Epilogue
Genevieve
I turn the keys in our new vehicle and start it up, nerves buzzing with excitement, a steady hum in my chest. Today’s the day I finally get to show Aspen the birthday present I’ve been planning for months, a gift that’s been nothing but a dream for us ever since we met.
As I drive toward the house I can’t help but grin.
I can still remember the first time we pulled into this driveway, the way it felt like the first real step into our future together.
And now, as I roll up once again it’s like I’m bringing a new chapter with me.
A chapter that’s just for us. I park across the street, far enough away so he won’t see the van and guess immediately.
My stomach flutters with anticipation. This house already holds so many memories late-night takeout on the kitchen floor, furniture we built together, the sound of his laugh echoing through the halls.
But this moment feels like it will surpass everything that’s come before it.
I text Aspen, so he can come outside.
Come outside. I have something for you.
A minute later the front door swings open.
Aspen steps out scanning the driveway with that familiar confused look on his face, like he’s searching for something that hasn’t clicked yet.
I smile to myself as I watch him trying to hold in my excitement, it’s so like him to look for meaning in everything, even in the smallest things.
Then, when I step out of the van and close the door behind me, he sees it, he sees me.
His face lights up instantly, and before I can even speak he’s already halfway across the street, the grin on his face impossible to miss.
“You didn’t?!” He shouts, his voice tinged with disbelief and excitement.
“I did!” I call back, heart pounding in my chest as I step toward him.
I walk around to the side of the van and slide open the door revealing the interior. The smell of fresh wood and newness fills the air, it’s everything we talked about everything we dreamed of, no more waiting to build it from scratch. No more "one day" It's here, it’s real, it’s ours.
The inside is perfect. The full-size bed in the back is layered with cozy white blankets and chunky knit throws, nestled under a row of soft-glowing string lights that flicker like stars.
A small wooden kitchenette stretches along one side white cabinets with brass handles, a mini sink, and even a little stove the kind of thing we’ll make countless cups of coffee on during those early mornings.
There’s shelving for our gear and a skylight above the bed, perfect for stargazing on those clear summer nights.
A compact fridge is tucked in the corner ready for whatever we need to take with us on our adventures.
I watch as Aspen’s face shifts from shock to awe, his eyes roaming the space with a mix of wonder and disbelief. His gaze lingers on every detail like he’s afraid to miss something, like this could all disappear if he blinks too quickly.
“Is this really ours?” He asks, his voice quiet almost reverent, like he’s afraid he might break the magic if he speaks too loudly.
I toss him the keys, the motion feeling almost symbolic. “Let’s take it for a spin.”
His hands shake just slightly as he catches them but the smile on his face tells me everything I need to know.
He’s overwhelmed, but in the best way. Aspen walks over, still taking it all in, and opens the passenger door for me, of course he does.
I slide in with a laugh, leaning back against the seat and letting the excitement settle over me like a warm blanket.
I’m in love with him, I’m in love with this life we’re building, I’m in love with all the possibilities.
He jogs around to his side of the van and climbs in, his face practically glowing with joy, I can’t help but smile at him.
He looks like a kid in a candy store, his excitement so pure so contagious.
He leans over the center console and kisses me slow and full of emotion, like he’s trying to tell me everything without saying a word.
When he pulls back he cups my face gently in his hands.
“I freaking love you, Mrs. Genevieve Davis,” he says and I swear I feel the words sink straight into my soul.
Hearing him say it hearing him say my name like that still sends a shiver down my spine. It’s like I’m hearing it for the first time, every time. I smile so wide that my face hurts, but I don’t care.
Oh, did I mention we eloped in February?
Aspen told me to come to the resort after hours in January and meet him at the bar, I thought maybe he wanted to recreate what we did that one night, ride and try not to get caught. But when I entered the bar I couldn’t believe my eyes.
The entire bar was covered in hundreds of candles and twinkling lights hung from all over the ceiling. Aspen was in the middle of the room waiting for me with his hands behind his back.
I slowly walked up to him and that’s when he gets on one knee. I nearly gasped, I couldn’t believe what was happening, he pulls out a small velvet box and opens it.
Nestled inside the box was a silver ring—delicate, but not dainty.
A single diamond sat in the center clear and bright, but it wasn’t just the stone that took my breath.
The setting around it was shaped like a snowflake intricate and glinting, as if winter itself had laced it together.
The diamond sparkled like the heart of a snowfall simple, timeless, and quietly breathtaking. Just like him.
Of course I said yes, and a month later we eloped. Just at the court house, nothing crazy.
It feels like a lifetime ago, but that moment, our moment, changed everything. I’m no longer carrying that Brown name like a weight on my shoulders. I’m not just my parents’ daughter anymore. I’m my own person, and now, I’m his.
We drive around town, windows down music blasting, the sound of our laughter mixing with the wind. We both feel the freedom in the air, the kind that only comes when you’ve found your person, your place, your home. We feel like teenagers again, no curfew, no responsibilities, except for each other.
At one point, I stick my head out the window and scream into the wind, just because I can. I don’t care who hears me.
This is it. This is freedom. This is love.
And if I ever doubted moving here, ever questioned if I made the right call this moment erased it all. Every doubt, every fear, every moment of uncertainty is gone. Everything led me here.
And now, I can finally say it: I’m so damn glad it did.
Everything truly happens for a reason.