EPILOGUE
One Year Later
Marina
“I can tell we’re by the water,” I tease from behind the blindfold that Ashley tied around my eyes as soon as Merry and Scarlet showed up at our apartment. Thank goodness I don’t get motion sickness.
“Stop trying to guess,” Merry scolds as she takes my hand and helps me out of the car. “You’ll know where we are in just a sec.”
“And what you’re wearing,” Scarlet says cryptically.
At least I know it’s not the mermaid tail because I’m walking normally. Actually, they let me wear my yoga pants and sneaks, but I have no idea what’s on the sweatshirt they pulled over my head when we got dressed right before we left.
“Well, it better be good,” I warn. “I should still be sleeping in my cozy bed, not out here in the chilly morning.”
“You were alone,” Merry pipes in. “You couldn’t have been doing anything that interesting.”
I laugh under my breath. Indeed, I was alone. Zach had to go out of town overnight and won’t be back until this evening .
I’m led across flat pavement, then the girls help me step up onto a sidewalk that’s got a bit of an incline to it. I’m holding onto them for dear life as we walk. It’s going to be a warm day later, but I’m grateful for the sweatshirt as a gentle morning breeze blows past. My hair is up in a high ponytail, so it’s not getting in my face. Not that I can see yet anyway. The sidewalk levels off a bit and the girls pull me to the side so we can stop.
“Okay, it’s time for the big reveal!” Merry says enthusiastically.
“Well, it’s not really a big reveal,” Scarlet scoffs. “More like—”
“Can we get to the part where you take this blindfold off of me, please?” I plead with a wave of my hands.
“Okay,” Ashley says excitedly. “I think we’re ready.”
I feel Merry pull the blindfold off, and I’m surprised to see the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge towering above us. We’re standing on the pedestrian sidewalk for the bridge, but it’s just after sunrise. There aren’t many people out this early.
“Oh!” I say, looking around at their faces to see if I can get any clues as to why we’re here. “We’re going for a walk on the bridge?”
Scarlet nods. “A symbolic walk to the place where it all started…to applaud your many accomplishments with the Mermaid Foundation.”
I gasp. “What a fun idea! I love it!”
Ashley grins. “We thought you might. And you haven’t even noticed our shirts!”
Ash, Merry and Scarlet all line up in front of me so I can see them. Instant tears line my eyes as they show me. They’re wearing dark purple long-sleeved shirts with the Mermaid Foundation logo over the breast pocket, but the back of the shirts are emblazoned with iridescent metallic words that read Be a Mermaid…Make Waves. I look down at my own shirt and I’m wearing the same. Tears well up in my eyes.
“You guys, this is amazing!” I cry, hugging each one of them. “Thank you so much.”
“We’re so proud of you,” Ashley says. “We wanted to do something special this morning before your day gets crazy. Something just for us.”
Right. Because tonight is the Inaugural Mermaid Ball. It’s our first large scale fundraising event with a silent auction and performances from famous music artists, followed by an evening of dancing. My amazing staff of ten will be going for free since this is also a celebration of all the work they’ve done for the good of others, but the ticket prices are hefty for everyone else. The who’s who of celebrities and politicians lined up to come when we opened the ticket sales. I couldn’t have asked for better results.
I jump when someone rushes over to us and jumps to a halt in our haphazard circle. Max?
“Morning, sis!” Max greets me, giving me a quick hug. He looks at the girls with a satisfied grin. “Right on time!”
“Max, you’re joining us?” I cry out, giving him another hug. “This is awesome!”
He shrugs. “Well, I was going to the ball tonight anyway, so…couldn’t miss this.”
I notice Max is also wearing a shirt to match ours and my heart swells again.
“You guys are the best,” I say as we start walking up the rest of the incline. “This is so fun.”
When we get to the gift shop, which is closed this early, the sidewalk levels out and we step onto the bridge. The sky glows a beautiful golden pink as the city begins waking up behind us. We set out for our special, early morning walk and I listen to my brother catching up with the girls on what’s been going on with them.
Max has been up here to visit me several times in the past year, and Zach and I have been to a few of his games in San Diego. We have plans to spend Halloween at Zach’s estate in Sleepy Hollow so we can see everything the town has to offer. Apparently they take their reputation very seriously.
And I’m officially an international traveler now. Zach and I went to England last month so I could finally meet his parents. They were every bit as wonderful as he said they would be. His mother is incredibly kind and infinitely patient with Zach, who spends much of his time teasing her and trying to make her think he’s going to do something embarrassing. But he never does, of course, because he loves his family. I got to see how important it all is to him, including the legacy his family upholds. I discovered a new level of admiration for Zach on that trip, as he’s managed to forge a life of his own and pursue his dreams while always keeping his duty in mind. While a duke with a rock star past would be a new thing, when it comes time for him to assume his father’s title, the people will embrace him. The reputation he’s built as a rock star with a heart for those less fortunate will serve him well it comes time to retire from touring and cutting records.
It won’t likely happen for many years, but Zach shared that plan with me. He’ll step away from the Rebels. He’ll move back to the family estate and assume his duties in England, but music will always be a part of his life in some way. He has plans for outreach programs for disadvantaged kids - and he may even agree to the odd performance here and there if it raises money for charity.
The thought of him moving back home to England used to fill me with worry, but it doesn’t anymore. I know it’ll be okay because we’ll be together still. Yes, I’ll go with him when the time comes. There are children and families who need help in England just like there are in America, and by that time, the Mermaid Foundation will be something I can run from across the pond.
For now, Zach spends most of his time in San Francisco. When The Royal Rebels tour was finally over last year, Zach returned to the city, and I helped him look for a house to buy. Or that’s what I thought he was going to buy. Instead, he bought a whole building. It’s a vintage four-story building that used to hold newspaper offices and is no longer in business. It was empty and not generating much interest, but Zach had a plan.
He turned the first floor into the office space for the Mermaid Foundation. The second floor was turned into eight small apartments that will be part of the Mermaid Foundation’s emergency intake center. We’ll use them for people who are being evicted or have no place to go, giving them a safe space until we can connect them with services that will help them long-term.
He turned the third floor into a beautiful two-bedroom apartment where Ash and I now live. And the top floor is his. Oh, what it is to be rich and brilliant. But that’s my boyfriend.
“Marina!” Ash calls from ahead of me.
I realize I’m bringing up the rear, daydreaming about my new life. I hurry to catch up with them.
“Yes, Ash?”
She spins around and wiggles her eyebrows at me as she walks backwards.
“Are you singing at the Mermaid Ball tonight?”
I nod. “Zach and I are doing something special.”
She looks happy with that answer and turns around.
This walk is always invigorating. We’re just at the first tower, so we’re still walking at a slight incline. A few boats are cruising around the bay already, and I can see Alcatraz Island in the distance. The bay air is crisp and clean, making this day seem full of promise and possibility.
Scarlet tells Max all about the process she used to design the Mermaid Foundation headquarters. Yeah, I hired her to do it. Because when you have a friend who lives to make the world a beautiful place you hire her to use those talents whenever you can. We were her first major client, and she got some great press coverage from all the news articles about it. The office space is incredible. Not to mention our apartment, which she designed for free as a gift to me and Ash.
Yes, Ash is still very much turned off of men. After Greg broke her heart, she decided she was going to harden her heart for a while and just be by herself. Every time one of us tries to set up her up on a date, she says, “I’m a dragon lady. I don’t date.” Some day that wall has to come down, though.
Merry is still blowing through boyfriends at the speed of light. She doesn’t let anyone get too close. Lately, she is working on Nonno to let her re-open her Nonna’s old bakery next door to the restaurant. She died five years ago, and sweet Nonno just can’t even talk about opening her bakery. Merry’s not giving up any time soon, though.
When we hit the center of the bridge, we all stop and walk to the railing and look out at the bay. For a few feet, the bridge is flat here, and then it begins to decline as we go further north. I flag down a jogger and ask him to take our picture. He is very kind, snapping pictures for us and then handing my phone back to me. We keep walking as my mind wanders back to tonight’s festivities. We don’t just have celebrities and politicians coming. CEOs and top figures from prominent businesses in the city will be there. I gave the guest list a good look. Ms. Taft and Ethan Montclair were not listed, much to my relief. I know they were invited. I left that up to my Director of Events. Taft has money, and we don’t turn down anyone’s money. If they were on the guest list, I would have had Dave make sure they weren’t able to get near me. He’s my new full-time security guard, and he does the job brilliantly. The only good thing that came from my time at Taft & Kennedy was the friendships I forged with Hillary and Kat, who I still see every day because they work for the Mermaid Foundation now.
I’m really proud of how much I’ve developed it in just a year. After hiring a consultant to help set it up, I reached out to little Brandon’s Aunt Grace at song night at the library. Zach kept Brandon busy, teaching him how to play guitar while I explained to his aunt what the Mermaid Foundation would be built to do. I must say I recognized the relief and the gratitude in her eyes when she realized that there are people who care about people in her situation. She accepted my invitation to be our charter case. She’s now finishing college. She had to leave during her final year when Brandon landed in her life. So she’s back in school and receiving financial assistance from the foundation in order to live in a decent neighborhood while she completes her education. And Brandon has been able to join a local scouting program because they’re not pinching every penny.
As we near the north tower, my friends slow down and start making a fuss over me. I’m dragged to the front of the group and told to walk ahead of them because I’m the leader of the Mermaid Foundation. I do as they say because, honestly, why not? I love them all so—
I freeze in my tracks as I come around to the other side of the north tower. Someone has put up a beautiful floral archway in a beautiful blend of cream, blue and lavender flowers, and I caught a quick glimpse of a man in a suit pacing behind it. I whirl around and put my hands up.
“Some guy is going to propose!” I whisper excitedly. “We can’t go over there.”
I look behind our group to see if I can see any women walking on the bridge, but there’s no one. I look the other way. None. Where is she?
“Some guy?” Scarlet asks in that famous deadpan voice we all love.
I shrug. “I didn’t get a good look. I only saw his elbow.”
They all exchange incredulous looks and move towards the man’s beautiful floral arch. I try to push them back.
“No, you guys, we can’t just walk through it.”
Max pulls me off to the side and braces his hands on my shoulders, looking down at me with such brotherly love.
“ We can’t,” he agrees. “You can.”
He turns me around to face the archway, and only then do I see the man is Zach.
My Zach.
Looking indecently gorgeous in a suit that was cut just for him, standing in front of two foot high light-up letters that spell out “MARRY ME?” Beautiful baubles are arranged all around him, glowing in the soft morning light. There’s a purple mermaid tail sticking up from the center of them as if a mermaid is splashing down through the bubbles.
Everything happens in slow motion as Max leads me under the arch and brings me to the man I love. Zach’s warm, strong fingers close over mine as tears form in my eyes.
“Good morning, love,” he says in that delicious British accent. He gets down on one knee.
“Baby, I—Zach,” I say with a tremor in my voice.
I close my mouth, realizing I don’t have any coherent words to say right now.
“Darling Marina,” he says huskily. “You have brought me such joy from the moment I met you. Not far from this very spot.”
Now my lips are trembling. I desperately need to be in this man’s arms. Right now. A little sob escapes my lips.
“I have loved every minute of our life together so far. You are good, and kind, and so very brave. A fierce friend and a warrior for the less fortunate. And you love me, with all my imperfections. Please promise to be mine forever. Marina, will you marry me?”
He pulls a ring from his pocket and presents it to me. It’s a beautiful emerald-cut amethyst ring with diamonds encircling the band. I look at him with a stunned expression.
He winks. “It matches the mermaid tail.”
Tears fall in earnest now, and I find myself nodding as I struggle to find my voice.
Then, finally, I choke out, “Yes! Yes, I will marry you.”
He stands, and I throw myself into Zach’s arms. My friends and brother throw themselves around us. I don’t know who is hugging who, but Zach’s hands are holding my face and he’s kissing me tenderly while the celebration goes on around us. The group breaks off, and I’m mildly aware of them dancing around and cheering like maniacs.
I focus my attention on Zach’s warm, soft lips devouring mine. Heat spirals down my spine and into my belly as he holds me tightly against him. One of his hands holds the back of my head, giving him total control over the exquisite torture he’s administering. I fist my hands in his shirt and hold on for dear life.
After a few moments, he pulls away slightly and reaches for my left hand.
“Let’s get this on you before one of them knocks into us, and it flies into the bay,” he says, laughing softly and sliding the beautiful ring onto my finger. A perfect fit.
He pulls me back into his arms, and I splay my hands across his chest so I can see my gorgeous ring. I look up into his eyes.
“It’s perfect,” I say, struggling around the lump in my throat. “I love you so much, Zach.”
He places a light, reverent kiss on my temple.
“I love you too, Marina,” he says, his voice husky with emotion. “You’re never getting rid of me now.”
“Nonno said it best,” I coo into his ear. “You’re a keeper.”
I look over at Max and the girls, then back at Zach.
“So, what’s the plan for today? ”
He nods in Max’s direction.
“Since your brother’s here for the ball tonight, perhaps we should go back to your apartment and hang out till lunch,” Zach suggests. “Then we definitely need to take him to Nonno’s.”
I nod enthusiastically. I love that idea. Zach pulls away from me, then spins me like we’re dancing, and pulls me back into his arms. He moves us around on the part of the sidewalk closest to the base of the tower so we’re not in anyone’s way. The rest of our group is chatting excitedly and looking out at the bay.
Zach wraps an arm around my waist and locks our hands together, dancing me slowly around as he begins to hum the melody to “You Are My Heart”. All the feels, every single one of them, washes over me in a rush. I tilt my head and look up into Zach’s eyes.
“I am the luckiest woman on earth,” I say quietly. “Because I get to love you.”
He shakes his head, pulls me in, and holds me tight.
His lips touch the shell of my ear as he whispers, “I’m the lucky one. I finally caught myself a mermaid.”
***
Zach
I pause from puttering around Marina and Ashley’s kitchen for a moment, stealing a look at my girl sitting on the couch, surrounded by her friends and brother. They’re listening to Max talk about stealing two bases at his last baseball game, and the glow of pride lighting Marina’s beautiful face fills me with such happiness. Watching her renew her relationship with Max has been a wondrous experience that I feel honored to have taken a small part in.
I pull a wood serving platter off a shelf above the refrigerator and set about creating a charcuterie display. I called Rick, Jimmy, and Sam to invite them over as well. They’ll be here shortly, and we’ll all have a nice, proper catch-up. It’ll be awhile before we get to thrill Max with his first Nonno’s experience, and our early morning walk certainly made everyone a bit peckish. Not to mention my proposal. That’s something else to celebrate. I wonder if Merry should have paramedics on standby for Nonno when he hears the news.
My blood stirs as the sound of her lyrical laughter drifts over to me. If I live a thousand years, I may never truly believe I pulled this off. When I think back to the beautiful ball of pure sass I met on the bridge, who wanted absolutely nothing to do with me, I silently thank the powers that be for my lot in life. The past year with her has been one of discovery and wonder, from watching her work on the Mermaid Foundation from the ground up to just being a new couple together and building a life with each other. Our love has grown stronger each and every day, and I haven’t worried once that she might decide to run from this…not from the moment she surprised me at the concert, singing “You Are My Heart” to me as I cried like a baby on stage. I regret nothing.
Every once in a while, I see Marina look down at her hand and admire her engagement ring, and my heart soars with pride. I knew it was the right ring as soon as I saw it. The memory of that sparkly purple tail flashed in my mind immediately. I knew she’d love it.
“Zach?” Marina calls from her perch on the sofa.
I look up from the sausage I’m slicing. “Yes, love?”
Her eyes twinkle with hidden meaning. “Did you call the guys and invite them over?”
Nobody’s looking at me right now, so I flash her a wink.
“They’ll be here in about twenty minutes, gorgeous.”
Satisfied, she turns back to the conversation, which currently consists of Merry telling Ashley it’s time to let the dragon lady idea go and be open to new things. I let out a low chuckle. Good luck, Merry. Of course, that isn’t stopping Marina and I in our diabolical plan to nudge Rick into Ashley’s line of sight. There’s no need to push him at all. He’s already noticed her, and it’s quite obvious how smitten he is. The problem is, she’s friend-zoned every man in her life and shows no signs of letting anyone back in after her cad of a fiancé broke her heart. Still, my money’s on Marina when it comes to who will win this chess match.
I want everyone I love to be as happy as I am right now at this moment. I’m so full of joy I feel as though my skin is the only thing keeping me together. When I picture her in a white dress, walking down the aisle of a church, making her way toward me and our happily ever after, I feel my eyes line with tears.
This is the key to happiness right here: find yourself a mermaid. Perhaps I’ll write a book about it someday, giving hope to people who think they’ll never find love. I’ll call it “How to Date a Mermaid” and provide three easy steps to success.
Step One: Heed the call of her beautiful siren’s song. Don’t waste one minute sitting around. Run to her, wherever she is.
Step Two: Be patient. Don’t frighten her, or she’ll swim away and be gone forever.
Step Three: Show her love. Shower her with it. Make her see that she is the most special creature that ever existed. Show her in everything you say and every action you take. Show her she’s your whole world.
Easy peasy, right? There’s only one problem standing in the way of a book like that becoming an instant best seller: there’s only one mermaid. And she’s mine. All mine. And I am never, ever letting her go.