Epilogue
JUDE
MORE THAN ONE YEAR LATER – CHRISTMAS EVE
“Iwish we could freeze this moment forever.” Arden sighs wistfully as she drops onto the couch next to me, the gas fireplace going as we enjoy this little bit of quiet. The tree is decorated with real ornaments on the top half and more kid friendly ones on the bottom.
There’s not a single surface that doesn’t have some kind of decoration on it, but I don’t care. My girls are happy and that’s all that matters.
Salem fell asleep after all the excitement today, her little cheeks rosy and her lips parted as she dreams. We’d been able to transfer her from the car seat to her crib without waking her, a feat that felt like cause for celebration.
And I have just the thing.
“Why’s that?” I ask, kissing the top of her head as she snuggles against me.
“I didn’t know I’d love seeing life through Salem’s eyes. It feels magical and I just want to bottle it up.”
“Maybe this will help,” I tell her, sitting forward and grabbing the shoebox-sized present on the floor and handing it to her.
“We’re not doing presents until tomorrow,” she scolds, but there’s a smile teasing her lips as she slips her fingers under the paper and pulls.
I wait patiently, watching as the last of the wrapping falls away and she lifts the lid on the box, her eyes meeting mine in question before returning to look at the rose petals.
“I don’t know the exact number,” I muse, “but I reckon there’s a petal in there for every time you told me you weren’t gonna marry me.”
“Jude,” she whispers, her eyes widening as I nod toward the box.
“What do you think? Am I close?” The questions are rhetorical as I reach my hand into the box to find a much smaller one hidden at the bottom. “Technically, I never asked you,” I say, drawing out the words. “Awfully presumptuous of you, don’t you think?”
“I just wanted it to be for the right reasons.”
“The right reasons…” I repeat, easing from the couch and getting down on one knee.
“We’ve always been right, Tennessee. There’s not a single thing I would change because lovin’ you is my favorite part of every day.
And I love you more seein’ the way you love our daughter.
I told you a long time ago I was too old to be your boyfriend,”—taking a steadying breath I open the small box and meet her glassy eyes—“but I think being your husband would work out just fine.”
“Is that right?” she manages, her voice full of emotion as I pluck the ring from the box and take her hand.
“It is. I want to be your husband, and I want to make you dinner and carry you to bed when you’re too tired to stand.
I want to fall asleep with you in my arms, and I want to watch our daughter take on the world.
I want to show her what life can be like, what a love like this can be like, and make sure she never settles for less. ”
“I really want to be your wife,” Arden whispers as my lips pull up at the corners.
“Then marry me, Tennessee. Make this be your yes.”
“It was always yes.”
THE END