Epilogue
TEN MONTHS LATER,
AUSTIN, TEXAS
Vivienne threw her hands in the air in the ref’s direction. “Are you fucking kidding me? That was such a carry!”
“Viv…” Jess touched Vivienne’s arm. “It’s okay.”
“But … she practically caught it.…” Vivienne trailed off, expression pained.
Jess gave her a low five. “We need a pass now. Come on, refocus.”
“Okay. Okay, you’re right.” Vivienne smiled at her. One of her small, private smiles.
A thrill ran down Jess’s spine, like it did every time it hit her. This was her reality now—playing professional volleyball with the love of her life. The competition in the Pacific League was intense, but so was her connection with Vivienne.
The ball kissed off of Jess’s forearms on the next serve—a perfect pass. Vivienne set the ball right where Jess liked it and she cranked it down the line for a point.
“Yes!” Vivienne smacked her butt. “Great hit, Starshine.”
“Great set, V.”
Vivienne served for match point, a wicked jumper that curved at least four feet to the side before it hit the sand for the win.
Jess and Vivienne whooped and jumped into each other’s arms.
“We just beat Bianca Collazo,” Jess murmured into Vivienne’s ear.
Vivienne squeezed her. “First time of many.”
Bianca, brow dripping with sweat, shook their hands under the net with a smile. “Great match, ladies. Congratulations on making the playoffs your first year, too.”
“Thank you,” Jess said, trying not to wheeze. She still wasn’t used to mixing with so many famous faces, especially not the one that had been taped up in her locker for three years.
“You two want to grab some dinner with us?” Bianca asked, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Jess’s jaw flapped.
Vivienne stepped in smoothly. “We have an early flight home tomorrow, but sure. That would be great.”
Jess nodded and forced out a word. “Great.”
Waiting at the gate in the airport the next morning, Vivienne slumped in her seat, resting her head on Jess’s shoulder.
Jess fished out the last piece of the homemade banana bread from her bag and they split it as Jess replayed the events from dinner the night before in her mind.
A teenage girl had approached them while they lingered over dessert, knew all their names, and asked them for autographs.
Jess signed the girl’s shirt, right between Vivienne and Bianca’s signatures.
Jess smiled, wondering what awkward, gangly fourteen-year-old Jess in black lipstick would think about her now.
Vivienne’s phone buzzed. “Scarlett says great game,” she told Jess. “She says the whole family watched, and now my niece wants to be a professional beach volleyball player when she grows up.”
“Can we get them all tickets for our LA game, you think?” Jess asked.
Vivienne kissed Jess’s shoulder. “That’s a great idea.”
Jess sent a text to Troy, who was their manager now, then scrolled through her socials as the gate filled up around them. “Oh my God, Viv, look at Baby Vivienne! She had her first dip in the ocean yesterday!”
Viv sat up, instantly awake. “Let me see! Aw, she is the cuuutest! I can’t wait to see her tomorrow.
Make sure we remember to bring the onesie we got her from Vegas.
” Vivienne scrolled through the photos, cooing like the doting aunt she was, then handed Jess her phone back and settled against her shoulder again.
Jess threaded their fingers together, studying the new dachshund tattoo on her inner wrist. She missed Fleming so much when they were traveling for games, but at least he was happy boarding with Nelson, Ramón, and his two sweet corgis, Pedro and Pascal.
When boarding was announced for their flight, Jess stood and helped Vivienne to her feet. “Ready to go home?”
Jess had been a bit sad to say goodbye to her apartment, although it was made easier when Nelson announced he was moving out, too.
And Vivienne had made her feel nothing but welcome in her green bungalow, adding shelves in the living room for Jess’s books and knickknacks.
Her jars were filled with sand now, with one shell resting on top.
When it was time to leave for dinner, Jess went to check on Vivienne’s progress and found her applying mascara at her vanity, hair up, neck so elegant and tempting.
Jess kissed the galaxy tattoo on the back of Vivienne’s neck. “Honestly, if I had known how long it takes you to get ready…”
“You’d have what? Not have moved in with me?” Vivienne put the lid on her mascara and turned on her stool to blink prettily up at Jess.
Jess forgot what she was going to say at the sight of those dark eyes. She took Vivienne’s hand, pulled her to her feet, and wrapped her hands around Vivienne’s waist. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Vivienne kissed her. “So do you.”
Jess deepened the kiss, breathing in the vanilla and sliding her fingers under the straps of Vivienne’s dress.
“Easy,” Vivienne murmured against her lips. “Or you’re going to be the one making us late for dinner. And I’ll throw you right under the bus, I don’t even care.”
Jess groaned.
Vivienne tossed her lipstick into her clutch and snapped it closed. “Come on, Nelson and Ramón are waiting!”
Maggie’s was packed, a hot August night, but April had saved their favorite table for them, and added a photo of Jess and Viv at their first pro match on the wall above.
“You’ll have to sign that later,” April told them with a wink when she took their drink orders.
Nelson and Ramón arrived a few minutes later—“How can someone with no hair take so long to get ready?” Ramón wondered—and, after hugs and kisses all around, they sat and began the important work of catching up with friends.
“How did the move go?” Jess asked, with a grateful sip of her Corona. They tasted better at Maggie’s somehow.
Nelson sighed. “Mrs. Horowitz told me she’s glad to see Fleming go, but I think secretly she’ll miss him. She gave me some doggy treats for him on the way out.”
“Have you heard from Tania and George?”
“Yes, they landed safely in Madrid. They said to say thank you again for all the advice you gave them, Ramón.”
“And you guys have already qualified for playoffs? That’s incredible!”
“Give me the behind-the-scenes dirt. Who is sleeping with who on the circuit?”
“Did I tell you what happened when Fleming tried to play with Pedro’s favorite toy?”
The evening flew by with laughter and stories, Vivienne’s knee against hers under the table, and a warmth building in Jess’s chest that made her feel more like herself than ever before.
Late that night, Jess and Vivienne climbed out of their Uber and started up the path to the front door. Jess tugged Vivienne’s arm to make her pause. “Wait.” Jess tilted her head back to take in the sky.
Vivienne took hold of Jess’s arm with her other hand and looked up with her.
No moon, just stars spilling across the black. A satellite blipped in a slow arc above Venus.
They held each other in silence. A meteor flashed in the atmosphere. They gasped together.
Jess looked at Vivienne and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “I love you.”
The starlight in Vivienne’s eyes was as steady as the light billions of years old crossing the cosmos to reach them now. She smiled. “I love you, too.”
Hand in hand, they turned to head up the walk and into their home.