Epilogue
Frankie and I are met with the sounds of sewing machines as we walk toward Piper’s office at the far end of her rented workspace.
The building used to be a garment factory owned by a fast fashion brand, until they went out broke.
Now it’s been turned into large lofts that serve as live and workspaces in the Arts District.
With the money Cynthia gave her after the sale of the beach house, Piper bought one unit. The ceilings are high, the floors hardwood, and natural light streams through the big-paned, industrial windows. It’s perfect, even though it’s nowhere close to the ocean.
Julia and Anna are bent over their projects along with the other women who left Valente to work for Piper after Piper’s Tik Tok posts went viral and orders poured in for pieces in her California line.
Within days of releasing her line, Piper’d out grown her space and had to rent another unit to have more room to work.
Sure, Rhys wearing her stuff on stage and Georgia Rose flashing it on camera gave it a boost—but they wouldn’t have done that if Piper’s work wasn’t top-notch to begin with.
Piper’s still surprised by her success, but she’s the only one.
She’s got her own label, Tide they’re part owners.
They both made that a condition before they agreed to join Piper, and she was happy to comply.
Now that Julia’s paid what she’s worth, she’s been able to hire immigration lawyers to help her through the labyrinth process of becoming a citizen.
Knowing how worried she and her family are about her future has opened my eyes to how much easier the process was for Dex because he had both money and Britta.
Piper doesn’t notice Frankie or me until I set a Frothed cup on her desk.
Her eyes dart up and a smile quickly follows.
I will never get tired of her face lighting up when she sees me, or the way she tips up her chin expectantly.
Yeah, I’m not about to make her wait. I close the gap and give her the kiss we both saw coming.
“Keep it clean, yeah?” Frankie teases. “Save the PDA for somewhere I’m not trying to drink my coffee.”
Piper pops up and hugs Frankie. “Thanks for coming!”
“Wouldn’t miss your big day.” Frankie playfully rocks Piper side to side.
“Oi, it’s my day, too!” I protest.
Frankie pulls back from Piper, but they keep their arms around each other’s waists, like they’re still sisters. Hopefully they will be again, if all goes well tonight. “And I’m proud of you, too, but Piper’s the one who convinced me to come back.”
“For good?” I ask, but she answers with a shrug.
Frankie’s been toying with the idea of taking a part in an Alison Fisher movie. I hope she does. I’d like her back here, but I’ve a sneaking suspicion she’s met someone in Serenity Cove.
I hold out my hand for Piper. “We’ve got a big night ahead of us. You ready?”
“More than ready.” She grabs her coffee, then twines her fingers through mine and squeezes my hand encouragingly. Maybe she senses how nervous I am, or maybe my sweaty palms gave it away.
We’ve been preparing for nearly eighteen months, and we’re finally ready to open the flagship Bombora store right here in South Bay not far from Frothed.
Tonight, though, is our soft, invite-only opening.
Everyone will be there. Dex, Britta. Rhys and Stella.
TV start Georgia Rose and her husband, Zach, Britta’s brother.
Frankie. Plus, everyone else who’s helped us get Bombora off the ground, including both our mums.
But not Dad. We haven’t spoken, but I’ve sent him birthday and Christmas wishes and the occasional text to let him know I love him. He’s texted back to tell me he’s holding my trust fund for my own good, but I can have access anytime I want.
What he means is that he’ll manage it until I decide to do what he wants.
I haven’t responded to those texts. Turns out, no amount of money is worth being what somebody else wants.
Frankie was right about that. And while finding my own legs has been a challenge, it’s also been rewarding.
I’ve gained confidence in my own abilities, including getting the funding to open Bombora.
Frankie, Piper, and I walk out of the Tide & Thread workshop, saying goodbye to everyone until later tonight at the grand opening party.
Jasmine blooms along the pathway to Piper’s loft, filling the May morning with a lush, sweet smell that’s both intoxicating and seductive.
I slide my arm around Piper’s waist and draw her closer.
I dip my head and whisper, “Have I told you I love you?”
She smiles up at me. “Not today.”
I stop and look her right in the eye. “I love you.”
“Good to know nothing’s changed since yesterday.” She rises on tiptoe to kiss me.
“I love you today, yesterday, tomorrow, and forever, even when you’re unreasonably stubborn,” I say.
Which she responds to with a teasing eye roll. “I love you today, yesterday, tomorrow, and forever, even when you’re unreasonably stubborn.”
We had a bit of a fight yesterday over some of the fabrics Piper wants to use for the clothes she’s designing for Bombora.
She reminded me that, despite the cost, I need to stick to my commitment to use recycled materials as much as possible.
She’s right, obviously, even though profit margins will be slimmer.
Doesn’t mean I wasn’t annoyed about her winning that one.
I’m not anymore, though. I laugh at Piper, repeating what I’ve said and lean forward to kiss her. Frankie stops me by jutting her hand between our faces.
“Still trying to drink my coffee here.” She glares at us over her coffee cup, taking a long sip while Piper and I move apart.
“Maybe it’s better if you don’t stay in LA.” I mutter, but my irritation quickly disappears.
I need Frankie’s help tonight. And even when she keeps me from kissing Piper, I still love having Frankie around.
Our bond has grown stronger since I cut financial ties with Dad, partly because I don’t worry anymore about whether she’s got enough money.
I can’t do anything about it if she doesn’t, other than trust that she knows what she’s doing.
When we reach Piper’s loft, she immediately sits at the table and pulls up our checklist on her iPad. Frankie sits next to her and takes out her phone before sending me a sly smile. She’s working on a checklist for tonight that Piper has no idea about.
“All product came in?” she asks.
I sign into my laptop that I left behind last night, knowing I’d be back this morning. I scan my inventory report and nod. “Check.”
The kind of mass production we need for Bombora can’t be done with a few employees, but we found a manufacturer in LA that combines fashion production with ethical sourcing for materials, and training and employment for refugee and migrant communities.
If Bombora grows the way we’d like, we’ll have to move production overseas.
We’re already searching for manufacturers who meet our requirements for ethical and sustainable production.
They’re not easy to find, but the garment industry is on the cusp of change.
There are growing apparel hubs committed to the same values Piper and I are.
As Piper goes down our list, my chest swells to Pipeline height.
Over the past eighteen months, our business partnership has grown into something bigger, better, and more satisfying than I could’ve imagined.
Everything I’ve achieved in preparation for opening Bombora—from a polished business proposal that convinced investors to take a chance on me to not giving up when obstacles came my way—I couldn’t have done without Piper.
Sometimes I laugh at how blind I was to how incredible she is for so long. But I was blind to a lot of things.
Reckon I still am, but the next step in our partnership I’m going into with eyes wide open. I hope Piper and I are both ready to move to the next level. I have been since the moment I signed the beach house back to Dad. Piper’s given enough hints she’s ready, too, that my gut tells me it’s time.
Tonight’s the night I ask Piper to be my partner for life.Tonight’s the night I ask her to be my wife.
Thank you for reading Terms of Un-Endearment.