Epilogue
My feet sank deeper into the sand as the tide crashed into my feet and retreated to the ocean. The wind was blowing my hair into my face, obstructing my view. I’d been out here so long, it was starting to get chilly. The sun was setting as I watched the blues turn to purple and orange.
“Happy birthday, baby sister. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of you. I miss you so much it hurts sometimes. I hope you’re proud of me. I did it, Cellie.”
CeCe’s Corner was doing incredibly well.
I was booked out for a year for various projects and campaigns.
The first year was grueling, getting everything together to start operating.
The days were long and hard. I’d grown a lot, but unfortunately, I hadn’t grown out of my stubborn streak.
Despite several offers to help, I declined and did everything on my own.
It was a rite of passage. I wanted to say I did it all on my own.
Once I got a few clients, things really started to take off.
Looking up at the sky, I searched for anything, a sign she was with me right now.
I wept as the sun set until I felt the soft, warm material of a cardigan slipping over my shoulders.
“You okay?” Parker said as he wrapped his arms around me from behind.
“Yeah,” I answered as I turned to look up at him. “She would have loved everything about this day. Thank you.”
This morning, a wave of grief hit me as I noted today’s date. It was Celeste’s birthday. I had planned to put my phone on Do Not Disturb and tuck into bed with my e-reader. But when I stepped outside of our bedroom, Parker had our bags packed and food ready to go.
He refused to tell me where we were going the whole way there.
When we finally arrived at our destination, it was a mid-sized white house on the beach.
Parker led me through the doors, and I found Aja, Janae, Danny, Mr. Morales, and Mrs. Woods all chatting in the kitchen.
When I asked what was going on, they all just looked at Parker.
“I knew today would be tough for you and I didn’t want you to be alone in remembering who Celeste was.
I thought we’d celebrate her life together.
Ma looked up a couple of recipes and made Pollo Guisado, the twins went to the craft store and bought some paint supplies, and I’ve got your favorite playlist ready to go. ” He explained.
When I broke away, I immediately went to hug the three most important women in my life.
My life was filled with joy and wonder because of them.
We were all adjusting and rediscovering ourselves.
Aja was killing it in her position as CEO of Gentry, and Janae was writing music again.
Mrs. Woods was the most surprising. One day over breakfast, she asked us how to start a podcast. After she explained what she wanted to do, we all got to work to make it happen.
Every week, she hosted someone in her garden who she found to be influential, and they spoke about life, the good, bad, and the ugly.
The three of them inspired me to keep reaching for the stars.
Danny and Eric had become frequent flyers to Oakland Ridge, visiting often. I was constantly trying to persuade them to make the move here. I think I’m finally beginning to wear them down. The fact that they were here for a celebration of my sister’s life meant the world to me.
I cried tears of gratitude. We ate, drank, and danced, enjoying each other's company. When the morning bled into the late afternoon, Mrs. Woods lit the candles on the cake, and we all sang Happy Birthday. This day would always be sad, but I found myself happy to have not been alone.
After a while, I excused myself and walked down to the beach, needing the quiet. If Parker came to find me, then everyone must be gone. I turned in his arms and pressed my lips to his.
Parker pressed his forehead to mine. “Want to stay here tonight?”
“I’d like that. Breakfast on the beach sounds nice.” I said, tightening my arms around him.
“Hmm, it does. It would be even nicer if you wore that blue bikini again.”
I snorted out a laugh, pushing him away from me. His eyes were playful, and I suspected he was up to something.
“How about a race?”
Before I could even answer, Parker was booking it to the house. Our laughter echoed in the night as we raced to the deck.
“Hey, you cheated,” I remarked, pushing him up against the sliding door.
He smirked, his eyes still full of mischief. Bending down, he picked me up. I wrapped my legs around him as he opened the sliding door and led us to the bedroom. Placing me on the bed, he leaned down over me and whispered in my ear.
“What are you going to do about it?”
My heart raced like it always did when Parker Woods was in the room. My core tightened as his breath fanned over my neck.
“Maybe I’ll punish you.”
“Looking forward to it.” He said as he bent down to nip my lip. We lost ourselves in each other, making love until the early hours of the morning.
Soft lips pressed against my shoulder, waking me. I snuggled deeper into his hold, earning a groan.
“Good morning,” I said, pressing a kiss to the arm wrapped around me.
“Good morning, baby girl,” he said in a raspy voice, pressing another kiss to my neck.
I looked out the balcony window that gave us a direct view of the ocean and sighed. “This place is perfect.”
“I love this house. We used to come here a lot as kids during the summer. It was kind of a tradition. Parker stroked my hair as we spoke.
“Maybe we can make it a new tradition.”
“I’d like that.” He squeezed me tighter to him, I relished the feeling of his bare skin against mine.
“Are you excited to start working at the new firehouse?”
Tomorrow, Parker will start his first shift at the Oakland Ridge Fire Department. After going through training again, they had offered him a position. Their chief was retiring, and despite the rift in Chief Bradden and Parker’s relationship, he had given him a glowing recommendation.
“Nervous but mostly excited. I can’t wait to get back out there.”
“You’ll be fine. I believe in you. You’ve been working towards this for a while, and you deserve the position.” I turned in his arms to look into his eyes. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I couldn’t have done all of this without you. You put up with me during recovery, and you kept me sane on the days I really wanted to throw in the towel. This is as much of your win as it is mine.”
“We're partners, that's what I’m here for. You never gave up on me, and I don’t plan to give up on you.”
Parker kissed me passionately, unhurried, his hands roaming my body.
“You’re mine, Evelyn Howard, and I don’t plan on letting you go.”
“It’s a good thing that I don't want you to.”
He smiled that full, beautiful smile, the one that left me breathless most days.
“I was hoping you would say that.”
Releasing me and rolling from the bed, Parker went to his bag, returning with a box.
My eyes shot from the box to his face as he sat down on the bed beside me. Placing the box between us, he grabs my hands, placing one over his heart.
Tears start to form in my eyes, and I meet his gaze.
“I’m not sure how I survived almost thirty years on this Earth without knowing you.
You have been the best and the greatest gift I’ve ever received, and I thank the universe every day that you came into my life.
I didn’t know that one call would change the course of my life, let alone my career, but I’m so happy it did. ”
I felt like my heart might burst inside my chest as I listened to his words.
“I’ve seen you at every stage of your journey, and I can say with certainty that I’ve never met a stronger person than you.
You are beautiful, intelligent, witty, and clever.
Your strength and your kindness inspire me.
I want to wake up with you every day for the rest of my life.
I never want to stop being on this journey with you.
The love I feel for you grows stronger every day, and I would be so proud and honored if you would be my wife, Evelyn Maxine Howard. ”
His voice shook as emotion overcame him. I couldn’t hold back any longer, I jumped up, throwing my arms around Parker, almost knocking us off the bed.
I pulled back and held his face, peppering it with kisses. He laughed and kissed me back enthusiastically.
Parker used his thumb to wipe the tears away from under my eyes.
“Well? Will you be Mrs. Evelyn Woods?”
I shouted, “Yes, a thousand times yes!” before melding my lips with his.
I was excited about my future, and the man I would be spending it with. I had found a family and friends who would be there for me when times got hard. I felt rich in life and love.
I knew Momma and Cellie were smiling down on me right now. I felt their love, too.
“I’m glad it was you that saved me that day.” I whispered into the crook of his neck.
“Me too,” he replied, hugging me tighter. “I can’t wait for forever with you.”
There was a time when I thought I was undeserving of a love like this.
I was scared and afraid of getting lost in another person and giving my heart to them.
Then he asked me to let him in, and he showed me what true love looked like.
Our love was forged in fire—strong and resilient in the face of adversity.
We had survived so much already, I knew that whatever the universe decided to throw our way, we’d land on our feet.