Epilogue
Kate and Sawyer’s new apartment has wood floors.
I’m really glad about that. Wood floors are much easier to clean than carpets.
“I am so sorry,” I say as I scoop Rosie up into my arms.
Rosie is at that stage of Golden Retriever puppy that is more like a stuffed animal than a dog. So adorable, it almost hurts to look at her. And the flower-adorned collar Brock got her makes her even prettier, if that’s possible.
She’s super cute, even if she’s being naughty.
“I swear,” I tell Kate, “we walked her for fifteen minutes before we came in.”
Brock exits the bathroom off the living room. He has a roll of paper towels in his hands, plus a bottle of cleansing spray. “Now we’re even,” he teases Kate. “This is exactly the housewarming gift your Mr. Brown gave me when he came to stay.”
Kate laughs and crouches to pet Mr. Brown, who is lounging on his puffy bed. He’s a little more silver in the face than the last time I saw him. His wary look lets me know he’s not sold on Rosie yet.
Zoey, however, is a big fan. She has been ever since Brock and I walked in a half-hour ago with our newly adopted pup.
The smells of fajita steaks wafts out of the kitchen. I can hear the food sizzling in a fry pan, because the studio is small.
Sawyer and Kate wanted it to be cozy, and it is. The walls are decorated with funky, modern art, and the rooms are crowded with off-beat used furniture: A yellow futon, a funky orange armchair, and a coffee table painted with polka dots.
Kate added a second colorful streak to her hair, this one purple. She looks so happy with her infant daughter, Chloe, cradled to her chest. She lowers down onto the futon and pats the seat next to her.
“You two get over here,” she says to me and Rosie. “I want to see this pup up close.”
“You need a hand?” I ask Brock as I pass by the floor he’s cleaning up.
He glances up at me. “Nah, got it. You relax.”
“What a guy,” Kate teases, wiggling her brows. “If he’s this attentive with a puppy, imagine how he’ll be if you two have a kiddo.”
I freeze and straighten up. In my arms, Rosie wiggles.
Kate gapes at me.
“What?” I say.
She narrows her eyes. “Hm…”
I widen my eyes, trying to look innocent.
That only makes her laugh. “You are the worst actress, Gwen.”
“I have no idea what you’re?—”
In Kate’s arms, Chloe squirms and gives a soft cry. Kate gently bounces her. “Hush, hush, baby girl, I’m just talking to your auntie.”
I love hearing that word: Auntie.
I want to be the best auntie to my niece, Chloe. And I know Brock wants to be a great uncle. He didn’t wait for me to give him the nudge to order onesies this time around. When the package arrived in the mail, I took one look and dissolved into giggles, then read the print aloud. “‘Cool like my Uncle Brock.’ Seriously? You are so cocky.”
He feigned innocence. “Who, me? I didn’t order those.”
I snuggled up to him on the couch, and he put down his phone. “Yes, baby, you did. Admit it.”
“Fine. Guilty as charged. And I’ll be guilty of more than that if you come a little closer.”
He wrestled me onto the couch.
Not that I minded.
Being pinned under Brock Benson is a divine feeling—one I’ll never tire of. When we wrestle, I let him win every time.
Chloe gives another soft cry.
In the kitchen, the sizzling sound is punctuated by a cork popping out of a bottle. Then Sawyer saunters out, a dishrag over his shoulder. He’s wearing an apron and carrying a bottle of champagne in one hand and a stack of Dixie cups in the other.
“Sorry we don’t have better glasses,” he says in that soft way of his as he sets the cups down. “We grabbed a bottle of bubbly to celebrate your new pack member. Man, she sure is cute.”
“She peed on your floor,” Brock admits with a chuckle.
Sawyer laughs, too. “Puppies and kids, man. They’re messy, but they sure are fun.” He opens his arms to Kate and she sets Chloe into his embrace.
“Speaking of kids,” Kate says, “I think we’ll only need three glasses for the bubbly.”
“Three?” Sawyer sways side to side, and Chloe settles down. “Why’s that, babe?”
Kate shoots me a sly look. “Gwen is so bad at hiding things.”
Brock settles onto the couch with me. When he wraps his arms around my shoulders, it’s heavenly. “Maybe we have something to tell you guys. But I think Gwen should be the one to say it, if she wants to.”
“Eek!” Kate’s eyes fly wide. “I knew it! Wait, I’m going to go grab a seltzer for you, Gwen. You have to be in on the cheers when it happens.”
I laugh because life with the Bensons always moves fast like this. Brock chuckles, too. “I didn’t think we’d get it past her… But it’s up to you.”
I snuggle in closer to him. Rosie climbs out of my arms and into his lap.
In moments like this lately, I think about the Queen’s Room, up at the castle. I think about the room service attendant who delivered my breakfast.
I’ll always remember what she said to me that morning about how she could only look at one thing at a time when she wandered the castle.
I didn’t get what she meant at the time. But these days, I get it.
My life is so full.
There are some big, flashy things. Grand things. I don’t push them away anymore, because I don’t need to. They’re part of the bigger tapestry in my life, just like all the rest. I’m grateful to live in Brock’s house. Grateful for my new car, the beach house, the pool…
But more than that, I’m grateful for the little things.
And it helps to only focus on one beautiful thing at a time so I don’t get overwhelmed.
Right now, I feel Brock’s arm, strong and sure, around my shoulders.
Sawyer hums a soft lullaby to the baby in his arms.
The futon is secondhand, worn-out, and so comfortable beneath me. Fajita spices waft out of the kitchen and linger in the air.
These people are my family, and beyond these walls, I have more family, too. Brock’s mom and stepdad are wonderful, and I like his dad and stepmom, too.
Brock gets along with my family as well, which makes me so happy. He’s been working out with Clay most mornings, and I know Clay appreciates the coaching.
Clay has a new glow about him—a new confidence, a new swagger. He’s not full of himself, but he’s not afraid of the world anymore, either. It’s good to see him step up to challenges. When we got an offer on the house, he was the one to go to all the meetings with the realtors and bankers. He handled all the paperwork.
My little brother’s all grown up. I told him that when I saw him heading out to one of the meetings with his shirt tucked into his pants. He immediately untucked his shirt. ‘I knew that probably looked dorky,’ he said with a laugh.
It’s been great to see him move out of Mom’s and into his own place. He likes being part of our dog-walking business, too.
We both liked the classes about saw safety so much that we figure the next time we flip a house together, we’ll do the sawing ourselves. I even bought a pair of overalls, so I’ll look the part of a handywoman.
Our next real estate venture may not happen for a long while, though.
Brock and I are both going to have our hands full for years to come. He’s going to be a great dad.
Kate returns to the living room with a silver can of sparkling water. “For you, Gwen,” she says with a laugh. She pours it out while Brock gets up and passes out plastic cups of champagne.
I catch my husband’s eye. “Okay, I think I’ll tell them.”
“Great. ‘Cause she’s serving you sparkling water. She already knows.”
“But we haven’t announced it.” I’m so giddy, it’s hard to speak. Saying this aloud, to someone besides Brock, is going to be new. We’ve kept it between us for three weeks now. “Actually—I’m sort of freaking out. Can you say it?” I ask.
He returns to the couch.
His hand wraps around my waist.
He turns to me. He’s growing a beard these days—maybe inspired by Sawyer. The cropped brown facial hair makes him look more attractive than ever to my fangirl eyes.
Brock Benson gave me a ring.
I married my boss.
It feels like a fairy tale, some days—even when Rosie’s piddling on the floor, or it’s raining on the only day Brock and I have off together, or the garbage disposal is clogged because I dropped a spoon down there by mistake, again.
Even when things seem to be going wrong, they’re right.
“Well, you guys guessed it.” He’s talking to Kate and Sawyer, and our niece, and even our puppy. “We have news. We’re going to be parents.”
Kate claps and squeals.
Sawyer lifts his Dixie Cup. “Cheers, guys! Congratulations.”
Rosie barks.
Chloe, upset by the noises, fusses.
But me?
I’m only barely aware of all that. I’m lost in this moment—sitting right here with Brock.
“We’re going to be parents,” he repeats, now gazing into my eyes. “It’s gonna be an adventure, baby.”
“I know.” I nod.
“Every day is an adventure with you,” he says before leaning in to place his lips on mine.
Every kiss he’s ever given me has sent a shiver of delight through my body, and this one is no different.
He is intense, and passionate, and the only man I want to spend the rest of my days with.
Cheesy Wednesday inspirational videos and all.
THE END