Epilogue
Wren-One Year Later
Holy hell has a lot happened in a year. It”s been a wild ride, but so damn fun too. If you had asked me a year and a half ago where I saw myself, it definitely wouldn”t have been here. Not only do I have my dream shop and dream guy, but my besties are living out their very own happily-ever-afters.
Brooks asked me to marry him at book club after being together for six months. Some people may have felt like we were moving too fast, but there was no doubt in my mind that he was the perfect man for me. His proposal rivaled those of the book boyfriends we read every week, and I will never forget how special he made it for me.
When it came time to start planning our wedding, my anxiety came back in full force. I wasn”t surprised that a huge event would make it worse. I was surprised by how overwhelmingly it hit me. With a lot of help from my therapist and my amazing mother-in-love, we were able to plan a very intimate wedding that we held at the bookstore and celebrated at The Tavern. The entire day was perfect, even with my parents missing.
True to his word, Brooks resigned as a professor from the college at the end of the semester. His dean was understanding and made it very clear that they”d be happy to have him back if he ever changed his mind. At first, I could tell he was a little lost on what to do, but it wasn”t long before the bookstore kept him more than busy.
I was finally able to convince Lark to move to Sparrow Falls and join the girl gang at the shop. He was the missing piece we didn”t even know was missing until he was here full-time. Not only is he the best big brother to me, but his bond with my friends has grown even closer. River was in heaven having one of her most favorite people so close again.
Having another artist in the shop allowed us all to focus on our interests more. The studio Brooks made for me was amazing. I used it often, and it”s where I discovered my passion for teaching art to kids. Penny had been driving Cash and Chayse nuts, so I took her for a day to give them a break. We ended up in my studio, and I was blown away by her talent.
With Chayse”s encouragement, I started running an art class in the reading area of Brooks”s bookstore. It was a hit, and I was so happy Brooks didn”t mind us taking over the space twice a month. Being around the kids made the idea of Brooks and me having our own even more of a possibility for me.
Speaking of the bookstore, it”s more popular than either Brooks or I could have ever imagined. Our book club polls were just the tip of the iceberg. Brooks was able to start hosting indie author signings once a month, and the crowds it brought in was crazy. I was in fangirl heaven every month, able to help Brooks run the signings while getting to meet some of my favorite authors.
The biggest surprise of the year was finding out I was pregnant. It was a week or so after celebrating the new year with our friends and family that I started to feel ill. Being pregnant wasn”t even on my radar until Brooks asked if it was a possibility. We weren”t technically trying, but we decided after our wedding that we didn”t want to prevent it from happening either.
When Brooks pulled me from the bed and directed me to the bathroom, I was surprised to see the test sitting on the counter. When I looked at him questioningly, he awkwardly shrugged and said he did the math in his head from the last time he remembered me having my period and realized I was late. He was so cute standing there anxiously that I didn”t have the heart to tease him about it.
I went about my business, and we both waited impatiently for the results. When we saw we were pregnant, we both cried with overwhelming joy. The thought of being a mother is still overwhelming, but I know I can do this as long as I have Brooks by my side.
Our future and those of our family are brighter than I could have ever imagined, and I wouldn”t change a thing.