Epilogue
Ten Months Later
The first hint of sunshine danced through the rustling palm trees. A gentle ocean breeze blew through the open windows, ruffling Mei’s hair. She smiled sleepily. Beside her, Alexandre stirred.
“Morning.” Mei reached up to brush back his sleep-tousled hair. Alexandre kissed her drowsily and wrapped an arm around her. Mei grinned as she snuggled against him, relishing his steady, assured touch. That golden current still glowed between them, electrifying, intimate, and soothing.
“What time is it?” Alexandre murmured.
Mei glanced at the small silver clock on the nightstand of their Ka‘ōhao Beach rental. “Six thirty. We should get going. We don’t want to be late.” She pressed her lips against Alexandre’s for another lingering moment, then pushed back the covers.
They roused themselves from bed and padded through the airy cottage. Mei showered, then pawed through her clothing to select an outfit. Noticeably absent from her luggage: her laptop. Neither she nor Alexandre had brought one on this trip.
After quitting Livin, Mei had taken three months off to sleep in, rediscover her hobbies, go to therapy, reconnect with friends, and spend time with Ali, Luc, Kaia, and, of course, Alexandre.
When her bank account balance began to make her nervous, she reached out to Diana, Ayanna, Kaden, Bryce, and Tamiko for contract marketing assignments.
Her former colleagues were thrilled to work with her again.
Mei liked how freelancing let her choose her projects while distancing her from the office politics and all-consuming nature of a full-time gig.
Before long, she’d signed lucrative annual retainers with Diana’s and Ayanna’s companies.
That financial security let her take on projects she was passionate about but paid less well, like working with Kaden on We’re the First, or with new clients, like Hearts Across Chinatown, a nonprofit supporting local businesses.
Mei always had projects coming her way—more than she could ever accomplish.
Last year, she would have said yes to everything.
Now she said no. It wasn’t easy. Guilt, fear, and regret racked her every time she turned down an assignment.
But those ugly feelings lessened each time. Petit à petit. She knew better now.
In the kitchen, Alexandre mixed waffle batter.
Mei squeezed his shoulder, then started chopping the pineapples and bananas they’d purchased from the farmer’s market.
They moved with an innate rhythm, passing utensils and washing each other’s dishes.
Mei glowed, remembering how they’d always had that ease, from the first time she’d stayed at his apartment after Livinpalooza.
Over the summer, Alexandre had moved to a more permanent place.
He’d found a cottage, twenty minutes from the university, on what was once a working farm.
The airy, minimalist space had white walls and reclaimed wood floors.
It wasn’t much larger than a studio apartment with a full kitchen, but it was the perfect size for two.
Mei and Alexandre grilled outside and went running on nearby trails as the seasons changed from wildflowers covering the meadows to snow dusting the pines.
In October, after weeks of debating, Mei had moved out of Astoria.
Her apartment had grown on her, but she missed the Upper West Side.
Right before her lease expired, she found a cozy studio on West Sixty-Fourth Street.
Queens would always be in her blood. And two places wouldn’t make sense forever.
But for now, Mei was living her dream with Alexandre, splitting their time between Manhattan and the Hudson Valley.
Once breakfast was ready, they carried everything out to the patio. The wooden table bore freshly brewed Kona coffee, waffles with fruit and honey, and scrambled eggs.
“It’s snowing in New York.” Alexandre pocketed his phone. “Ali requested sunny photos so she can live vicariously through us.”
Mei pressed her cheek against Alexandre’s and snapped a selfie, green palm fronds thick behind them. She sent Ali the photo.
Miss you!
Her sister replied a minute later.
You both look so relaxed and happy! Enjoy the sunshine! Also, your breakfast looks amazing, now that my appetite’s back.
Mei’s heart soared. Ali was four months pregnant and getting over a queasy first trimester. This time, she and Luc were expecting a boy.
After breakfast, Mei and Alexandre hopped into their rental Prius. They drove north until they reached a familiar parking lot: the nonprofit where they’d volunteered a year ago. Mei stepped out of the car, breathing in the loamy air and marveling at the green mountains towering overhead.
She pulled Alexandre into a side hug. “Ready to get dirty?”
His eyes twinkled as that mischievous smile spread across his face. “Always.”
Lani greeted them warmly. “Welcome back! We love when volunteers return.”
Soon, they were knee-deep in a muddy taro patch.
The sun rose higher in the sky. Sweat ran down Mei’s face.
Working in the wet ground wasn’t easy, but she was healthier and stronger than ever.
So was Alexandre. Mei smiled to herself, admiring how his sweaty shirt clung to his lean torso. That view would never get old.
Two hours later, they stood on the bank of the streambed they’d replanted a year ago. A tangle of rich greenery lay before them. The delicate plantlings they’d placed in the ground had taken hold, burrowing their roots and growing hearty with nutrients from the soil.
Mei leaned against Alexandre’s shoulder. “Last year, you were so sure we’d be back. How’d you know?”
He shrugged and kissed the top of her head. “I had a feeling.”
Mei smiled into his chest. She had a feeling about a few things, too: how she wanted this life, with this man. And how he wanted that, just as much as she did.
Mei wrapped her arms around Alexandre’s neck and stood on tiptoe.
He pulled her close, bringing his lips to hers.
Mei tasted salt, sweat, and certainty. Alexandre’s piney, sunscreen scent filled her nose, making her heady with joy.
Arms around each other, they turned to gaze at the rainbow stretching over the green mountains, the sunshine flooding the lush fields. How lucky we are.