Epilogue 1 – A Year Later
KYLE
It’s been a year since Elodie and I first crossed paths at that little bookstore in town. A year since she made me see that there’s more to life than just words on paper or contracts and deadlines. More than just fame and success. More than being a writer. More than anything I thought I knew about myself.
Today, we’re at her parents’ house, surrounded by the noise and warmth of her family. It’s just another Sunday dinner but the air of Valentine’s Day is apparent with roses decorating the living room and kitchen, a heart banner, and little red heart decorations in every corner. Her parents, her siblings, nieces, nephews, they’re all here, filling the house with chatter and laughter. Even my sister Celia and my parents are here. It’s exactly the kind of life I never expected to be so happy to be a part of.
I’m leaning against the doorframe, doing as I’m told and staying out of the way, watching Elodie as she moves around the room, effortlessly engaging with everyone. She’s wearing a soft smile, the kind that’s so natural and comfortable, like she was always meant to be the heartbeat of this place. Her parents, both beaming at her from across the room, couldn’t be prouder of their daughter if they tried.
And me? Well, I’m a little overwhelmed, to be honest. At first, I was nervous about fitting in with all of them, her close-knit family, her roots, the life that seemed so foreign to me. But as the months have passed, I’ve realized something. I fit. I belong.
And none of this is temporary.
I’m not temporary.
I may have started as an outsider, just the guy who wrote books, who never really wanted a family of his own, never really understood the appeal of Sunday dinners with loud conversations and homemade food, but now? Now I can’t imagine anything else.
Elodie walks across the dining room with a bowl of mashed potatoes in one hand and a tray of garlic bread in the other, effortlessly juggling it all with that smile of hers. She’s talking to her dad about something, her voice light, teasing. They have this whole thing about which one of them makes the best mashed potatoes, an ongoing competition that never ends, but it’s all good fun.
I feel my heart swell just watching her.
She glances my way for a split second, her lips curving into a smile when she spots me leaning against the counter. I can’t resist it, I flash her a grin, and she winks back at me.
She’s always been the kind of woman who sees straight through me. The real me. Not the writer or the billionaire or any of the other things people think they know about me. She sees the man who loves her. And I see her, the woman who makes me feel like the best version of myself.
I take a deep breath, pushing my hands into the pockets of my jeans as the weight of what I’m about to do hits me all at once. It’s time.
I’m going to do it.
I’ve been planning this for weeks, working with her family, figuring out how to make this moment perfect. Today isn’t just about another family dinner, it’s about the next step. And it’s about making sure she knows just how serious I am, just how much I want to spend the rest of my life with her.
I push myself off the wall, standing a little straighter. I glance over at Elodie, who’s talking animatedly with her brother, and my heart skips a beat. I never could have predicted this. I never could have imagined a life like this. But here we are.
I take a deep breath. It’s now or never.
I tap my glass with a fork, and the room immediately goes silent. The clinking sound echoes, grabbing everyone’s attention. Elodie’s head snaps around, her eyes wide with surprise as she notices everyone’s gaze is now on me.
“Kyle, what’s going on?” she asks, her voice full of confusion and curiosity. She’s trying to keep it casual, but I can see the slight nervousness in her eyes. She knows me well enough to recognize that I’m up to something.
“Elodie…” I start, my voice unexpectedly thick with emotion. “You know, when we first met, I wasn’t exactly looking for… well, any of this.” I gesture around the room, to her family, to the dinner table full of laughter, to this life I’ve stepped into, head first and wholeheartedly. “I wasn’t looking for love.”
I pause, letting my words settle in. I can see the flicker of recognition in her eyes, the way she remembers that first moment when we met in the bookstore. She’s probably thinking about how I wasn’t a fan of this whole ‘love’ thing back then. How we started off with so many questions, so much uncertainty.
“But then I met you,” I continue, my voice steady now. “And, well… everything changed.”
I feel a lump in my throat, but I swallow it down. I’m not going to back out of this. Not this time.
“I thought I had everything figured out,” I admit, looking directly at her, my gaze unwavering. “That I was fine with my career, my success, my… my solo life.” I chuckle softly, shaking my head. “But the truth is, I was completely wrong. I didn’t know what I was missing. Until I met you.”
She looks at me, her eyes softening, and I know she’s holding back the tears. I can see her hand trembling slightly, but she doesn’t look away.
“You’ve changed everything for me, Elodie,” I say, my heart pounding with emotion. “You’re better than any female character I could write. You make me better than any book boyfriend could ever be. You are real. You are everything. And you’ve made me want more than just a story… You’ve made me want a life with you. A life full of real moments, real love, and real connection.
“And, so, I’m standing here today,” I go on, my voice a little shaky now, “because I can’t imagine my life without you. I don’t want to. You’re not a temporary character in some fleeting chapter of my life. You’re the one I want by my side, for every page, for every moment. You’ve already made me a better man, and I don’t think I could ever say that enough.”
I pull the diamond from my pocket. The weight of it heavier than normal, and the small box that holds everything I’ve been holding in my heart for the last year. I open it, revealing the sparkling ring that has been sitting with me for far too long.
Elodie’s breath catches in her throat, her hands covering her mouth in disbelief. I grin at her, feeling the warmth of her gaze wash over me.
“Elodie Mathews…” I say, kneeling in front of her, every word filled with sincerity. “Will you marry me? Will you make me the happiest man in the world and share this life with me, forever?”
The room is dead silent. The air between us crackles with anticipation, and I feel like I can hear every single heartbeat in the room. And then, after what feels like an eternity, she finally speaks.
“Yes,” she says, her voice a soft, breathless whisper. “Yes, Kyle. Of course, yes.”
The room erupts in applause. Her family is cheering, clapping, and some are even wiping away tears. But all I can hear, all I can focus on, is her.
I slide the ring onto her finger, and when I stand up, she pulls me into a tight embrace, her arms around my neck. She presses her face against my chest, the warmth of her tears soaking through my shirt.
“I love you,” she whispers. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” I murmur, holding her even tighter. “And I’ll spend every day for the rest of my life making sure you never regret this decision.”
I know now, without a doubt, that this is where I’m meant to be. With her. Always. And no matter what happens, no matter where our story takes us next, I know we’ll be together. Forever.
It’s the happiest chapter of my life. The one I’ve always wanted. The one I’ll write with her.