she leaves, Grandma comes up next to me with a glass of white wine, leaning over the banister overlooking the beach.
“She said no to the fish again?”
I take a sip. “Yep.”
“She takes after her father,” Grandma says.
I’m a bit of a foodie myself, especially when it comes to seafood, and Twin Waves is known for fresh seafood markets and locally caught shrimp.
Kira is the most like her dad out of my four girls. The other three are girly girls like me.
Grandma turns and looks at the house. “I can never keep up with everything that needs to be done here.”
She’s in her late eighties, so it’s no wonder. A few boards hang loose on the deck railing, and we always have to watch where we step because there are a few rotted planks as well. And let’s not get started on the lack of hot water. I think her water heater is from the 1900s.
Anabelle and Lucas walk toward us, hand in hand.
“How’s the antique mall going?” I ask them, sipping my wine.
“It’s coming along,” Anabelle says. “Our traffic has increased tenfold since we moved to the new location. It came with a lot of vendors with their own booths, and that’s easy money.
Lucas has been helping me with social media marketing, and the mall has more traffic than it has with the previous owners. ”
“I’m so happy for you two.” I smile warmly. “Let me know if you ever want to brainstorm ideas for expansion.”
“Mom, Kira got a hotdog. Can I get one, too?” Nolan says, coming up to us. He’s twelve now and has grown since I met him six months ago. He and Kira are making friends.
Anabelle looks at me, and I nod. “Of course.” I laugh. “We should have planned on hotdogs for the kids to begin with.”
My daughter, Madeline, comes up to us. “I can make sure he gets a hotdog.” She’s twenty-one and helps out with the shop.
“Thanks, Mads.”
Lucas and Anabelle brought their friend Aubrey along. Apparently, she runs a wedding venue in Maple Creek and is thinking about expanding the beach house into another wedding location. She’s been in negotiations with Grandma all day about it.
Her boyfriend, Sean, came, too, but no one seems to like him because, according to Lucas, Sean is always micromanaging and gaslighting Aubrey. Lucas told me she’s been dating him for about a year. She got together with him officially right after he and Anabelle started dating.
Aubrey takes a seat in one of the rickety wooden chairs, and it collapses under her weight. She screams as she goes down, arms flailing, and Sean stays seated, laughing at her like she’s the nightly entertainment.
Jace jumps up from eating his fish and rushes to her side. “Are you okay?”
With a mortified expression, she accepts his help to stand, but her gaze collides with Jace’s and something tender passes between them.
Is it possible Jace has a thing for Aubrey? I’m getting this overprotective energy from him, like he’s worried about her.
Anabelle and Lucas are inseparable—the classic twitterpated lovers. Soft touches, longing glances, gentle kisses, and constant whispering. You would think they’d have calmed down from this stage by now, after dating a year, but they’re still going strong.
After dinner, my mom and I help Grandma bring out strawberry shortcake for dessert, with cans of whipped cream for the top.
Kira grabs a can and pours it onto her dessert. “Want some, Nolan?” She offers it to him, but instead of handing it off, she sprays it into his face, laughing hysterically.
“Hey!” Nolan shouts, grabbing the nearest available can. He sprays it back at her and covers her head and shoulders with whipped cream.
She squeals and retaliates with delight, not even bothering to wipe anything off.
“That’s enough, you two,” I say, reaching for the can from Kira, but Nolan shoots whipped cream all over me. Kira howls with laughter, but when I shoot her a stern look, she puts both hands over her mouth.
“Sorry!” Nolan says. “I didn’t mean to.” But he’s grinning like he clearly did.
“Sure, you didn’t,” Kira says.
“It was self-defense. Did you expect me to sit there and take it?”
He does have a valid point. Kira had it coming to her.
“Maybe it’s time to settle down and eat your dessert,” Anabelle says. “And since you have so much energy, you can help clean up afterward.”
His smile droops at that statement.
“You, too, Kira,” I say.
And now her expression matches his.
Lucas grabs the karaoke mic with a nervous air about him, but the grumpiness of a year ago is gone. I haven’t seen my brother this happy since we were kids. Before Dad left.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming tonight. I have a few things I want to say to Anabelle.”
Grandma gasps and puts a hand to her mouth. “It’s about time,” she mutters under her breath.
“Anabelle Lackey, when I met you, your beauty took my breath away, but as I’ve grown to know you and love you more each day, it’s what’s inside that fulfills me, heart and soul. I was a miserable human being, and I don’t know why you bothered to take a chance on a loser like me?—”
“You were never a loser!” she protests.
He grins at the crowd. “See what I’m talking about?
She’s amazing.” He turns his focus back to her.
“I can’t live without you. You complete me.
And Nolan? He’s the greatest, and he makes me want to be better every day.
He’s come so far as a soccer player in the last year, and the kid has a bright future with that kind of discipline and talent. If that’s what he wants.”
“It is what I want,” Nolan calls. “Are you going to propose or what?”
I laugh along with the crowd. He’s going to fit in this family just right.
Lucas drops to one knee and pulls a box from his pocket, flipping it open to reveal a gorgeous diamond ring. “Anabelle, will you marry me?”
“Yes! A thousand times, yes!” Tears are running down her cheeks as he slides the ring onto her finger.
The crowd claps, catcalls, and cheers.
“I get a new dad!” Nolan says, running toward him and wrapping his arms around his mom and future stepdad.
“I called it first!” Aubrey calls. “Never forget that!”
“You and your mom together,” Anabelle says with a laugh. “You two are so much alike.”
“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult,” Aubrey says with a quirked eyebrow.
“It’s a compliment,” Anabelle says as they hug.
I walk up to Lucas. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“You’re hilarious,” he deadpans. “What about you?” He nudges me. “Think you’re next?”
“Me? No way. I’m perfectly happy to stay single the rest of my life.” After that relationship of twenty-three years, I’m happy to find myself for a bit without getting a man involved.
“Don’t believe that,” Mads says, joining the conversation. “I keep telling her she needs to put herself out there. She’s miserable being alone.”
“Just because I get a little lonely doesn’t mean I need to date someone. Plus, I have you guys. It’s enough for me.”
Mads rolls her eyes. “Keep telling yourself that.”
Both my older girls are happily taken and think that means I need a guy, too.
I’m fine. I can handle the loneliness. All I do is focus on the business and work until I fall into bed exhausted. Because otherwise my mind wanders about how awful it feels to sleep alone.
And I can never allow that to happen.
The End
I hope you fell in love with Lucas and Anabelle. I had so much fun writing their story!