Epilogue
GRACE
“Ican’t believe I’m doing this.”
Grace rested her head in her hands, her elbows propped on the table.
A cup of coffee and a plate of pancakes sat in front of her, and across the table, one-year-old twins Ella and Leo drummed their hands against their high-chair trays and made funny faces at each other.
The kitchen was bright with early morning sunshine and decorated in blues and yellows (Grace had redecorated the whole penthouse).
“It’s going to be fine.” Alex came to sit next to her and pushed her coffee cup closer to her. “You’ve got this.”
“I don’t know.” Grace moved to rest her head on his shoulder instead of her hands. “It’s such a big step.”
“And we’re ready for it,” Alex said. “I’m going to be home with Leo and Ella all day. We’re going to have so much fun.” He caught Grace’s expression and quickly added, “But less fun than we’d have if you were here too.”
“Good save,” Grace said dryly.
“Thanks.” Alex pressed a kiss to her cheek. “This is your dream job. You’re ready. I know you’re going to miss the twins, but everything is going to be so great. Okay? I promise.”
“You don’t know that,” Grace moaned.
Alex laughed. “I do, and you do, too. You’ve already been working there part-time for almost a year. You know the team you’re going to lead. You know the work you’re going to do. And you’re going to be phenomenal at it.”
“I am pretty phenomenal,” Grace said. She glanced at Alex and smiled. “Thank you for being so supportive. Knowing you’re home with the twins means the world to me.”
“Being able to stay home with them means the world to me,” Alex replied.
Over the last year, he had worked hard to limit his time at the office.
He delegated to trusted employees (including his new assistant), prioritized the tasks that he really needed to complete, and freed up lots of time to spend at home.
He’d been there when Grace had given birth to the twins, holding her hand and feeding her ice chips and encouraging her every step of the way.
He’d been there when Leo had taken his first steps and when Ella had said her first word (Dada, quickly followed by Mama).
He’d been there when Grace had been worried about the babies and when she’d celebrated their accomplishments, and he’d worried and celebrated right along with her.
Every day, he’d kept his promise and proven himself to her. And every day, Grace loved him just a little bit more for that.
He’d been supportive when Grace had decided to start part-time remote work for Hazelnut, a company that optimized cloud-based search and storage solutions.
He’d also been supportive when Grace had made the decision to return to work full-time, even taking a few weeks off from work so that he could be home with the kids during the transition (although they were working on finding a nanny as a long-term solution).
“I love you,” Grace said softly.
“I love you, too.” He kissed her cheek. “Now say goodbye to our babies and let’s get you to work. You don’t want to be late on your first full day!”
“No, I don’t,” Grace agreed. She downed the last of her coffee and went to kiss Leo and Ella goodbye. “I love you guys,” she said.
“Mama,” Ella said, reaching up to pat Grace’s cheek. Her tiny hand was warm and gentle—and a little sticky.
“Mama,” Leo echoed. He gave her a big toothy grin and promptly smeared a streak of applesauce across his cheek. Grace laughed.
“You two always make me smile,” she said. “I’ll miss you.”
“We’ll miss you too,” Alex said, speaking for himself and the babies. He stood and walked Grace to the door. “I’m so proud of you. This is a big step, but you’re so ready for it. You’re going to do great.”
“Thanks.” She lifted onto her tiptoes and kissed him. “Have a nice day together.”
“We will.” He kissed her back. “Now go! Have fun!”
So, Grace went.
She had an amazing first day. Her team was wonderful, creative, and intelligent, and they were all excited to have Grace as a full-time manager. She spent the day digging into work in a way she hadn’t been able to since becoming a mom. It felt great to really use her brain.
It also felt great when the day ended and she could hurry back home to her babies.
She practically flew into the apartment, picking up and kissing Ella and Leo in turn.
They were getting heavier, but they were still tiny and fit perfectly into her arms. Alex waited his turn patiently before giving Grace a kiss.
“I have a small surprise for you,” he told her.
“Oh? What is it? A duck, maybe?”
Alex chuckled. “Not quite. Your mom has been begging to babysit again, so I told her she could come over tonight and watch the twins so that we could go out to dinner.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Grace smiled down at the twins in her arms. “I bet you guys will be thrilled to see your grandma.”
“Gamma!” Ella said happily, clapping her hands. Grace set them down, and Leo took the opportunity to knock over the tower they’d been building. Then he gave another of his toothy smiles. His green eyes, just the same as Grace’s, twinkled.
Grace’s mom arrived a half hour later, after the little family had enjoyed some good playtime together. Grace hugged her and got her set up with the babies, then she and Alex headed out.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“That’s part of the surprise.”
“Wonderful.” Grace sat back in the passenger seat, enjoying the time alone with Alex and watching the scenery go by. They arrived a little while later at a beachside restaurant with wide terraces and a fresh, local menu. They had a reserved table overlooking the ocean.
“This is beautiful,” Grace said as Alex pulled out her chair for her.
“I knew you’d love it. And we should be here for sunset.”
“Perfect.” She smiled at him. “Thank you, Alex. This is great.”
The waiter poured them each a glass of wine, which they sipped.
“So,” Grace said, “how’s work?”
Alex chuckled. “It’s been great, but you know that. Ever since we got the laptop back, it’s been smooth sailing. And did you hear the news?”
“About Boink going out of business?” Grace grinned. “I can’t say I was surprised. With the way Patrick ran things, the only strange thing is that it didn’t go belly-up sooner.”
“It took him a while to burn through all the money his dad lent him,” Alex said with a shrug. “But he finally flopped. I’m sure his dad will just give him another few million to try another business, though.”
Grace rolled her eyes. “Hopefully he’ll move to a different sector. Better yet, a different city.”
“Or a different country,” Alex suggested.
Grace raised her glass to him. “Excellent idea. Let’s not talk about Patrick, though.”
“I agree.” Alex smiled. “Let’s talk about how great our lives are.”
“They are pretty great.”
And so, as they ate their salads, fish, and desserts of delicate cake with whipped cream and fruit, they talked about their lives.
They talked about their twins—how smart little Ella was, how hilarious little Leo was.
They talked about their friends—they now got together with Susie and Steve and their young children at least once a week for dinner.
They talked about their families—Grace’s mother and Alex’s parents and sister.
They talked about work—they both now had jobs they loved.
“Now let’s talk about us,” Alex said when they’d gone through every wonderful detail of their lives. By now, the sun was kissing the sea, sending streaks of purple and orange and yellow through the sky, and a cool breeze was in the air.
“What about us?” Grace asked.
“Well, it’s been more than a year since you gave me another chance.” Alex grinned boyishly. “I figured I should check in on how I’m doing.”
Grace laughed. “You’re a wonderful dad to our babies and a wonderful partner for me. You absolutely kept your promise.”
“Good.” Alex smiled. “Because I want to talk about what comes next.”
“What do you mean?”
“Grace,” he said, “you make my life so amazing. The day I met you, my life changed forever. I knew right away that you were an excellent coder, but the more I got to know you, the more I learned that you bring the same kind of magic to everything you touch. You’re not just great at coding and unbelievable at figuring out problems and fixing them—you’re also an amazing mother to our kids.
You’re a wonderful partner to me. Whatever you set your mind to, you do.
I’ll never stop being impressed by you.”
Grace smiled. “Thank you, Alex. You know, you really impress me, too. I never thought you’d be able to put aside your work to spend more time with your family, but you’ve done that.
Our kids get to see you every day—and I do, too.
I’ll never take that for granted. Plus, even though you’re working less, your company is doing better than ever. That’s really something.”
“Hey.” Alex grinned. “We’re talking about how great you are right now.”
“Apologies for interrupting.” Grace sipped her wine and nodded at Alex. “Please, continue. I think you were saying something about how beautiful I am…”
Alex chuckled. “I hadn’t said that yet, but I was about to. You really are gorgeous, Grace. I love every inch of you, including that diamond mind of yours. Every day, you show me what matters most. You are the love of my life.”
Grace’s heart melted. She reached across the table to slide her fingers through Alex’s, and he squeezed her hand.
“Thank you for giving me that second chance,” he said.
“I think it was a third chance,” Grace managed, though she was smiling so widely it was almost hard to get the words out.
“Well, then, I suppose I’m asking for a fourth chance now.”
“A fourth chance?” Grace tilted her head. “Did you do something wrong?”
“I hope not.” Alex chuckled. Then, very deliberately, he rose to his feet…
and dropped to one knee. Grace’s breath caught as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.
“The chance I’m asking for is a different one.
A chance to keep proving myself to you. A chance to be yours, forever, and for you to be mine. A chance to be your husband.”
“Is this really happening?” Grace asked, clasping one hand to her mouth. Almost instinctively, she got to her feet. The other diners were turning to look at them, but Grace barely noticed. Her gaze was fixed on the man she loved kneeling before her.
“It is.” Alex looked up at her with those big blue eyes, the ones she’d fallen in love with more and more each day for almost two years. Slowly, he opened the box in his hand to reveal a glittering diamond on a silver band. “Grace Juliana Boden, will you marry me?”
“Yes!” Grace couldn’t get her answer out fast enough. “Yes, of course I will!” She held out her hand, and Alex slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. Then he kissed the back of her hand, his lips warm and tender.
Grace took his hands and pulled him to his feet. Then she was in his arms, and they were kissing. Nothing had ever felt so right as this—kissing her fiancé. The father of her children. The love of her life.
Grace and Alex might have kissed forever if the other diners hadn’t started whooping and clapping, breaking the spell. They pulled apart, both smiling like fools, and Grace took the chance to look at the ring. It was truly gorgeous, exactly what she would have picked out for herself.
“Now we just have to plan the wedding,” Grace said as they smiled at the other diners.
“It’ll be easy.”
Grace scoffed. “Wedding planning is never easy.”
“Compared to running a company or thwarting a nefarious plot by a rival?” Alex grinned at her. “Then it’s easy.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Grace admitted. “We overcame a lot to get this life. We won’t let a little thing like picking out cakes or invitations stop us.”
“No, we won’t.” Alex leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Now, let’s go home. I miss the kids.”
“Oh, me too,” Grace agreed. “Do you think they miss us?”
“They’re definitely sleeping,” Alex replied. Then he saw the look on Grace’s face and added, “But they’ll be happy we’re back, for sure.”
“Good.” Grace took Alex’s hand. “Come, my fiancé. Let’s go. We have a future to plan.”
“That we do.” Alex led her out of the restaurant. “And I, for one, can’t wait.”
Grace couldn’t wait either. It had been a long road to get here, but now, she was going to marry the man she loved. And they already had two beautiful children together. She wouldn’t change a thing about her life—or about her future.
The End
I hope you’ve enjoyed Alex and Grace’s story!