EPILOGUE
Two years later
“Happy graduation,” Aggie said.
“Yeah, happy graduation,” Henry added, holding up his champagne glass.
“Thank you,” Harlow replied and held up her own glass while she watched Larissa chase four-year-old Nathan around the room.
“You sure you two don’t want any?” Aggie asked. “My sister seems pretty obsessed with mine right now.”
“No, she’s not!” Larissa yelled. “He took my phone and won’t give it back.”
“Nathan!”
Henry handed his champagne glass to Aggie and hurried over to help Larissa.
“I thought Junior would be my troublemaker, but Nathan is turning out to be one, too.”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine. He just likes the games she has on her phone,” Harlow said and took a sip of her champagne.
“How does it feel to finally be a college graduate, Harlow?”
“At thirty-four? Honestly, I think it feels better today than it would have back then. It means more now, I think.”
“And what does one do with an undergraduate degree in political science and philosophy?”
“Philosophy was a minor. It was mostly for fun, but I do like it.”
“So, you’re a philosopher now?”
“No. I do have a new job lined up. It’s not exactly using my degree, but it’s something I’m excited about. Plus, the company is actually closer to the house and to campus, but I can go hybrid and work from home if I want, so I’m pretty excited about that.”
“New house, new job, new degree. What’s next for you, Harlow?” Aggie asked and finished her champagne.
“I know what you’re asking, Aggie.”
“You do, huh?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Well, she wants to get married, Harlow. You told her you wanted to be the one to propose. She’s really not getting any younger, you know? And she’s already three years older than you.”
Harlow wasn’t worried about her girlfriend overhearing because Larissa and Henry had chased Nathan outside, into their backyard, and Henry had gotten Larissa’s phone back.
It appeared, the four-year-old was also getting a lecture from his father while his aunt checked that her phone was still in one piece.
“I wanted to graduate first.”
“So, you’re going to ask her soon, then?”
“We’ve been busy, Aggie. We bought this place together after selling her old place, and it took a lot of time and energy.
Then, your dad was helping us fix the kitchen, which needed a lot of work.
I decided to go back to school and found out that I was missing a lot of credits because I waited so long.
I haven’t stopped working, so it’s been work and school for close to two years.
Plus, she had to graduate. That took a year, but she finished, and I thought I’d ask her then, but I wanted to finish, too.
When we start planning our wedding, I want it to be our main focus. Now, it can be.”
“I get it. I’m proud of you, by the way. I know you’re Larissa’s girlfriend, but I feel like you’re my sister-in-law already and kind of have been for a lot longer than you two have been together, so I want you both to be happy.”
“I know you do. Thanks,” she replied.
“Mom,” Junior said when he walked up to them. “Can I have ice cream?”
“Not here,” Aggie told him. “We’re going to be leaving soon. Can you go tell your dad and get your brother? If you two both make it easy for us to leave and behave in the car, I will tell Dad to stop for ice cream on the way home. One scoop, though. Don’t even try asking for two, Junior.”
“Can I get chocolate?”
“Will you go to sleep at bedtime?”
“Yes,” he lied.
Harlow laughed a little.
Aggie rubbed her older son’s brown hair and said, “Go get your dad.” After Junior ran off, she added, “He will not go to sleep at bedtime, but he looks so cute in his little suit. I can’t tell him no.” She turned to Harlow and pointed at her. “Never tell him that.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“And do it when you’re ready, Harlow. Ask her whenever you want is what I’m saying. I’m annoying at times, but it’s because I can’t wait to see my little sister stand up there, with me by her side, while she tells everyone that she’s met her person, you know?”
“I know. Thanks, Aggie.”
“Nathan, can you say good night to your aunt Harlow, please?” Aggie said when Nathan walked through the sliding glass door, followed by Junior and their father.
“Bye, Aunt Harlow,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“Bye, buddy. Be good for your mom and dad, okay?”
“Okay,” he said.
“Junior, say goodbye to Aunt Larissa and Aunt Harlow,” Henry said.
It hadn’t taken long, from what Harlow remembered. Maybe three months into their relationship, Aggie and Henry had started calling her Aunt Harlow to the boys, and the boys had taken to it immediately. Harlow had never wanted to be a mother, but she loved the idea of being an aunt.
“Bye, Aunt Larissa,” Junior said and hugged Larissa, who had just walked in and closed the door behind her.
“Night, buddy. I love you,” Larissa told him.
“Me too?” Nathan asked, hugging Larissa after Junior.
“Of course, I love you, too.”
“Bye, Aunt Harlow,” Junior said to her and hugged her waist next. “Love you.”
Harlow looked up at all three adults who had heard him say it, too. While Junior had called her ‘aunt’ before, this was the first time he’d ever told her that he loved her.
“I love you, too, Junior,” she said, hugging him back.
“Well, that’s new,” Larissa noted as she walked over to her.
“I know,” she replied.
“Weird?”
“No, kind of perfect, I think,” she said and took Larissa’s hand.
Aggie, Henry, Junior, and Nathan left the house, and the two women flopped onto their sofa, exhausted from the day.
“How does it feel, college graduate?”
“Pretty good,” she said, putting her legs into Larissa’s lap.
Larissa started rubbing her calves and said, “You know, the book is with the editor.”
“Yes, I’m aware.”
“After two years of exhaustive work, conducting over five hundred interviews, both remotely and in person, and after reviewing thousands of submitted stories from people who have been in love before, singles who have never been in love, people of all age ranges, socio-economic backgrounds, different religions, no religion–”
“Babe, are you trying to exhaust me even more by telling me how much work we’ve put into this book?”
“No.” Larissa laughed and added, “I’m trying to tell you that I can’t believe we did all that, along with everything else we have done.
” She smiled at Harlow. “Babe, you graduated today. You never thought you’d go back to school, but you did, and you worked so hard.
You made the dean’s list and still helped me with this book that a publisher actually wanted.
You’re amazing. I just wanted to make sure you knew that. ”
“You’re biased,” Harlow suggested.
“Probably always have been where you’re concerned.”
“You earned a doctorate while we did all of this. That’s way bigger than a bachelor’s degree.”
“No, it’s not.” Larissa shook her head. “Harlow, I had a pretty massive head start on you there, babe. I was already close to being done when you and I got together. Besides, I didn’t have a full-time job on top of it, and most of my major bills were taken care of.
You were working full-time and doing everything else.
I’m just… I am amazed by you and so proud of you.
” She moved until she was on top of Harlow. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Harlow said and wrapped her arms around Larissa’s neck.
“And I love that you’re up there right now, but I don’t know that I have the energy for anything tonight.
I didn’t sleep well last night. I don’t know why I was so worried about today.
I guess I didn’t want to trip and fall getting my diploma while you were aiming your phone at the stage, recording me. ”
“I would’ve just edited that out,” Larissa replied.
“You really do love me,” she teased.
“I do,” Larissa said and kissed Harlow’s forehead while Harlow pictured her saying those two words under very different circumstances.
“Hey, I had an idea for the dedication.”
“Dedication?” she asked.
“In the book,” Larissa explained.
“We have to do a dedication?”
“We don’t have to do one, no, but I would like to. I was thinking that maybe I could write one and you could write one for yourself.”
“So, there would be two? Is that normal?” she checked. “I’ve never been an author before.”
“Me neither,” Larissa replied with a little laugh as she undid Harlow’s black slacks. “Off,” she ordered, shifting to pull them down and off Harlow’s body.
“Yes, Ma’am.” Harlow laughed. “Demanding tonight.” Her laughter stopped when Larissa moved to kiss the inside of Harlow’s thighs one by one. “Oh,” she said.
“So, the dedication…”
“You expect me to think about that now?”
“I wrote mine already, so can I just tell you how I think it’ll go?”
“Um… Okay.”
Larissa kissed her through her underwear, and Harlow wished she could take back that okay and tell Larissa to use her mouth for other things instead.
Larissa shifted once again and pulled off those panties, dropping them to their living room floor before she straddled Harlow and began unbuttoning her pale-blue shirt.
“I think mine will say something like, ‘To the love of my life. You have always been my best friend, and it took me too long to realize that it was meant to be something more. Now that we’re here, and we’ve gone through so much together, I know that…
’” Larissa stopped to spread Harlow’s shirt and cup Harlow’s breasts over her bra.
“I know that you’re the only one I could ever do this with. ”
Harlow leaned up to wriggle out of her shirt and reach behind her back before she unclasped her bra and let Larissa remove it the rest of the way for her.
“I love you more than I thought I could love someone,” Larissa continued as she unzipped her dress at the side and pulled it over her head, revealing her white bra and white cotton panties to her.
And it was always so interesting to Harlow because she had watched Larissa put those articles of clothing on just that morning, but now, they were so incredibly sexy in a totally different context.
“I can’t wait to see this book published.
I hope it helps other people find their true loves by working to tear down barriers and obstacles that get in their way.
” Larissa pulled something out of the front pocket of her dress and tossed the dress aside.
“Because I know what awaits them on the other side of those walls. It’s something like what you and I have, and I think everyone should have something like what you and I have. ”
She placed a small box on Harlow’s stomach.
Harlow looked down at it while Larissa moved around.
She couldn’t even tell anymore what Larissa was doing because her eyes were so intently focused on the black velvet box that Larissa had placed on her bare stomach.
When she finally swallowed and looked up, she noticed that Larissa was naked and straddling her hips again.
“I love you, Harlow Madden. And I know you told me once that you wanted to do this, but I hope you forgive me.” Larissa reached for the box and opened it. “I can’t wait any longer to be your wife.”
Harlow looked down at the ring with the single diamond and gold band. Simple, elegant, and perfect.
“Will you marry me?” Larissa asked.
“I was going to ask you. I…”
“Are you mad?”
“What? No,” she replied. “I kept getting so nervous. I have your ring. It’s in the guest room closet.
I bought it over a year ago. I told your sister that I wanted to wait until I was done with school.
I guess that’s partly true, but I’ve almost asked you, like, ten times, and I kept chickening out. ”
“What? Why?” Larissa asked.
“Because I wanted it to be perfect, babe.” Harlow held on to Larissa’s hips. “Like this. This… is perfect.”
“It would’ve been perfect no matter what. Well, assuming you’re saying yes, it’s perfect right now, but I would’ve said yes every time you didn’t ask me, Harlow. I love you. I want to marry you.”
“Marry me?” Harlow asked now.
Larissa laughed a little and replied, “Yes.”
“I love you,” Harlow said. “I love you so much.”
“So, it’s a yes from you, too, then?”
“Hell, yes,” Harlow stated.
Larissa took the ring out of the box then, and Harlow held up her hand. When Larissa slipped the ring onto her ring finger, Harlow just stared at it in disbelief.
“Can you maybe change that dedication? I’d kind of like to keep your whole proposal speech just ours.”
“Sure,” Larissa replied, smiling at Harlow, who was still looking at the ring on her hand.
“Let me get your ring.”
“Yeah, in a minute,” Larissa replied.
“What? No. Now. I want it on your finger, Larissa.”
“I want to kiss my fiancée, Harlow,” Larissa replied.
Harlow looked up at her as the velvet box was placed on the coffee table, and she pushed the glasses up Larissa’s nose, earning an eye roll.
Larissa then took off those glasses, set them by the now-empty ring box, and moved to settle her hips between Harlow’s thighs, her lips hovering over Harlow’s.
“I will let you put that ring on me in just a few minutes. Ten minutes.” Larissa kissed her. “Okay, maybe fifteen.” She rolled down into Harlow. “Twenty at most, I swear.”
Harlow chuckled into the next kiss and wrapped her arms around her fiancée’s neck, pulling her closer.
“Take as much time as you want. As long as once you put that ring on, it never comes off, I don’t care,” she stated.
“Deal,” Larissa replied. “Oh, and Harlow?”
“Yes?”
“I’m thinking it’s going to be closer to an hour.”
Harlow laughed until Larissa kissed her. Larissa’s hips then moved faster, and before she knew it, Larissa was between her legs, yelling her name out in the living room, and when Larissa moved back up to kiss her, Harlow wrapped her arms around her neck again.
“Did Aggie know you were proposing tonight?”
“No. Why?”
“Any chance we could lie to her and tell her that I asked you first?”
“You’re still scared of my sister?” Larissa laughed.
“She’s terrifying sometimes,” she admitted.
“She’s going to be your sister-in-law, Aunt Harlow.”
“Yes, she is,” she replied, smiling at Larissa. “Because you’re going to be my wife.”