Epilogue
EPILOGUE
ALEX
T oday is a big day – and that’s saying something when I think about how many “big things” have happened in the last year, from new babies to job changes.
It turns out that nobody had to move to California. Not thirty seconds after Nora and I declared our love for each other in Maddy’s kitchen, Chris said, “I think you’re asking the wrong question.” Chris is pretty quiet, so when he speaks, the family usually listens.
He proceeded to tell us that contract negotiation is a normal part of any business and outlined a revised filming schedule just off the top of his head that would make it possible for us to live in Nashville and make several trips to California to shoot episodes in batches. I guess he deals with negotiations at work a lot.
After I got over feeling like a complete idiot for not thinking of that myself, we got to work drafting a response that included those changes. After several days of back and forth, the network agreed. So now, Nora and I fly west for a few days a month, and I work remotely during that time around the filming schedule. Season one of From Couch to Potatoes was such a hit that we’ve already started filming season two.
Nora was able to quit her job at the restaurant and now spends her days developing new recipes and forwarding sponsorship and collaboration requests to the network. She also re-enrolled in culinary school after learning that the administration went through a major overhaul not long after she was expelled. She’s acing her classes and comes over every weekend with new cooking techniques to try out in my kitchen.
I’ve learned a lot over the course of all those cooking lessons myself, and tonight I’m putting my skills to good use.
I bend down to look inside the oven and check the progress of my gruyere-topped artisan toast. The cheese is bubbly so I pull it out and set it aside. I’ve already ladled two bowls of French onion soup and drizzled two plates of spring greens with the vinaigrette I mixed a few minutes ago.
I look at my watch again and bounce on my toes. Nora should be here any minute, so I slide the toast into the soup and carry the bowls to the dining room table, which is set with cloth napkins I borrowed from Maddy, two vanilla-coffee-scented candles, and a small bouquet of lavender stems in a glass vase.
I set the bowls down and nearly hit the ceiling when I turn around to find Nora standing right behind me.
“You’re silent as death,” I say, with a hand over my pumping heart. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Sorry,” she giggles, leaning in for a kiss. “What’s all this?”
I open my mouth to say something glib, like “Can’t a guy make his girlfriend a fancy dinner?” but I swallow that comment. I’d planned to do this after we’d enjoyed a romantic dinner together, but now that she’s here in front of me, I can’t wait.
I take her left hand in both of mine and slowly lower to one knee. Her free hand jumps up to cover her gasp as she stares at me with wide eyes.
“Rose, I think you know this by now, but I would follow you across the country—across the world. You have brought so much joy into my life and chased away the loneliness. You’ve taught me and challenged me and accepted me. And most of all, you’ve loved me. We spend a ton of time together, and yet somehow, it’s never enough. You’re my best friend, and I’m desperately hoping you might agree to become my wife so that I can spend even more time with you. Will you marry me, Rose?”
She leans down to press her lips to mine in a tender kiss that makes my heart swell until it feels like my chest might explode.
“Yes,” she whispers against my mouth. “I will marry you, Xander.”
I stand and bring my mouth down on hers, deepening the kiss and reveling in her response. After a moment, I pull back, getting ahold of myself.
“I haven’t even given you your ring yet,” I tell her, admiring the way her pink lips are swollen from my kiss. I tuck my hand into my pocket and pull out a velvet box.
“Oh!” she exclaims as I open it. “It’s perfect.”
I free the ring from the box and slide it onto her finger. She lifts her hand to admire the oval-cut amethyst on a slim, rose-gold band that Annie and Maddy helped me pick out. Her cheeks are flushed with pleasure, and I’m proud to think that the happy smile on her face is my doing.
I really can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with this woman.
I lift my hand to cup her cheek, preparing to pull her to me and pick up where we left off, when my phone buzzes, startling both of us. I withdraw my phone to silence it, especially when I see it’s just Maddy. My guess is she’s calling to see if I’ve asked her yet, and while I’ll be happy to share my news in an hour or two, right now I just want to savor the moment.
I toss my phone onto the table and lean in again, only to hear Nora’s phone this time. She smiles sheepishly and pulls it from her purse. “It’s Maddy again. Do you think it’s an emergency?”
I sigh. My gut says no, but on the off chance that she really does need something, we should probably answer. “Go ahead and see what she wants.”
Nora lifts the phone to her ear. “Hello?” After a moment, she offers the phone to me with an amused smile. “It’s for you.”
I can barely contain my annoyance as I take the phone. “What is it, Maddy?”
“Is that any way to talk to your sister? I was just calling to see if you’ve asked her yet.”
“Yes,” I say through gritted teeth.
“And what did she say?” Maddy gasps. “Did she turn you down? Is that why you’re in such a bad mood?”
“She said yes, and I’m only in a bad mood because you’re interrupting a very important romantic evening.”
Maddy’s squeal nearly bursts my eardrum and I yank the phone away from my ear, glaring at it before hanging up on her and silencing the device. I grab my phone too and stride into the kitchen, depositing both of them into a drawer.
Nora is watching me with sparkling eyes and an adorable smile as I stalk back to her. I twine my hands into her hair and brush a string of kisses along her jawline, stopping to hover over her lips. “Now, where were we?”
“I think we were about to eat dinner,” she whispers back. “I’m starving.”
I laugh and pull her into my chest for a hug, then lead her to the dining room. It’s fitting that it all began and ends with the same thing—a love of good food.
When I pull out her chair for her, she sees my second surprise in the seat and picks it up. It’s our new kitchen contract, the one I revised. I had it put in a gold frame with pressed lavender artfully arranged under the edges of the glass.
“That was in case you turned me down,” I tell her with a wink. “I was going to use it to remind you that you are contractually obligated to be ‘a continued presence in my life.’”
She rolls her eyes and gives me a playful smile. “Well, I guess you have kept up your end of the bargain. My fountain of iced coffee never runs dry.”
I press a kiss to her forehead. “I promise to keep that fountain flowing for the rest of your life, Rose.”