Epilogue One
LENNIE
New Year’s Eve
It used to be I didn’t leave my house after dark. But it’s New Year’s Eve and I’ve got places to be.
Abe and Bennie throw a party every year, though, it doesn’t take much for Abe to put something together. As crabby as he pretends to be, he’s a natural party planner, seamlessly decorating, handing out invites, and putting together the liquor and food.
Fujimori’s glows, the only business on the street currently open. The window gives a snapshot of how crowded it already is.
Elijah holds out his hand, waiting for me to climb out of the car. I suggested taking public transport but he insisted.
“Wait.” I yank my hand back, feeling strands falling out of my bun. Elijah bought me another pearl French comb and I want it to be perfect considering how much time I spent wrangling my hair.
He spins me around, gentle fingers tugging at strands. Then he presses a kiss to my neck, making my toes curl. If others couldn’t watch us through the window I’d throw myself at him right here.
I grab his hand again, pulling it close, and he smiles wide. His real smile. The one I love most of all.
Though, his wicked smirks aren’t always bad.
The bell over the door rings and I quickly pull off my coat, not needing it with all the bodies.
Ren throws her hands up, her hair wild around her. She pulls me into a hug, her enthusiasm swarming me. “Guess what, guess what, guess what!”
“What?”
She nearly squeals. “We got a jukebox!”
It’s up against the wall and Ren claps her hands, kicking one foot up behind her. How much has she had to drink? Abe needs to come hound her about drinking more water.
“When did that get here?” I ask. She’s tried to convince Abe to get one for a year now.
“This morning.” She stares dreamily at the machine.
“Is it everything you’d hoped it be?”
She nods happily.
Isolde stands next to it and lifts her beer bottle in greeting.
“We haven’t played anything yet,” Ren says. “We wanted to wait until you got here.”
“I’m touched.” I really am. Ren and Isolde are two of the most thoughtful people, something most people wouldn’t believe if they knew what they did for a living.
“Come on.” Ren drags me toward it with surprising strength.
I grin back at Elijah who shakes his head. Ben appears next to him, handing a beer over.
Elijah is now part of the Fujimori’s gang. Or at least as much as he can be considering his family. This is still neutral ground so he only comes when it’s group events or if we have a date night. And he’ll often show up after dinner to walk me home.
Ren nearly runs into the jukebox, only to stop short and very lovingly reach out and touch it.
“This looks super fancy,” I marvel. My time around jukeboxes is limited but Abe must have spent a fortune.
“What song should we play,” Ren asks us. “Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Fergie, Mariah Carey, Spice Girls?”
“You gotta go with something classic,” Isolde tells her.
“Those are all classics,” she replies.
I study the selection over her shoulder. But it’s her choice.
Somebody catches my attention. “Hey, is that Tyler over there?”
He’s Russet’s childhood friend and he’s chatting with a group of guys. I shoot a coy look at Isolde. “Did his friend come?”
She lifts her beer bottle to her lips, not answering.
Oh boy.
But before any further teasing occurs, Ren makes her selection.
Music fills the air and people cheer, lifting their drinks in the air.
I’m giggling at the way Ren and Isolde dance together when my phone goes off.
Adeline: Happy New Year! Sending this now in case I’m too drunk to properly send you anything at midnight.
I tried to get her to come with us tonight but she refused. She cited other plans without giving any further details. I’m desperate to know what’s going on with my baby sister, but she’s stayed mum the past few months. Since she took out Leopold.
I try to respect her privacy because there were days right after Leopold kidnapped me and killed Ivan where I didn’t want to talk about it. There were even a few days I pulled the covers over my head, overwhelmed by the memories.
But surprisingly, Mom and Elijah teamed up. They took me to therapy and told me to tell Janis everything. Well, not about Adeline killing anyone and not about the bratva storming in, but they urged me to explain the kidnapping situation.
Was Janis gobsmacked? Yes. Did she immediately launch into a good strategy to tackle trauma? Absolutely.
And Mom and Elijah have been with me while my brain went haywire as I tried to put the pieces back together.
Nat sends a photo of her in a rocking chair. A tiny infant's head rests on her shoulder.
Nat: Yeah, as if I’m going to be up at midnight.
Nat: Thank fuck for Peter.
Nat and Lia and Peter had their baby—a boy named Milo Roman Sablin Akatov
Mom insisted he get Nat’s surname since she birthed him, so Sablin got regulated to a second middle name. Right behind Nat’s best friend, and the guy who saved her younger sister, Roman.
“I was there too,” Elijah quipped while we waited at the hospital.
“Tell me about it,” Adeline said from beside him.
Turns out Roma and Peter are friends. They’ve swapped comic books since they were kids. Which means that all this time while we made fun of Peter for being a dork so was Roma.
“Who knew,” Adeline said as we waited for news on Nat.
“I could’ve told you,” Max said, holding Sailor, who’s officially entered her toddler era. “My twin brother’s always been a nerd.”
Ads rolled her eyes. “You were reading Dostoyevsky at the age of twelve.”
Russet placed a kiss on his cheek. Every time she smiles at him, it’s clear how much she loves him. Though, she did look up and say, “I’ve already told him he’s not invited to book club.”
I text them a photo of Fujimori’s jukebox.
Lennie: Happy New Year’s! I love you to the moon and back even when you drive me crazy.
Adeline: Please you’re lucky to have us.
Lennie: I know.
Nat: And we love you too!
She sends another photo of her and Milo. My heart melts.
Someone clears their throat. Elijah’s at my shoulder.
He holds out a hand. “May I have this dance?”
Abe pulled the tables and chairs out of the way as best he could. An impromptu dance party’s taken over.
I pocket my phone, gladly taking his hand. To think, just a while ago if he eyed me like the way he is now, I’d be a hyperventilating wallflower. Now I don’t want to get away.
We sway together. “You know, Elijah. . .”
He twirls me around, pulling me tight to his chest. “Yes, my love?”
I almost gasp, my chin tilting up to awe at him. “Did you just use a pet name?”
About damn time.
His beautiful grin lights up his face. “What were you going to say?”
Warmth spreads in my chest as I catalog everything I love about this moment. Dancing with Elijah. The twinkling lights. Ren and Isolde’s laughter. The music from the jukebox.
“I love you.”
He pulls me in for a kiss, but the sappy bastard pauses, his lips hovering before mine. “For now and forever, Leonora love.”