Epilogue
Bray
One month later…
“You may kiss the bride,” Al says as I lean in and press my lips to Carly’s. When we asked Al to officiate, he, of course, said yes. And now four weeks later, we just got married on the rooftop with all our closest family and friends surrounding us.
In eight more weeks, we’ll be heading to Paris for a few days while my parents come to babysit Ava.
Our little cashew is developing nicely, and I got to see him or her in a scan a few days ago. The photos are now on the fridge. I’ve moved into Carly’s place for now while we figure out what to do.
After walking down our short aisle and being surrounded by friends and family, I make my way to the guys. They are all standing by the bar already.
Hutch has a shit-eating grin on his face, and I give him a curious look.
“What?” I ask.
Hutch looks around at our neighbors, who all happen to be standing near us.
“I know who leaves the flowers,” he says. A hush falls over us.
“Who?” Al asks.
“Remember Edith’s friend Alice?” he starts.
Al nods. “Well, she owns a small florist shop across town. It was on the list you gave me. I just never put two-and-two together, since half of Edith’s friends were florists.
That, and Alice’s shop was so far away. Anyhow, apparently, Edith wanted to do something nice for the neighborhood after she got sick, and she started putting the flowers there.
As she got sicker, she asked Alice to put flowers there with the same note every day, and to continue it after she was gone, although when I asked, Alice said she does, from time to time, change the note.
Apparently, Al keeps her and all their friends well-informed on everything that happens around here. ”
“You mean Alice Whittaker, who lives one block down?” Gray asks.
“Yes, that one. She owns Whittaker’s Flowers, which is a good six miles from here, but she brings home the flowers every night,” Hutch explains.
“Anyhow, it was Edith’s last request of Alice, and she takes her job very seriously.
Edith said to keep it a secret. So, Alice always waits and watches from her window and then sometimes hides by the trees on the other side of the path. ”
“How’d you find out?” I ask.
“I went to get flowers for Jocelyn, and I was across town. I remembered the shop was nearby and had been closed last time I stopped by, so I took a chance and went. When I stepped inside, I recognized the stationary that was sitting on the checkout desk. Alice and I got to talking, and the rest is history. She eventually caved, and now we know,” he says with a shrug.
Al smiles. “I always liked Alice. She’s a good friend.”
I nod and look back at Hutch. “Why don’t you look thrilled?” I ask.
Hutch sighs. “I mean, the mystery of it was half the fun,” he admits.
“What about the bird feeder?” Jocelyn says.
“What bird feeder?” Carly asks as she snuggles up against me, and I wrap my arm around her waist.
“I love the bird feeder!” Ava exclaims as she bounces at Carly’s side. “You know the one, Mommy. By the pond.”
“Who fills it with birdseed?” Hutch asks.
Everyone shrugs.
Hutch grins, and we all laugh. I slap his back and keep my hand on his shoulder. “Looks like you got yourself a new mystery.”
I release him and pull my wife against me. “You know what’s not a mystery?” I ask her.
“What?” she replies as her arms wrap around my neck.
“That I love you, Mrs. Murphy,” I say, and she grins up at me.
“I love you right back, Mr. Murphy,” she adds as she leans up and kisses me to the clinking of wineglasses and cheers of our family and friends.
Some say it’s hard to find romance these days, but as I pull back and look around at all my friends, I realize that we all found it, right here in our building. And I couldn’t think of a better happily ever after.