Epilogue - Brooke
Three Months Later…
Brooke heaved another box through the entrance and kicked the heavy wooden and glass doors shut with a bang.
She blew her hair out of her face, but her vision was still obscured by the jungle sprouting from the box in her arms. She plonked the plants on the floor beside the makeshift fold-out table-slash-desk in the middle of the office.
She straightened and stretched her back.
Damn, that one was heavy. And there were three more boxes waiting in the back of Remi’s ute.
“By the time we’re done decorating, there’s gonna be no room to move in here!” Brooke flopped into the seat next to Jess, grabbing her water bottle and guzzling it down. Necessary.
“Stop sookin’. The plants will liven up the space, you know—tropical with a touch of luxe, and they improve the air quality.” JJ pointed her paint roller at Brooke.
“I guess you tradie ladies are the experts.” Brooke pulled her hair up in a high pony to get some air on her neck. How she was overheated in the middle of winter was beyond her. Too much running around, and still so much to do.
“Can you pass me the screwdriver?” Remi asked Jess.
“Which one?” Jess leaned back in her chair, barely looking as she shuffled her hand around in the toolbag.
“Phillips.”
Jess held the requested tool out for Remi.
“Thanks.” Remi grabbed it, but not before leaning over and kissing Jess on the lips.
“So unprofessional,” Brooke joked. They were sickeningly cute together.
“You’re just jealous your girlfriend is all the way over the other side of the room,” Remi countered as she went back to putting the desk together.
JJ was painting the walls of the office a soft pastel yellow. She looked over her shoulder, giving Brooke a wink without stopping. The roller smacked the ceiling, a bright splodge of yellow on the freshly painted white surface.
JJ froze, staring at the obvious mark. Her shoulders shook with laughter. “Well, that’s what I get for being distracted.”
“Not the first time I’ve made you go out the lines.
” Brooke winked back at her, the tips of JJ’s ears reddening as she grabbed a cloth to clean it up.
Their date night artwork now hung proudly above JJ’s bed; marking the true beginning of their journey together, pushing boundaries and pushing each other to be the truest versions of themselves.
Dating JJ these last three months had been nothing short of magic.
Because it was easy, like breathing air—second nature.
That wasn’t to say it was easy easy. Nothing ever is.
Only that whenever Brooke was with JJ, everything just made sense.
Every obstacle they came across, they worked through together, just like they had when they were travelling.
Reflecting back, their trip had been a good look at how well they worked together as a couple, even when the worst came to pass like breaking down in the middle of nowhere.
And now that all those silly holiday fling rules were firmly left back on Kangaroo Island, they’d certainly explored new boundaries and new rules in the bedroom, especially when JJ liked to—
“I brought coffees!” Hayley said, nudging the front door open with her butt as Marie rushed in past her.
Brooke’s face heated as she turned to the girls barging into the room.
“And I’ve got croissants!” Marie waved the box around, then dropped them on the table.
“Watch it!” Jess yanked a folder out of the way just in time and placed it in front of Brooke.
It was all systems go at Mayfield Experiences.
Because Brooke owned a business now.
Brooke Mayfield: business owner.
How was this real life?
Brooke would’ve been fine starting up in her bedroom at Hayley’s, but Remi and Jess would have none of that.
A month later, they’d found a government-led initiative and grant for a small office space that included free rent for a year.
The catch being it needed renovating. When Remi had slung the idea past them at dinner one night, the collective tradie ladies had lit up so bright that there was no way Brooke could say no.
So here she was. A little office to call her own, filled with friends and family buzzing about to help make this a reality for her.
“Open the folder!” Jess leaned forward, her chair screeching closer to Brooke on the polished cement floors. Hayley and Marie sat opposite them, waiting, their eyes on the folder too. Weird.
“Okay, jeez. I thought we’d finished all the paperwork for the office. How is there more?”
She opened it, looking for the little yellow “sign here” stickers. Instead, there were a bunch of notes and scribbles on Indonesia.
Brooke frowned, scanning the text. “What’s this?”
“Your first clients,” Hayley said with a bright smile.
“What?” Brooke repeated. Everyone had eyes on her, waiting. “Who?”
“Us!” everyone called out in unison, throwing up their arms and laughing.
“Hang on, what? What do you mean, ‘all of you’?”
“We’re going to Indonesia, baby!” JJ said, arms wrapping around her from behind.
“I’m so confused.”
Hayley grabbed her hands from across the table. “Listen, Taylor and Sam are eloping in Indonesia—”
“—and there’s no way in hell we’re missing our bestie’s wedding,” Jess added.
“Damn straight.” Marie nodded, crumbs flying everywhere as she shoved the last piece of a croissant in her mouth.
“When we told the girls about your business plans, we thought who better to organise our travel and make it the best trip ever, than my very own sister?” The way Hayley’s eyes sparkled at that statement had a lump forming in Brooke’s throat. Everyone was still watching, waiting for her reaction.
She burst into tears.
It was too much, too kind, too nice.
She was surrounded by the most beautiful, thoughtful souls she could ask for. How had it taken her this many years to finally feel like she was home, accepted by everyone around her?
“Aww, Brookie.” Jess rubbed her arm.
JJ held her tight.
Hayley squeezed her hands.
Brooke Mayfield wasn’t alone anymore. No more Just Brooke.
She was Brooke Mayfield: friend, sister, partner.
She’d found her place in the world.
And it had nothing to do with Adelaide—though, that wasn’t so bad after all.