Epilogue
Celeste
After two weeks of the love of her life being gone to attend interviews in New York and have meetings with collectors who couldn't get enough of her work, Celeste would have agreed to anything.
She missed Ruby with an ache that hadn't diminished even slightly over the past six months.
If anything, it had gotten worse. Every night Ruby was away felt wrong, like Celeste was missing a limb.
It had been really easy to get used to waking up with Ruby's arm thrown across her waist and hearing her singing off-key in the shower.
Her phone buzzed.
Ruby: Are you on your way?
Celeste: Just parking. Be there in two minutes.
Ruby: Can't wait to see you.
Celeste smiled, touching up her lipstick in the visor mirror. She'd left work early to go home and get ready. Now she wore an emerald dress Ruby loved, the one that made her eyes look darker.
Her hair was curled and pinned up, and from her body hung trails of the perfume Ruby had bought her last month, a scent so intoxicating it made Ruby bury her face in Celeste's neck every time she wore it.
The twins were at her parents' house for the night, which they'd been thrilled about.
Luna wanted to show Nonna the new sketches she'd been working on—her artistic talent had only grown in the past six months, particularly with Ruby's encouragement and patient instruction.
And Theo wanted Nonno to help him with his model rocket, a more advanced one that Ruby had bought him during one of her trips.
Ruby had moved in officially three months ago, though in practice she'd been living with them since that day at the airport.
She'd rented a studio space downtown where she worked on her pieces, but she came home every evening to help with homework, make dinner, and tell ridiculous stories that had the twins in stitches.
She'd fit into their lives as if she'd always been there.
The kids adored her, partly because she was fun and playful in a way Celeste sometimes struggled to be, and partly because Ruby made the best cookies and cupcakes in existence.
Theo had declared her “the best second mom ever” after she'd stayed up with him all night when he had the flu, and Luna had started calling her “Mama Ruby” without anyone prompting her.
Celeste's heart still melted every time she heard it.
She locked the car and walked toward the restaurant, her stomach fluttering with anticipation. Two weeks was way too long to be separated from the one she loved.
The moment she pushed open the door, Celeste knew something was different.
The restaurant was not crowded with patrons as usual.
Every table was bare, every chair pushed in perfectly, except for the center of the room where candles flickered on every available surface. Flowers spilled from vases, roses with varying shades of white and red, and soft music played from somewhere, instrumental and achingly romantic.
And in the middle of it all stood Ruby.
She wore a suit—deep navy with a crisp white shirt, tailored perfectly to her frame. Her blonde hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, and her eyes were bright with emotion and tightly strung nerves.
But it was what flanked her that made Celeste's breathing cease.
Theo and Luna stood on either side of Ruby, both dressed up and grinning like they knew the world's best secret. They held a hand-painted sign between them, Luna's careful lettering spelling out “Say Yes!” with Theo's enthusiastic stars and rockets decorating the borders.
Behind them, gathered like witnesses at the most important trial of Celeste's life, were her parents. Then there were Braden and Jackson, both beaming. Her siblings—when had Lauretta and Enzo flown in? She'd talked to them just yesterday and they hadn't mentioned anything.
Vittoria sat in a chair, her expression soft and encouraging.
Wesley had come directly from the office, given that he was still in his work clothes.
Ruby's mother Renee and her brother Ronan stood together with wide grins on their faces, next to Mary Norwood who was already dabbing at her face with a handkerchief.
Everyone she loved, gathered in one room.
Celeste's mouth fell open as Ruby stepped forward, her hands visibly trembling.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
“So.” Ruby began. “I know we've only been together six months. Which, according to lesbian math, is basically forever but also somehow not nearly enough time.”
A ripple of laughter from their audience. Celeste couldn't look away from Ruby's face.
“When I met you—well, re-met you—l was running,” Ruby continued, her voice stronger now. “Running from my own potential, my fears, from anything that might hurt me. And you were hiding. We were both so scared of being ourselves.”
Celeste nodded in agreement, not wanting to interrupt Ruby’s speech.
“But loving you changed everything. It’s the easiest, most natural thing I've ever done. You challenge me to be braver. You let me be spontaneous and chaotic while still keeping me grounded. You've given me a home I didn't know I needed this much.”
Ruby glanced at Theo and Luna, who were practically vibrating with excitement.
“And these two, they've taught me what it means to be part of a family. The kind you choose and build together.” She looked back at Celeste, her face communicating far more than words could say. “I want to spend the rest of my life making you laugh and pushing you gently out of your comfort zone.”
Ruby reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Then she dropped to one knee, and Celeste heard her mother gasp.
“Celeste Russo,” Ruby said, opening the box to reveal a ring that caught the candlelight, platinum with a single diamond, simple and perfect. “Will you marry me?”
The restaurant was so quiet Celeste could hear her own heartbeat and Theo breathing heavily with excitement.
“Yes!” The word burst freely from her lips, requiring no prodding. “A thousand times yes.”
Ruby rose so fast she nearly dropped the box in her urge to slip the ring onto Celeste's finger.
The metal was cool against her skin, a promise made tangible.
Then they were kissing and everyone was applauding and cheering.
Theo and Luna were jumping up and down yelling “She said yes! She said yes!”
And Celeste couldn't stop smiling, couldn't process any of it except that Ruby loved her enough to do this, officially asking to spend forever together.
“It's about time,” Braden called out over the noise. “You know what they say about lesbians—U-Haul on the first date, married by six months.”
“We waited a dignified three weeks before I moved in,” Ruby said, not taking her eyes off Celeste. “That's practically Victorian-era courtship by lesbian standards.”
“So restrained,” Jackson added, his arm around Braden. “Such self-control.”
Celeste made a sound of delight, pulling Ruby close. “I can't believe you did all this. How and when did you…”
“I had plenty of help.” Ruby gestured to the room. “The twins designed the sign. Your mom coordinated everyone's schedules, which was apparently a logistical nightmare. And I may have called in a few favors to rent out the entire restaurant.”
“A few favors meaning her paintings are now hanging in the owner's personal collection,” Ronan called out. “My sister is a shameless flatterer when she wants something.”
“It's called networking,” Ruby shot back, grinning.
Theo and Luna crashed into them and Celeste knelt, pulling them into a proper hug. Ruby joined them on the floor despite the expensive suit.
“So Ruby's officially our second mom now?” Theo asked, his face pressed against Celeste's shoulder.
“If that's okay with you,” Ruby said, reaching over to ruffle his hair.
“Are you kidding? You're really fun and you help with my rocket and you let me stay up late sometimes when Mom says no.”
“I don't let you stay up that late,” Ruby protested.
“Late enough,” Theo said sagely. “And you didn't even get mad that time when I was sick and threw up on your favorite shirt.”
“That shirt was a casualty of war. It died with honor.”
Luna, ever the practical one, was examining Celeste's ring. “It's beautiful. Did you design it yourself?”
Ruby stroked Luna's head tenderly. “I had help from a jeweler, but I picked the style. I wanted something that felt like your mom, elegant and timeless.”
“It's perfect,” Luna pronounced. “You're perfect for each other.”
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of champagne—sparkling cider for the twins—and toasts that made Celeste cry all over again.
Her father gave a speech about how he'd never seen her this happy.
While Lauretta and Enzo told embarrassing childhood stories, Vittoria beckoned them over and simply said, “My darling girls, be happy.”
Ruby pulled Celeste aside at one point, leading her to a quieter corner where the noise of celebration was muted.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
She played with Celeste’s fingers, the ring catching the light. “We never did finish our time at the festival.”
“No, we didn't.”
“I think we should attend it again and finish what we started. See all the art we missed and dance until our feet hurt.”
“Next year,” Celeste promised. “We'll go back and do it right this time.”
“It’s a date.”
Much later, after dinner and more congratulations than Celeste could count, they finally made it home. The twins were sleeping over at her parents' house, giving them the night to themselves.
“Missed you,” Celeste murmured as they entered the bedroom, her hands working at the buttons of that beautiful suit jacket. “So much.”
“I missed you too. Every night I was gone, I just wanted to come home to you.”
Celeste pushed Ruby onto the bed and kissed her deeply, tasting herself on Ruby's lips. “I want to try something I've been thinking about.”
“What?” Ruby's voice was laced with anticipation.