Epilogue
Five Years Later…
“Wait up, Mills,” my dad says as we walk toward her third-grade classroom.
It’s just across the hall from mine, and we’re heading to officially meet her teacher on back-to-school night.
She’s already met Angela, my co-worker, several times over the years, but this is the first time she’ll be a student in her class.
“Papa,” she chastises. “You’re walking way too slow. You should just pick Embry up and carry him. His tiny little legs are never gonna get us there.”
“Mills, we’ve got plenty of time,” Cameron says, shaking his head as he holds my hand. “It doesn’t start for twenty minutes, and your mom still needs to get to her classroom.”
“ Dad ,” Milli huffs, exasperated. “If we’re on time… we’re late. You know that.”
Chuckling, my dad mumbles, “Gee… wonder where she got that from.”
“Hmmmm… I don’t know, Colonel,” I tease as I hip check him, making us all laugh.
He’s retired from the Air Force and is currently living in Seaside, not far from Lanie and Sloane—or any of us for that matter.
It’s Seaside after all. Now that my sisters and I all have started families of our own, he claimed he’d missed enough of our childhood, and he won’t miss out on time with his grandchildren.
“I’m surprised she’s not in your class, Liz,” my dad states, guiding our youngest to Milli’s classroom. He’s almost three and is as independent as Milli was at that age.
“I love that girl to the moon and back, but I’m choosing to be her mom, not her teacher. Everyone deserves some independence as they grow up.”
When Cameron said forever that morning, he meant it.
It was only a matter of time before he was down on one knee in front of my entire family.
He, Emilia, and I all went back to Portland that fall so I could finish my degree.
When it was time for my student teaching, he purchased the home he’d been renting in Seaside, and we were married that next summer.
To our surprise, I also found out I was pregnant with our daughter Everett, the week we returned from our honeymoon. She’s starting preschool and will be in kindergarten next fall.
“Daddy, are we going to see Vivian and Savanna’s class, too?
” Everett asks as we walk through the door to Milli’s classroom.
Vivian and Savanna blessed us with their presence literally nine months after Raven and Finn were married.
Raven freaked out of course, but Finn was over the moon. Now they couldn’t be happier.
“We’ll see if we have time,” Cameron says, then adds, “We’re supposed to meet up with Josh and Jason when they finish touring their kindergarten class. Sloane and Jax said they’d meet us in Mom’s classroom.”
“What about Candace and Carter?” Everett asks excitedly. Carter’s also starting first grade, and Candace is the same age as Everett, so she’ll start school officially next year.
“Yep. Lanie and Ryan are coming, too. They wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Cameron beams.
It’s a tradition. After back-to-school night, we always go to ice cream as a family.
Not only do I deserve the break after meeting my new families each year, but It’s something special we started when Milli began kindergarten.
My family rolled with it, and now, the whole herd of us gather at the local ice cream shop or at one of our houses to celebrate the start of a new school year.
“Did I tell you that I’ve finalized next year’s tour schedule for Ruby Frax?” Cameron asks nonchalantly.
“No. My sisters will flip their lids if you send them away for too long, though.”
Cameron puffs out his chest. “I just so happened to coordinate it with the kids’ summer break. What do you say, beautiful? Wanna join them all in Europe next summer?”
“Seriously?” I ask in disbelief.
“Well, it is our fifth anniversary, and you’ve always said you wanted to travel.”
“But what about the kids?”
“Last I heard, everyone’s going. The guys don’t wanna be away from their families, and I’ve even convinced Lanie and Ryan to join us for a few weeks.”
“Were you planning a concert tour or a family vacation?” I ask in disbelief.
“With this crew, it’s more like the National Lampoon’s Family Vacation I’m sure.” Dad chuckles.
“A little of both.” Cameron shrugs. “When I told you I wanted forever with you, I meant with all of you.”
Leaning in, he kisses me chastely on the lips.
One kiss is never enough with Cameron, and he knows it.
With an impish grin, he reaches for my hand and says on a sigh, “I love this beautiful, crazy, and chaotic life we’ve built, Elizabeth. Who knew that magnificent summer arrangement we agreed to would end up like this?”
THE END
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading Cameron and Lizzy’s story in the Summer Arrangement .