Epilogue
Two years later…
I sat on the couch sort of reading, but really just waiting for Jamie, Bobby, and Tyler to return. They went to Brooklyn this morning to get the last of Jamie’s clothes. After two years of ping-ponging back and forth between my house and his, he’s moving here permanently.
Eileen and Michael are buying his house. They want it as is, furniture and all, so Jamie didn’t have much to move. But it made me smile when the boys volunteered to go with him today.
Sometimes it amazes me how much has changed in the past two years. Jamie has become such an integral part of my life and has seamlessly blended into the family. The kids adore him, and he and Rob have become good friends.
Also in that time, Courtney and Emily moved to Philadelphia. They’ve both secured great jobs and the fact that they share an apartment makes me slightly less nervous that they’re living in the city. Bobby is still at Penn State, but now he’s working on his master’s degree. And Tyler got a baseball scholarship to the University of Virginia and he’ll be heading there in August.
Soon, I’ll officially be an empty nester. It’s bittersweet, but I was determined to view it positively and embrace the next phase of my life with Jamie.
The sound of the back door opening pulled me from my reverie. I’d been so lost in thought, I didn’t even hear Jamie’s truck pull into the driveway. I stood just as my guys walked through the kitchen, their arms laden with boxes.
“Do you need help?”
“No, this is it,” Jamie said.
He gave me a quick kiss as he walked by on the way to the stairs.
Since they’re home, I figured I’d start dinner. Courtney and Emily had surprised me by coming home this weekend. They surprised me even more by saying they’re staying in tonight. Since the kids will all be home, I decided to make their favorite, breaded chicken strips with mac and cheese.
Grabbing a pot from the cupboard, I filled it with water, added a handful of salt, and placed it on the stove. I just opened the refrigerator to retrieve the chicken breasts I’d bought earlier when Bobby and Tyler came downstairs.
“Mom, Jamie needs you upstairs,” Bobby said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
I closed the refrigerator door and pointed at the stove.
“Add the pasta to the water if it starts boiling.”
He nodded and went to join Tyler on the couch.
I made my way up to the bedroom. As I stepped inside, I looked around, confused. The room was bathed in soft candlelight and Jamie stood in the center. When he’d come up here just minutes ago, he’d been wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Now, he looks ridiculously handsome in a pair of navy dress pants and a blue and white checked button-down shirt. Of course, he has the sleeves rolled up showing off his muscular forearms because he knows I think it’s sexy as hell.
“What's going on?” I asked, my heart racing.
Jamie crossed the room and took my hands in his.
“Sophie, these past two years have been the happiest of my life.” His voice cracked on that last word, and he paused to clear his throat. “You and your incredible kids have become my family, my home. I’ve watched Tyler grow, shared laughs with Courtney, Emily, and Bobby, and felt more love than I ever thought I deserved. I can’t imagine my life without you, and I want to spend every moment showing you just how much you mean to me.”
My breath caught in my throat as he pulled a small box from his pocket and lowered to one knee. He lifted his gaze to meet mine and opened the box, revealing a gorgeous cushion-cut diamond ring, its band glittering with smaller stones.
“Is this really happening?” I muttered.
He nodded as his mouth curled into a smile.
“Sophie, will you marry me?”
“Yes! Of course, yes!”
Jamie stood and as he slipped the ring onto my finger, the kids burst into the room.
“Congratulations!” they yelled at once.
“You all knew?” I asked, laughing through my tears.
“Are you kidding? We helped plan it!” Courtney exclaimed.
“Jamie asked our permission,” Tyler added, grinning.
“And we helped pick out the ring,” Emily chimed in.
Bobby nodded, smiling. “We wanted to make sure it was perfect for you, Mom.”
Jamie wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close to his side.
“Thank you all for helping me make this moment so special,” he said to the kids.
“We’re just happy you’re making it official,” Courtney said. “Referring to you as my stepfather instead of my mom’s boyfriend sounds much better.”
After the kids had fun throwing out a list of titles for Jamie if we didn’t get married, such as boy toy, love muffin, snuggle bunny, and my favorite hunk-a-doodle, they left us alone.
I turned and circled my arms around Jamie’s waist.
“I still can't believe this is happening. I'm so happy.”
“There’s one more thing,” Jamie said.
“What else could there possibly be?”
“We have about fifty people coming over in two hours for a surprise engagement party.”
“Everyone knew about this?’
“No, that’s why it’s a surprise.”
“I was making chicken strips and mac and cheese, but there won’t be enough for everyone. Maybe we can order pizza or something.”
“There’s a caterer coming in an hour.”
“So I don’t need to do anything?”
“You already did the most important thing by saying yes. If you’d said no, it would be a pretty sad party.”
“As if I’d say no.” I caught sight of myself in the mirror and cringed. “I guess I’d better shower. I’m a mess.”
“You always look beautiful.” Jamie gave me a quick kiss, then stepped back. “But I’ll leave you to shower, change, relax…whatever you want. You have two hours.”
Later that evening, the house buzzed with energy as our friends and family reacted to the news of our engagement. Even the Booths had driven in from New York to join us. Jamie hadn’t told them he was proposing, but Maggie told me she had a hunch when he invited her to come tonight.
My pole ladies clustered around me, their smiles wide. “I told you so!” Anjannette teased, raising her glass. They’d been saying that phrase to me all night. As if they could have predicted a man like Jamie would walk into my life.
“I swear, I’m going to take a drink every time you say that,” I laughed, earning a chorus of cheers and more playful “I told you so's.”
Rob and his family mingled with everyone, his supportive presence a testament to the unique, blended family we’ve built. Seeing him laugh with Jamie across the room made my heart swell with gratitude.
I never thought I'd get married again. But then Jamie came along, and everything felt right. And he’s seamlessly melded into the fabric of my life, enriching it in ways I never imagined.
Jamie walked over, wrapping an arm around my waist, and I leaned into him, savoring the moment. As I stood there with the man I love, surrounded by friends and family, I realized this was the beginning of a beautiful new chapter.
The End