Epilogue
brADY
The ring I bought has been burning a hole in the bottom of my suitcase ever since I hid it in a black pouch in the bottom of my toiletries kit.
Now that we’re finally here, in England, seeing the country that has symbolized so much for Sage—both good and bad—for so long, I feel the weight of it more than ever.
It’s hard to not constantly be patting the chest pocket of my jacket where I’ve tucked it away for later.
I want this trip to be magical for her. I want it to be more than she ever hoped it could be, a way to heal the wounds of teenage Sage, who had to give up everything to care for her dying mother.
And to heal adult Sage, who had her life turned upside down, yet again, in the best possible way when we unknowingly created our mini-hurricane.
To make that happen, I need today to go off without a hitch. We slept in this morning, and had a lazy breakfast in bed so we could call back home and see our baby girl when she wakes up.
Only problem is, Sage doesn’t want to get off the phone, which is kind of necessary if we’re ever going to leave this hotel room.
“Oh Ivy, is that banana delicious?” Sage coos at the screen, and I hear our daughter giggle and babble in return. Then there’s a familiar wet, squishing sound.
“Aw, thanks for that, Sage,” Blair moans. “Now she’s mashed her breakfast everywhere.”
Sage laughs. “I warned you, she likes to play with her food.”
“It’s a good thing you’re so cute, missy,” my little sister mutters.
I move over to the bed where Sage is sitting and drop down beside her. Ivy shrieks as soon as she sees my face, and I grin. “Hey, baby girl. Be good for Auntie B.”
Ivy just babbles some more, slapping her hands down several times, right on top of the mess of soft food in front of her. I grin even wider, knowing I’m not the one who has to clean her up.
“Have fun with bath time,” I say with a chuckle. “But Sage and I need to get going. Love you, Ivy girl.”
Sage blows kisses and says her own goodbyes to Ivy before the phone pans to my sister, who’s looking at us with an arched brow.
“Do I get a goodbye? An I love you? Anything?”
“We love you Blair, thank you for looking after our girl,” Sage says with a warm smile.
“Yeah, love you, B. Talk tomorrow, okay?” I know I sound impatient, and well, it’s because I am.
“Fine. Love you five-ever. Me and Ivy are just fine. Say bye-bye.” She pans back to Ivy, lifting her chubby hand up in a wave.
I have to physically remove the phone from Sage’s hands to stop her from waving and blowing kisses and finally hang up.
“Let’s go, little mama. London awaits.”
“Okay, okay.” Sage stands up and walks over to our suitcases. “Is my rain jacket in your bag?”
“I think so.”
Seconds later, I hear a snort of laughter. “Oh my God, Brady.” She turns around, holding my baseball glove in her hand. “Seriously? You brought your glove?”
I shrug. “What?”
Sage just rolls her eyes. “We’re in England, Brady. Are you planning to play catch in front of Buckingham Palace?”
“If I can get one of the guards with the fuzzy hats to join me, sure. Why not?”
“First of all, I think that might be some major faux pas to even talk about. They’ve got some crazy strict rules. Second of all, do the Brits even know what baseball is?”
I pretend to act wounded. “Of course, they do. Baseball is universal.”
Sage giggles again, then returns my glove to the bag and grabs her rain jacket instead. “Okay, let’s go and explore.”
Hand in hand, we set off from the elegant hotel we managed to score one hell of a deal to stay at. The classic brick facade and tall white columns that bracket the entrance made Sage gasp with delight when we arrived yesterday evening.
For the next few hours, we just wander, exploring different parts of the city.
The air is crisp, with the last of the autumn leaves falling around us.
There’s no real plan for today, except for my end game.
We grab coffee and pastries at a bakery close to the hotel and walk to Buckingham Palace to see the famous guards.
Then we hop on a bright red double-decker bus for a quick tour. Sage’s smile never fades as she sees the city she’s dreamed of for so long, at last.
After lunch at a pub, I know it’s finally time. Trying to not be obvious about it, I casually guide us toward the river’s edge.
“Do you want to ride that?” I ask Sage, gesturing toward the towering London Eye, which if you ask me, is just a Ferris wheel on steroids.
“Nah, not today, too jet-lagged,” she replies, followed by a big yawn. “Let’s just take it easy.”
She nestles into my side and I kiss the top of her head as we continue our stroll. With it being late October, the city isn’t as packed with tourists as I imagine it can be.
“I still can’t believe I’m finally here,” Sage says softly when we come to a stop at Westminster Bridge. Big Ben’s clock face stands in front of us. I know we’re meant to admire it. But honestly? It’s a clock. My attention is on the stunning woman beside me. And the question I’m about to ask.
“I’m happy we’re here, too.”
“My mom would’ve loved this so much.” Sage turns her face up to look at me. “She would’ve loved you.”
My thumb draws circles on her shoulder as I dip my head down and kiss her. There are no words to say. This trip is as much for us as it is for Sage’s mom, who never got to be here with her daughter.
I can only hope she approves of what I’ve got planned next.
The weather cooperates, with the golden glow of the sun illuminating the city, as we lean against the railing of the bridge, looking out over the water.
Sage pulls out her phone to take yet another photo, and I know this is the moment. I step back and drop down to one knee.
“Sage.”
She turns, and the second she sees the ring in my outstretched fingers, she gasps, covering her mouth with her hand that’s still clutching her phone.
Chuckling, I gently take it from her and shove it in my pocket, then I take her hand in mine and press a kiss to the back of it.
“Sage McCallister, you are the best thing to ever happen to me. Before we met, I was lost without even knowing it. Then you came into my life, spouting facts about unicorns, and suddenly, I was found. It might have taken me a while to realize I could be the man you deserve, but you believed I could. And that was reason enough for me to try. You’ve given me so much, Hurricane.
A family and a reason to dream bigger than I ever have.
And there’s nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret it. So, will you marry me?”
“Brady…” She nods, laughing through tears. “Yes. Of course, yes.” She drops down to her knees, taking my face and pulling me in for a kiss.
I pull back, crying tears of my own, and slide the ring onto her finger with shaky hands before standing and lifting her straight into my arms.
“I love you so much,” I say, my voice catching.
Sage pulls her head back, and the look she gives me is pure and true.
“I love you, too. With everything I am, I love you. Forever, five-ever, always.”
Thank you for reading The Curveball!