10. Epilogue
Epilogue
Ella
“Touchdown!” Gigi squeals.
The roar of the crowd is deafening. Confetti rains down in shimmering waves of blue and gold, the team colors flashing under the bright stadium lights. The scoreboard confirms what we already know: Joe’s done it. The Louisville Leopards have won.
They’re Super Bowl champions.
I clutch Gigi’s arm, my heart pounding as we jump up and down in the stands, screaming along with the thousands of fans around us. Cameras flash, fireworks explode overhead, and down on the field, players tackle Joe in a euphoric victory pile. I can’t see his face, but I know that underneath that helmet, he’s grinning that heart-stopping, dimpled smile of his.
“He freaking did it!” Gigi shouts, shaking my shoulders. “Your husband just won the Super Bowl!”
My husband.
The words send a new thrill through me, one even bigger than the victory unfolding on the field below.
As Gigi cheers beside me, I glance down at my left hand, my breath catching at the sight of the ring sparkling under the stadium lights. A perfect, round diamond set in a classic platinum band—timeless, elegant, and chosen by Joe himself.
I slide my thumb over the cool metal, my heart swelling. Soon, Joe will be slipping another ring onto his finger. A Super Bowl ring to signify this incredible win. But I know the simple golden band that’s tucked in my pocket right now will always be the one he cherishes most. He only takes it off when he has to, before hitting the gym or the field, and he always hands it to me for safekeeping.
I tuck my hand into my pocket, feeling the ring inside. This ring isn’t about a season. It’s about forever.
A lump rises in my throat as I watch Joe finally break free from the dogpile of teammates. He rips off his helmet, his hair damp with sweat, his eyes wild with adrenaline and pure, unfiltered joy. He searches the stands, scanning the sea of faces, and then—
He finds me.
For a moment, the chaos of the stadium disappears. It’s just us. Me, standing in the crowd, heart bursting. Him, on the field, victorious in every way that matters.
Joe lifts a hand, two fingers brushing his lips before pointing straight at me.
I blow him a kiss in return, laughter bubbling up as Gigi lets out an exaggerated “Awwww!” beside me.
“He’s so obsessed with you,” she teases, nudging me.
I grin, warmth spreading through my chest. “Yeah,” I say, voice soft but sure. “And I’m pretty obsessed with him, too.”
Because love isn’t just grand gestures and big moments. It’s showing up. It’s believing in each other, even when the odds aren’t in your favor. It’s late-night conversations, lazy Sunday mornings, stolen kisses before the game, and quiet evenings in the town where it all began.
It’s Honeysuckle Ridge in the off-season and Louisville the rest of the year. It’s him and me, wherever life takes us.
It’s forever.
And I can’t wait for all the seasons still to come.