Epilogue
Lyra
“We just invite anyone to meetings these days?” Mars asks, eyes narrowed on me as we sit at the Rogue family’s kitchen table.
A pretty blue journal sits in front of him, holding up valiantly under his aggressively tapping fingers.
“Is nothing sacred? You don’t see me inviting Ceres to our special and super rare meetings. ”
Jove shrugs, munching happily on a bite of carrot cake. “We have news. Meetings are where we discuss news.”
Mars lifts his brows. “Oh, well, by all means. If you have news .”
Jove takes a sip of his milk, then, casual as could be, says, “We’re getting married.”
I choke on my carrot cake. “Jupiter!” I chastise.
Mars’ eyes widen. “ Already? ”
Jove hesitates. “Is it too early?” he asks, frowning. “We planned for Flag Day.”
Mars’ eyes wander to the window, gazing distantly.
“Too early? Of course not. It’s too late, actually.
So late that I was possibly taking matters into my own hands.
But it’s fine. Totally fine. No problem.
It’s not like I planned an entire festival for you to have a big confession scene at or anything.
Life’s not an anime, so why would I treat it like one? ”
Oof. “We were hoping you’d let us have the wedding there,” I put in. “Jupiter says you’re already planning to have someone ordained there, and we don’t want anything crazy,” I assure him when his eyes dart to me, mania sparking in their depths.
“Are you suggesting… a double wedding?” he asks, pinning Jove with his crazy eyes.
Jove nods. “And I’d like you to make the wedding cake,” he says. “If you’re not too busy. Getting married yourself, or anything.”
Mars puffs a laugh. “As if I’d let anyone else make either of our wedding cakes. We’re Rogues, not animals.”
Uh.
Sorry.
What?
“You’re getting married?” I ask Mars before turning to Jove. “Your brother’s getting married? And you didn’t say anything? How long have you known?”
Jove pokes at my frown. “I don’t know. A little while.”
“And you just… didn’t think to mention it?”
His brows furrow. “Mars said to focus on you. I was focusing on you.”
Oh. Well. Sure. Because that makes so much sense.
Boys are so flagging boy.
“Is there anything I can do in order to make this the wedding of your dreams, dearest brother and dearest bike buddy?” my soon-to-be brother interjects, eyes flicking between Jove and I, amused.
“Sunglasses,” Jove answers.
I blink. “Sunglasses?”
“Sunglasses,” Mars confirms. “Already in the cards. Don’t worry.”
“Why do we need sunglasses?” I ask, head swiveling between them. “For a wedding?”
One of Mars’ thick, dark eyebrows rises on his forehead. “ Because it’s a wedding,” he says.
Ah. Right. Of course. Silly me.
“Any other agenda items you’d like to add?” Mars turns back to Jove. “Or was it just the wedding?”
“Just the wedding,” he answers. “Thank you.”
“I have one I’d like to add,” I cut in, taking a sip of milk. “If you don’t mind.”
“I’ll allow it,” Mars says. “But only since you’ll be family soon. On top of being my bike buddy.” He hums, letting his gaze slip skyward. “All things considered, now that I’m thinking about it, you’re one of my favorite people.”
Shot to the heart, and how dare he. I was not prepared.
Thankfully, I remember that Jove told me Mars is touch avoidant half a second before launching myself across the table to hug him. Instead, I shoot him a grateful smile I hope properly conveys the warm, gushy feeling his acceptance of me inspires.
Based on his answering smile, it does.
“What would you like to address, Lyra-love?” Jove asks me, hooking his leg with mine to pull me – and my chair – closer to him.
How fortuitous.
I lean against his arm, now perfectly reachable, and flutter my eyelashes at him.
His face blanks. “Uh oh,” he mutters.
“Can we fly my cousin, Elodie, out for the wedding? She works for tips at a café, so she can’t really afford a plane ticket – or to take off work, truly, though she says it’s fine.
I’m planning to make up for her missed wages by giving her a big ole chunk of cash in the form of a birthday gift this year once we’re married and I have rich wife money.
She needs the plane ticket before then, though. Is that okay?”
Jove relaxes, rolling his eyes. “Is that all? I’ll buy her a private jet, if you’d like, and hire a standby pilot. Then she can visit whenever you’d like. We can have one here, too. Nearly instant access either way.”
“Nobody is hiring any private jets or pilots,” Mars inserts, drawing my attention.
Disapproval rife on his face, he pinches the bridge of his nose.
“Trying to make us homeless aside, private jets are rotten for the environment.” With a sigh, he fixes his green eyes on me.
“That said, a first class ticket isn’t a problem. ”
“You aren’t allergic to your money?” I ask. “I thought that was a genetic thing.”
“That’s a Jove thing,” Mars informs me. “The man saw a bank statement one time and has been rioting ever since. Left to his own devices, we’d be on the streets. Therefore, I do not leave him to his own devices.”
“Anything else you’d like to add to the agenda, Ly-Ly?” Jove asks, apparently nonplussed at the information that his brother considers him to be a financial toddler.
“No,” I answer, eying Mars, who seems equally nonplussed. “That’s all.”
“Excellent.” Mars procures a pen and twirls it between his fingers. “In that case, we’ll return to our regularly-scheduled programming…?”
We agree, and Mars flips to a numbered list in his journal. Number one reads Jove book progress.
“Oh,” the man himself says, casual, casual. “I’ll be done tomorrow.”
Mars whistles. “Tomorrow? Last we talked you had thirty-k words left.”
“Correct,” Jove says. “I’ve written them. It’s been a very inspiring week.” He looks at me and smiles, soft and sweet.
“Well, then,” Mars murmurs. “I’ll let Sara know the wait is at an end and all her Flag Day romance dreams can finally come true. Any idea on when I should book our next project with her?”
“Soon,” Jove says. “I have an excellent idea for Grandparent’s Day.”
Mars blinks, so slow, but does not comment as he clicks open his pen and scribbles something in his notebook.
I, also, do not say anything.
If Jove wants to write a Grandparent’s Day romance? Then Jove can write a Grandparent’s Day romance.
And we’ll all enjoy it.