Epilogue
“The cat tree should go over there, in front of that window,” Diana’s mother said, pointing in that direction.
Wordlessly, Amil carried the heavy contraption as if it weighed nothing, which should not surprise Diana.
He carried her like she weighed nothing, and she definitely weighed more than that pile of wood and carpet.
Diana tried to walk by with a box in her arms, but Mom caught her by the elbow and whispered, “He’s definitely a keeper.”
Yeah, she was aware. She smiled and continued toward the kitchen, where her sister was unpacking dishes and stacking them in the cupboard. Amil’s dishes he had trucked up here from California, because hers were secondhand and not nearly as cute.
Who knew the guy was secretly into matching dishes?
Diana placed the box on the table and tugged the cardboard lid free. Toaster, knife block, silverware. Check.
Her sister touched her sleeve. Diana glanced over and arched a brow.
“I’m proud of you, sis,” she said. “You broke the curse.”
She couldn’t help the grin that curled into her cheeks.
Yeah, she had.
Impulsively, she pulled her sister into a hug, then pushed her to arm’s length. This smile was smaller, more personal. “You can too. Just listen to your heart. I mean really listen.”
Kendra nodded. “I want to. I really do.”
They hugged again. A knock on the door made them pull apart, and Diana headed to see who was here.
Patches and Lazlo darted past, racing toward the cat tree.
She and Amil met at the tiny entry. “Hey, beautiful,” he said.
She scoffed and blew an errant curl off her forehead.
“Trust me,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. “You’re beautiful.”
She decided to believe him. He generally didn’t steer her wrong.
He tugged the door open. His parents stood on the threshold.
“Hi,” Diana said brightly. “It’s so nice to see you again.”
His mother arched a single brow, one side of her lips lifting. “It certainly is.” She offered the aluminum container in her hands. “Baklava. Turkish baklava.”
“Thank you.” Diana accepted the gift while Amil hugged his parents.
“You too,” his dad said, waggling his fingers.
Diana obligingly handed off the baking dish to Amil so she could hug first his father and then his mother. “I knew you were special when we met you,” his mother proclaimed, holding her face for a few extra moments before finally freeing her.
Diana cleared her throat. “Um, my mom is here too. And my sister.”
Amil’s mother clapped her hands. “Oh, good. I can’t wait to meet them. Oh, wait.” She slipped an insulated bag off her husband’s shoulder. “We brought wine. Rosé. It should still be cold.”
Diana was reasonably certain she was going to like Amil’s parents. Very much.
Two guys from the moving company darkened the doorway, carrying a gigantic television between them. Diana and Amil’s parents edged out of the way while Amil said, “Over here, guys,” and led them into the living room.
This condo, which had both of their names on the deed, was a huge step up from the tiny one she had just sold. For one thing, it was more than three times the square footage. And had a gorgeous view of the river and the mountains beyond downtown Portland.
And it was exactly what she and Amil both wanted.
They’d been together, officially, for two months now, and the only argument they’d had was whether to install a clawfoot tub in this new place.
Which really hadn’t been an argument. She hadn’t cared what sort of bathing facility was in their new bathroom, so long as she could get clean when she needed to.
Amil, however, had grown quite attached to the clawfoot tub in their previous condo. Or, more accurately, he was quite fond of the things they did together in that tub.
So a new clawfoot tub was getting installed after the holidays.
Okay, yes, Diana couldn’t wait.
Another knock on the door sent her hurrying through the kitchen.
“Housewarming gift,” Emma practically shouted when Diana opened the door. She held a giant rectangular object in her hands. It was covered with a drop cloth.
Before she could step inside, the door across the hall swung open and Callahan came into view. His hair stuck up every which way—more than usual—his perpetual five o’clock shadow had turned into two days’ worth of growth, and his eyes were bloodshot.
And he wasn’t wearing a shirt, which Diana simply appreciated from an aesthetic point of view, whereas Emma’s mouth had fallen open and she was gawking.
“Can you keep it down? Some of us are trying to sleep,” he snapped before yawning so widely his jaw creaked. He rubbed his eye and then reached up to grab the doorframe, his biceps standing out in stark relief.
“It’s one o’clock in the afternoon,” Emma pointed out. Her gaze was glued to his bulging arm. “Even at my most hungover, I don’t sleep that late.”
“Yeah, well, some of us don’t party as hard as you do on the regular,” Callahan snipped back.
“Touché,” Emma replied. “Do you want to see the housewarming gift I got for Diana and Amil?”
“No. I want to go back to sleep.” With that, he retreated into his condo and slammed the door.
Emma blinked at Diana. “What was that about?”
Diana ushered her inside and closed the door. “He’s trying to dump his girlfriend, and it isn’t going well.”
“How is it not going well? You just tell them you don’t want to be with them anymore. End of story.”
Amil stepped into the kitchen and gave Diana a peck on the cheek before taking the bulky gift from Emma. “Hopefully, Diana will never know what that’s like.”
She beamed, not even remotely frightened by the prospect that she would never, ever again have to join the dating pool. Not that she ever did in the first place. She’d gone from one-and-done to this-is-definitely-forever.
And she was so happy, she could hardly stop smiling about it.
“Ugh, you two are so disgusting,” Emma said, although there was no heat in her words. “Here, let me unwrap it and show you what I think you should hang right over there.” She pointed at the wide expanse of blank wall directly across from the fireplace.
And then she tugged off the canvas cover, revealing a black-and-white thirty-by-sixty inch photograph of Diana and Amil.
She’d taken it after the Patriots game. Amil had tweaked his ankle and ended up sitting out for the fourth quarter.
When the game ended, Diana headed down to greet him, to check on him, to give him a hug.
He’d been sitting on the bench at the time, and she stepped between his legs, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and rested her cheek on top of his curly hair.
He had laid his head against her chest and closed his eyes.
He looked utterly at peace.
“It’s stunning,” Diana said, her voice breathy, her eyes, weirdly, watery.
“Isn’t it?” Emma agreed.
Amil chuckled. “Thank you, Emma. It’s a great gift.”
Another knock on the door revealed Dante and Allison, carrying a stack of pizza boxes, a food group that was normally off-limits during the season, but today they were making exceptions.
Jillian and Pedro showed up a short time later, laden with wine and seltzers. Royce and Morgan arrived with more food and a bottle of champagne, which they told Diana and Amil to save for later, when they were alone.
Gunnar and Ben arrived with a vegetable platter and a new set of kitchen towels. Jalen wandered over from down the hall and gave them both hugs and informed them that his housewarming gift was to take Amil to his place to play video games whenever Diana got sick of him.
She didn’t tell him that she doubted she’d ever get sick of Amil.
Broderick and Kate could only stay for a short time because she had a doctor’s appointment to confirm her pregnancy.
That elicited a raucous cheer that ultimately dragged Callahan out of his condo and across the hall, where he chugged a seltzer and inhaled two slices of pizza before even saying hello to anyone.
He then wandered over to stand in front of the giant photograph Pedro and Jalen were attempting to hang, and muttered, “She can even make Amil look hot.”
Diana didn’t bother pointing out that Amil was hotter than even Emma’s extensive skills behind the camera could ever capture.
Diana could not be happier. She’d found her true love. And Amil found the family he always wanted.
They’d found each other.
And she could not wait to spend the rest of their lives together.
Thank you for reading!
Flip the page to read the first chapter of The Kicker, Callahan’s story!