Epilogue Sadie
I’m a bird in the clouds, on top of the world.
This terrace has to be the most serene place on the planet: it’s the crown jewel of our boutique hotel, nestled high in the Swiss Alps, overlooking Lake Lucerne and the entire rim of the surrounding mountains.
The view is breathtaking.
Across the lake, the first rays of sunlight have just started peeking out above the horizon, piercing through the hazy morning sky to cast the world in a pink-orange glow.
I’m stretched out on a lounger, sipping coffee from delicate china, enjoying some much-needed relaxation after the last six months—planning a wedding is no joke!
—and especially after the last few days, which culminated in a night so glittering and magical it will be seared into my memory forever.
Abby was the most wonderful maid of honor, balancing out my extravagant wedding-planning instincts with practical wisdom—and Thorn’s father, who also served as his best man, made everyone cry with his speech.
Matteo flew in from Portland and seems to be in a much better place these days: he’s in culinary school and hopes to open his own restaurant someday, but took a job working for the coffee bros in the meantime.
He and Thorn talk every week—and while they’re still rebuilding after the rift between them, they’re in a better place, too.
We said our vows in Texas under rows of twinkle lights, danced under the stars, and feasted on hors d’oeuvres and cake and champagne.
Thorn’s new boss, Sky Ranger, gave us a substantial deal on the venue—a vineyard he owns in the Hill Country—and I finally met Thorn’s old boss, Danica, too.
She and Thorn might technically be colleagues again soon, even though they’re now based in different states: there’s been talk of a merger between the two tour companies, with Sky Ranger acquiring Danica’s business in a generous deal.
All of that feels so far away, though, like it’s in an entirely different world—it’s utterly silent up here, entirely still.
It’s the perfect place to kick off our honeymoon.
Thorn planned every detail of our itinerary. I told him I trusted him to surprise me—a huge symbol of progress for me and my chronic overplanning ways, if I’m being perfectly honest—and I waited patiently for months, not having a clue where we’d be going until we arrived at our airport gate.
He more than delivered.
Not only did he make arrangements for all of our stops, he put together an actual itinerary for me to flip through on the plane: where we’d be staying, what we’d be doing, why he picked each specific place.
Every single choice blends natural beauty with a sense of adventure, dotted with luxurious touches all along the way—scenic waterfront promenades in Zürich, a helicopter tour and hiking in Zermatt, paragliding in Interlaken, a luxury resort in St. Moritz, and more.
It’s the perfect trip for the two of us, a lovely echo for the way our lives have blended together in the year since that first epic hike we experienced together out in California.
“Sadie,” Thorn says, waving me over. “You’ve gotta try this!”
He’s lounging in the heated infinity pool, taking in the view from one of its built-in bench seats. I set my coffee down on a nearby table, head over to join him.
I strip out of my robe, down to my blazing red bikini. It’s chilly, even for late June, so I’m eager to get in. The water feels practically steamy compared to the crisp morning air.
We’re alone out here, and for a moment it’s easy to pretend we’re the only ones at this entire hotel—maybe in all of Switzerland.
I slip deeper into the water, settle in beside him on the bench. He’s so strong, so handsome, so kind. We’ve laughed together every single day since he moved to Austin—we’ve cried, too, but thankfully not every single day.
My life is so much richer with him in it.
More unpredictable, too.
We have so much adventure ahead of us. Not just the next ten days here in Switzerland—but forever.
I’m eager to get to it: eager to experience everything with him by my side, eager to see more and more of the world through his eyes, eager to see what tomorrow holds.
For now, though, I’m exactly where I need to be.
I lean in close, and he wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me in tight.
We watch the day break, together, and it’s beautiful.