Epilogue
The following day
I woke up to the smell of breakfast and coffee the following morning. We ate and hung out in the room for the first hour, and then I got dressed and we went out for the day.
We went for a long walk on the beach and then to lunch. We did some shopping and stopped at three art galleries. I bought myself two t-shirts that said 'Miami' and one for John-Michael and Ethan as well. I also bought Ethan a small but realistic dinosaur that I knew he would love.
It was about 4pm when we decided to go back to the hotel. We rested for a while and drank a cup of coffee before going to dinner at a sushi place. Later, we found the small section of the boardwalk with my beloved carnival games. I had scoped it out earlier in the day. I knew it would be so cool to take photos there at night, and I was pumped about going.
We had already played two games—the bottle toss and the one where you swing a heavy hammer and see how strong you are. John-Michael won me prizes at both of them—one small and one medium. I had on a cute skirt with Chucks and one of my Miami tourist shirts, and I was loving life .
We stopped for a minute so that I could eat some cotton candy. I stood there, taking in all the sights, sounds, and tastes. My camera was hanging over my shoulder and all was right with the world. I loved all the noise and action. I had the best day, and I was just so peaceful and dreamy feeling as I stood there taking it all in.
"What's that smile about?" he said. "Are you dreaming about a tattoo?"
"Me? Oh…" I paused and realized I had been staring absentmindedly into a tattoo shop that happened to be in my line of vision. "No, actually, I was thinking about other things… just having fun today, and… " I snapped my eyes up to meet his gaze. "But sometime I might… I wasn't looking at that tattoo shop just now. I didn't even realize it was there. But I do want to warn you, J, I am a little weird. I know I made fun of them for the teeth, and said I thought he was cheesy, but I'm still a weirdo a little bit. I just want to warn you in case you… I won't do any drugs, or anything against God, but I might not always have normal fashion choices."
He tilted his head at me and smiled in such a way as to tell me that he was not at all surprised by my warning or worried about my fashion choices. "You do realize that when we met you had a windshield all the way across your face."
I laughed at the thought of my bedraggled outfit that morning. "So, you're saying you like that I'm weird," I said, teasing him .
He gave me a confident shrug. "If you want to put it that way."
"I do," I said, making him laugh a little. "I heard back from Jonathan when I was heading into the restroom a minute ago."
"Really? Was he being serious?"
"Yes. He's not coming to the airport tomorrow. He's staying. I guess Nick likes his photography or whatever, anyway, he's keeping him around. I don't know for how long, but he's staying for now. It works out because he was having trouble in Raleigh anyway—not making ends meet."
"Is he just staying here forever? Not going back to get his things?"
I shrugged. "I have no idea. His text made it sound like he's never going back. He sounds happy. And I'm glad they have it worked out with the photography and everything from last night. That makes me feel better."
"Speaking of feeling better, am I winning you that big one? Because I think that bottle toss might be my best shot at it. I can do any shooting game or the ladder one, but I don't see those."
"I don't need a big one," I said.
"I'll win you one."
"No, it's okay. I don't know how I would carry it back with me on the plane, and I'd feel bad leaving it here." I pulled some cotton candy off of the pink cloud and offered him some. "My hands are clean. I just washed them. "
He didn't hesitate to eat the cotton candy. I felt his mouth barely touch my fingers, and I smiled like it was the guiltiest of pleasures. It was. John-Michael was unbelievably handsome, and I felt all warm in the pit of my stomach when his mouth touched me.
"One of the things on your list for today was to win a big one, are you sure you don't want me to do it?"
"I really don't need one," I said.
"I have two prizes already. And those other souvenirs. If I got anything else from here, it would be that." I nudged my chin, and he looked over there.
"I knew it. I knew you were checking out that tattoo shop. I wouldn't be mad."
I grinned. "I was talking about the place next to it. But I was just joking. I'm messing with you."
"The sandwich…" He looked confused for a second. "The jewelry store?"
"I'm just messing with you."
"Were you? Because I'll buy you anything you want from there? Is it open? Do you want jewelry? Let's go."
"No, no, no, I was just messing around."
He tugged on my arm. "Come on."
"No, J, I wasn't, I don't need that. I wasn't talking about random jewelry. I don't need to go shopping, really. I was messing with you." I smiled and leaned into his shoulder and he put his hand on my waist.
"A ring? Is that what you were messing with me about? "
"Yes, I was just saying… I wasn't looking at the tattoo shop." I laughed again.
"Seriously, Sadie. Would you wear a ring if I bought you one?"
"Yes. I m-mean, uh, an engagement ring?"
"Is there another kind?"
I shrugged. "Promise, I guess, or any ring. A ring can be a ring. I have rings that aren't engagement rings."
"I hope they're not," he said, making me smile again. "What if I did buy you a ring that was an engagement ring? Would you wear that?"
"I would if I was engaged to you." I could feel my cheeks burning.
He thought for a minute. "That's probably something you would want to think about and not do right now."
I tilted my head at him. "Are you telling me that, or asking?"
"I’m asking."
"Oh, no, then."
"No, what?"
"No, I don't need to think about it."
He stared. "So, if I bought a ring right now, you would wear it?"
"If you bought it and asked me to marry you, then, yes, I would wear it."
"Right now?"
I smiled and glanced that way. "I don't even think they're open. But yes. Theoretically, yes. "
"But if we're not talking theoretically," he said, pulling me near to him. He hovered with his mouth only an inch from mine. We tasted like cotton candy, and I smiled as I leaned in and kissed him.
"I've never meant any of this theoretically. I don't know why I said that. If you ever decide to buy me a ring, a real ring, not a theoretical one, I would not hesitate to put it on my finger that instant. Whatever moment you buy it and give it to me, that's the moment I'll wear it."
"That would translate to our lives changing," he said. "We would be telling people about it when we get back."
"Ethan would need to know," I said.
"Yes."
"Would he want that?" I asked.
"Would he want you to be his mom?" John-Michael asked, making me experience a wave of anticipation as I waited for him to continue. "Yes. He would love that, actually. He mentioned it to me several times already. Sadie, what, are you okay? Don't… why are you crying?"
I could do nothing to stop the tears when he said that. I thought of that baby asking about me, and I just was so full of joy that I could not take it. I could not contain it.
"I'm sorry. (I wiped at the tears as they actively fell.) It's happiness. I'm happy. I'm going to be good to him, John-Michael. I promise I'm going to be good. "
He hugged me and then he pulled back and kissed me. He kissed my cheeks where my tears had fallen and then he kissed my mouth. "You are good, Sadie."
"I know, but I just want you to know… that I'll be good… I'll be accountable. I love you both."
"I think it's safe to say we feel the same way."
"You love me?" I asked.
He made a little sound, deep and low in his chest. "So much."
My eyes were still wet, and I blinked, taking in the stinging physical sensation. "These are happy tears," I said, wiping at my cheek.
" Hey, excuse me! " John-Michael yelled, and I was close to him, so it startled me. I jumped. "Are you still open?" he called.
"We just closed!" It was a lady at the jewelry store, and she had come outside to take in a chalkboard wooden sign that was propped in front of the store.
John-Michael took my hand and started walking that way. "Do you want one?" he asked, quickly and quietly to me as we began to walk towards her.
"Yes," I assured him.
He held a finger out to the lady. "We would like to buy just one item from you. We won't take long at all."
She scanned our appearance as we approached. "Only if it's an engagement ring," she said to us with a smile .
"It is," he easily agreed.
She looked stunned. "It is? Really? I was going to let you shop either way."
"It is an engagement ring," he said.
She gave us a huge grin. "Oh, well, in that case, congratulations and come on in." She stepped back and held the door as we walked inside.
The jewelry store on the boardwalk happened to have the world's most perfect, round, solitaire engagement ring.
Fifteen minutes later, it was sized to fit and resting on my finger.
I went back to Raleigh with a ring on my hand and John-Michael Kennedy on my arm.
I had Ethan, too, and the three of us would definitely live happily ever after.
The End