Epilogue
Three Months Later
“There’s something very serious we need to talk to you all about,” I say, hands folded demurely at the head of the table like I’m the Godfather. (Though I do think the severity of my tone is belied a bit by my plastic BIRTHDAY QUEEN tiara.)
Of the four people seated with me, only Owen is taking this seriously at all. My fiancé and two best friends just smile indulgently.
“We have started looking at wedding venues for July next year,” I explain, “and we wanted to make sure that timing would work for all of you.”
“Oh my god Sophie, get to the good stuff,” Lia interjects. “Am I going to be your maid of honor, yes or yes?”
“Lia,” Andy scolds, with a look in his eyes that I’ve come to know means don’t mess with my future wife.
I love him so much.
“Well actually, speaking of wedding jobs,” I say, turning to Lia’s right, “Nolan, we were wondering if you would be our officiant.”
Nolan takes exactly one second to process my words before jumping up from his seat with a booming “ARE YOU SERIOUS?” He throws his arms in the air triumphantly, attracting the attention of every single other person in the restaurant as he yells, “Yes! Of course!”
“Would you sit down, you lunatic?” Lia hisses with a hard tug on her brother’s shirt.
He lets himself be pulled back into the chair next to hers, but doesn’t let her interruption stop his unprepared speech.
“I mean, I get why I’m the natural choice since I’m basically the whole reason you guys got together. Just think, without me supporting you guys in your time of need, would you ever have known true love?”
Andy is getting ready to rescind the offer on our behalf when I cut Nolan off. “Okay, okay, we get it. Now, Lia, to reward you for your patience,” I say facetiously, “I was wondering if you would be my maid of honor?”
Lia looks down at her nails as she says, “Mmm, I’ll think about it.”
I smack her arm, and finally a grin bursts onto her face. “Of course! I would have been furious with you if I wasn’t.” She stands to squeeze me in a tight hug, and just like that, it’s Andy’s turn.
He originally begged me to let him do this part over text, explaining that Owen would not care if it was in person and he might say no anyway or not be available or whatever.
And—to be clear—I told him he could ask Owen however he wanted to, but I was going to ask Lia and Nolan in person, and Andy didn’t want his brother to feel like the second string.
They’ve been talking more often, even hanging out. Things are… good. So now Andy’s here, mustering up the courage to push through the next five seconds. He quickly glances over to Owen, then back down at his plate as he says, “And I was wondering if you would be my best man.”
To his credit, Owen immediately wraps an arm around his brother’s shoulder, clapping him on the chest with the other hand. “That’s amazing, man. I’d be honored.”
“Great. That’s great. Thanks,” Andy exhales, and I can tell he’s both relieved and excited.
“We have a lot to celebrate,” Owen says. “Sophie’s birthday, the wedding, your fantastic selection for a wedding party. I’m getting us champagne.” He taps Andy on the shoulder again as he stands and heads for the bar.
“I’m getting us champagne,” Lia mocks under her breath once he’s too far to hear.
“Lia, be nice,” I warn. “He’s really not so bad, and he’s about to be family.”
“He was already my family, but that’s never stopped you before,” Andy mutters.
“I’m sorry, he just rubs me the wrong way. Something about him is just so entitled and dickish and—”
“Has he actually done anything to make you feel that way or are you just a misandrist?” Nolan bravely asks.
“Can’t two things be true?”
“I just don’t understand what he did to make you feel this strongly,” I say. “Like this is not your standard level of misandry.”
“Okay, well first he tried to hit on me right in front of my girlfriend the day we met.” Lia begins counting on her fingers.
“He didn’t know you were together,” I rebut.
“Which was heteronormative of him,” Lia snaps back. “Then—” second finger “—he kept giving you unsolicited advice about subletting your place with Elliot.”
“He’s a lawyer and it was actually really helpful.”
“Third—” she won’t be stopped “—every time we go anywhere with him he’s always picking up some random chick. It bugs me!”
“Lia, my love, half the time we go somewhere together you end up picking up a random chick.”
“Yes, but I do it with respect. There’s a difference.” Lia sticks her nose in the air, indicating the conversation is over in her mind.
“Okay well, you don’t have to like him, but you do have to act civil until the wedding is over. You two are going to spend a lot of time together.”
“Alright, I get it, once in a lifetime opportunity to celebrate my best friends falling in love, blah blah blah. I’ll handle it.”
Lia stubbornly crosses her arms over her chest, but says no more on the matter as Owen approaches the table with a bottle in hand, pouring a glass of champagne for each person. When everyone is served, he takes his seat and raises his glass.
“To my future sister-in-law,” he says, smiling in my direction. “Cheers.”
“Wait!” Lia interrupts. “I need a picture of our raised glasses. Don’t drink yet.”
She grabs her phone from where it lays face-down on the table, and catches the tail end of Owen rolling his eyes as she snaps the picture.
“Sorry Owen, did you have something to say?”
“Nope,” he says with a saccharine grin. “Can we drink now?”
“Do you have a problem with me taking a picture?” She rests an elbow on the table, leaning in.
“I’m just… surprised,” he says in feigned diplomacy.
“Surprised?”
“Amazed, really. That you can’t let a moment go by without making things about you.”
“Okay!” I interject, because really this is too much. “None of that. My special day, remember?” I glare at each of them in turn, forcing them to pry their death stares off of each other.
“Speaking of your special day,” Andy says. “I have a present I wanted to give you.”
“Another?”
“Mhm.”
Then he reaches into his pocket to pull out a small black box.
Nolan starts smacking his sister’s arm, practically choking on excitement. Lia shushes him even though he isn’t making any sound. Owen wordlessly takes out his phone and starts filming. And me? I’m tearing up before Andy’s knee even hits the floor.
“Sophie,” he says, taking my hand in his and speaking only to me, like no one else is here.
“I never told you this, but I first realized I was in love with you exactly eight years ago today, on your nineteenth birthday. When we spent the night eating french fries and drinking absinthe and talking about books, and in only a few hours you became my favorite person in the world.”
I can only assume that everyone at this table is crying, because I certainly am.
“I realize we're already engaged because you’re braver than I am.”
We all laugh at that. “But I want you to know that if you hadn’t proposed when you did, I would have spent every day trying to figure out the soonest possible moment to do it. It’s always been you for me, Soph. And selfishly, I want the rest of the world to know you’re mine.”
He opens the ring box to reveal a shimmering ruby on a gold band—a perfect match to the earrings he gave me so long ago. He asks, “Will you accept this ring, and continue making me ridiculously happy when you marry me?”
I nod enthusiastically. Andy slides the ring onto my finger, and I immediately pull his face into a kiss.
Then we’re standing and he’s lifting me off the ground into his arms.
Cheers rise up across the restaurant, and it feels like life can’t possibly get better.
But I also knew that, somehow, it will. Now that we’ve finally found each other, with our entire lives ahead of us.
And all our memories and chaos and friendship and almosts managed to lead us here—exactly where we’re meant to be.