Epilogue
Brock
Six Months Later
The venue for the community meeting was the same as last time, according to Lauren and Cal.
The place was typical for a Chicago fieldhouse—red brick, limestone, smelling like fifty years’ worth of floor wax and gym rubber.
There wasn’t a spare inch of floor space available, either.
Everyone had showed up today to see Lauren.
The four of us had chosen to sit near the middle of the seating column and close to the end of the row.
It was the perfect spot, really; close enough for Lauren to not feel like a thousand years away from the stage when she got up to get her award, but also close enough to the exit for us to make a quick duck without too much commotion.
She sat between me and Cal, with Rafe at the very end.
She was quiet but I recognized the look on her face.
She was spiraling into overthinking. Cal picked up on it too, and he quietly took her hand in his.
He rubbed his thumb against the back of her palm, and I could feel her shoulder relax against my arm.
They shared a moment before turning their attention back to the Ward Alderman onstage.
It was funny.
If you told me a year ago that I’d be sharing the love of my life with two other men, I would’ve laughed in your face. If you’d told those men in question would be my best friend and an ex-con, I would’ve laughed in your face, and then punched it.
I had no damn idea how we got here.
The Alderman droned on with updates on local street repairs and parking funding and a bunch of other stuff that I doubt many people were genuinely interested in.
He also took so many unnecessary pauses, like he was mentally combing over every possible word choice before he spoke.
Rafe looked bored out of his mind and Lauren kept chewing her bottom lip anxiously.
But then he finally got to the part we'd been waiting for and the atmosphere across our entire row changed.
“Now, I'd like to call on a very special young woman whose recent contribution to the community stands out as one of the most impactful we've had in a long time. In the midst of much upheaval and erosion of local memory, she has chosen to not only help preserve our legacy, but to share its celebration with us,” he said.
I turned to Lauren. She still looked nervous, but there was a tiny hint of pride there too.
She'd worked so hard for this moment, and it was the kind of determined work ethic I recognized well.
Rafe squeezed her thigh quickly. Cal's hand was steady on hers.
I just stared intently, memorizing this look on her face.
“Good job, Miss Honorable Citizen,” I whispered.
She turned to me and stuck her tongue out playfully. I smirked, logging that in to make her pay later.
“Now, before I call her up here, I'd like to share a little anecdote about my personal experience with the old Station 14, back in the day,” the Alderman said.
“Oh my god,” Rafe whispered, dropping his head back in frustration.
Lauren snorted softly, biting her lip.
Fortunately for everyone in the room, the Alderman's aide quickly whispered something in his ear that she had to repeat twice. He finally nodded in understanding and waved her away.
“Yes, yes, alright. I suppose the most important history can be visited in the museum itself. Speaking of which, I am honored to call Miss Lauren Wolfhaardt to the stage. Please join me in welcoming her to tell us all about her new venture!”
It was about damn time.
Rafe, Cal and I immediately started cheering, louder than the rest of the audience but we didn't care. Lauren gave each of us a look of gratitude before standing up and making her way to the front.
She looked beautiful, calm and more confident than I remember seeing her in the year I've had the privilege of knowing her.
She nodded politely at the Alderman, then waited for the crowd to calm down before she began to speak.
“Thank you, Alderman and everyone here for the warm welcome. Or, at least the warmer welcome. It took a while to thaw,” she said, and laughs rippled through the crowd.
“I'll keep things brief. When I bought the firehouse, I originally only intended for it to be a home for me.
I had no idea about the history tied to the place and just how important it was to this city.
But now that I do, I feel that it's less a generosity than it is an obligation for me to honor that history.”
“She’s doing so good,” Cal whispered to me.
I nodded but put my finger to my lips.
“Turning the front section of the property into a museum that pays homage to the iconic status of Station 14 is something I feel honored to be able to do. And it wouldn't have been possible without the help of Clara Reyes.” Her eyes found Clara's in the crowd.
I craned my head to try and see the real estate agent. She was sitting two rows ahead of us and gave a quick, low wave to Lauren, who smiled. Then Lauren's gaze traveled back until they settled on our row.
“And the construction crew of Cornerstone. Brock Lawson, Callum Doyle and Rafe Merrick. Without any of them, the museum wouldn't have been possible, and I wouldn't have had a home. I'm eternally grateful,” she said.
My heart clenched. I didn't bother looking at the other two.
There was another layer to Lauren's words, one that only we could read. Then just like that, she snapped back to business mode. This wasn't just her giving back, of course. It was also a way for her to control the imposition on her home.
“The museum will be open to the public two days a week,” she said, slow and measured, probably to ensure the boundary was as idiot-proof as possible.
“I want to reemphasize my gratitude to the city and people who gave me a chance to integrate into this community. The beauty of this city is something that I know will continue to inspire me in my career and stewardship of the firehouse,” she finished.
The crowd erupted again. Rafe stood to his feet and cheered while Cal and I whistled. Lauren looked so happy, almost on the verge of tears at the reception of her speech and choice to open the museum. I wished that there was someone who could’ve caught that moment on camera.
*
“Home sweet home,” Rafe said, throwing his jacket onto the couch as the four of us entered the living room. Lauren raised an eyebrow and folded her arms.
“There’s a coat rack right at the door, Rafe. Feel free to make use of it,” she said, sticking her chin out.
This was an argument they had often and I was beginning to think Merrick did this on purpose just because he liked her angry. And yeah, I could see the appeal. He smirked, sauntering up to her.
“And what are you gonna do about it if I say no, now that you’re a credit to the community? You gonna report me to the board? Put me on trial?” he taunted.
I thought they might go through their usual bantering routine again, but Lauren seemed to be feeling a little sentimental today. She put her arms around him and pulled him in for a kiss that actually got him to shut up.
It was still a little weird, at least in the beginning, seeing Lauren being with Merrick and Cal.
But I was not only growing used to it by now, it had become customary.
I didn’t think I was ever going to be able to explain this to anyone, but the sparks of jealousy and competitiveness I felt with them was only acceptable because I knew I could trust them with her.
A hand on hers, a reassuring squeeze of her thigh.
It didn’t bother that they came from them, as long as they got Lauren to relax.
They were the only other two people I thought would go the distance for her, with the exception of Clara and I was grateful Lauren wasn’t planning on making her a fourth.
“Thanks for coming to the meeting,” she said, breaking the kiss with him and walking over to the couch.
Merrick didn’t look like he had enough but he could wait. Cal came back in from locking the front doors.
“You’re a local celebrity now. How do you plan to celebrate?” I asked.
“Don’t make her run, Brock. She hates questions about the future, remember?” Merrick said playfully.
Lauren turned to me and her gaze held so much more than just acknowledgment. “With the three men who are the reason I chose to stay this time.”
It didn’t take much for the vibe in the room to change.
I walked over to her and leaned over her body, forming a cage of it over hers.
She reached up and put her hands on my neck, drawing me down as we kissed.
She made a little sound of satisfaction in the back of her throat and tried to pull me down even further onto the couch, but I didn’t let her.
“Not here, sweetheart,” I mumbled. “If we’re going to do this properly, we’re going to need space.”
Her eyes flickered in anticipation and I looked up at Rafe and Cal who fell in without a word.
Merrick immediately fell into the space I left when I pulled back, a greedy bastard as ever.
The two of them began to make out, with Lauren tugging at his shirt and pulling it over his head.
Cal slipped behind her, kissing her neck and whispering in her ear.
I started undressing her while she was distracted by their mouths and hands, pressing a kiss to her knee just to remind her that I was still here and was being patient. But even I had my limits. I put my hand around her neck and Merrick instinctively moved away. I brought her face to mine.
“We’re so proud of you, baby,” I said, kissing her cheek and then her jaw.
Lauren’s eyes fluttered shut and her breath hitched in her throat. I unclipped her bra and Cal immediately moved in behind her again, his hands sweeping from her waist to her tits.