Bonus Epilogue
Miguel could hear the music from all the way down the street.
Mrs. Tarpen wasn’t going to be happy; she never was.
But he was ecstatic. And, based on the look on Jane’s face and how often she’d mentioned the annual Santos Fourth of July party the last few days, she was even more excited than he was.
They’d had to park on the next street over.
There were a lot of family members, and a lot of people who counted as family and were invited as well.
Miguel walked with Jane’s hand in his. He’d missed that during the three months they’d been broken up.
He would never again take for granted that simple connection.
“Which of your cousins is in charge of the music tonight?” Jane asked.
“I don’t know, but they’re outdoing themselves.”
She laughed. Another thing he wouldn’t ever take for granted.
Carl, one of the neighbors, stepped out of his house just as Miguel and Jane passed.
“Here for the party?” Carl asked as he caught up to them.
Miguel nodded. “Are you joining again?”
“Wouldn’t miss it. Even Mrs. Tarpen is coming this time.”
“Mrs. Tarpen?” Jane looked at Miguel. “Isn’t she the neighbor who usually calls in the noise complaint?”
“Complaints. It’s usually more than one.” Miguel turned back to Carl. “What happened?”
“Your mom’s calling it an Independence Day Miracle.”
They were still laughing as they stepped through the side gate at Mamá and Papá’s house. The backyard was packed. Whichever of his cousins was the DJ that night was dropping bangers. The food smelled amazing. And everyone—literally everyone—greeted Jane the instant she passed them.
“I think everyone’s more excited to see you than they are me,” Miguel said. “I should probably be offended.”
“Just wait until Mrs. Tarpen gets here. No one will pay any attention to either of us.”
He chuckled. “I still can’t believe she’s coming. It’s like someone negotiated a peace treaty.”
Mamá found them next. She spent the family parties rushing around, making sure everyone had food and that Abuela Alena and Tía Rita weren’t fighting, at least not fighting loudly. Miguel didn’t usually see her much.
“For you, mija.” She held out a glass bottle of Dr. Pepper. “I kept it in the cold spot at the back of the refrigerator.”
Jane took it. “My hero.”
Miguel mouthed a thank you. Mamá had treated Jane like a beloved daughter from the very beginning.
“Who convinced Mrs. Tarpen to join the party?” Jane asked.
“Not who,” Mamá said. “What.”
“What convinced her?” Miguel was as curious as Jane.
Mamá offered a shrug and a wave of her hand. “Tamales. What else?”
On that pronouncement, she glided away and into the crowd.
Jane leaned against Miguel. He wrapped his arms around her.
“Being with your family makes me hopeful. They aren’t just happy; they’re happy together.”
“Even my abuela and my tía love each other,” he said. “They just tuck it behind a lot of picking at each other.”
“I know.” She tucked her head against his shoulder. “I can tell.”
“And I can tell you love me.” He pulled her closer. “And I suspect it isn’t the tamales working the miracle this time.”
He could feel her laugh in his arms.
“You’re willing to walk with me at what must feel like a snail’s pace to you,” she said. “I’m grateful for that.”
He kissed her temple. “Who we make life’s journey with is far more important than the speed we make it at.”
“Do you promise we can come to this party every year?”
He slipped his arms from around her and took her hand, leading her toward one of the tables. “If you’ll promise me something, carino.”
“What?”
“That we can go to New York together sometime?”
She grinned. “You don’t exactly have to twist my arm to convince me to go to New York.”
“I’m glad to hear it. There are so many parts of LaGuardia that I didn’t get to see.”
She laughed. “Would you be willing to trade LaGuardia for Broadway? Tim and Darren and the gang are begging us to come hang out with them and see Moulin Rouge!”
They sat at a table. He hooked his arm around the back of her chair.
“I think we’d better,” he said. “Those guys are the true heroes in this story. They deserve to see how well their interference is working out.”
She leaned close. “I think it is working out perfectly.”
“So do I.”
He kissed her, earning whoops and whistles and teasing comments from the family. And he didn’t care at all. Jane had decided to take another chance on him, and he was never going to let go again.