Epilogue #2
“Before you go, I want you to have something. Give me a moment, please.” He stepped into a room off the foyer.
Annie waited, settling the strap of her purse snugly over her shoulder.
He returned a moment later, a small item clutched in his hands.
“I want you to take this.” He pressed a deep, reddish-brown wooden box into her hands, one that looked to be handmade.
Annie took the box, the pad of her thumb running over the intricate branching floral pattern carved into the lid. She flicked it open to reveal a pale pink velvet pillow and a slot for a ring.
“I made that for Diane when I proposed to her.” A restrained fondness flashed across the admiral’s face as he recalled the sentiment behind the item.
“We were kids when we got pregnant with Max. Second-year Naval Academy midshipmen flying by the seat of our pants, figuring out how to exist in the world together, but we were so in love. Diane was my best friend and the love of my life, and that’s exactly the type of love I want you to give my daughter. ”
Stillness pressed around them as Annie listened, touched by the significance of the admiral’s words. “That’s my plan,” she said softly, closing the lid of the box. “Thank you for sharing this with me. I know Max will be really touched.”
The admiral opened the front door as Annie stepped through it. “Good luck with the proposal. Can’t wait to hear how it goes. Have a safe flight.”
Annie waved over her shoulder as she made her way to her car, the humidity clinging to her like plastic wrap once again as her mind worked through the final details of the plan she intended to execute the following day.
MAX
Max blindly reached across the bed, hoping her hand would find her girlfriend, but no luck. She had a vague memory of Annie sneaking into their bedroom last night after getting home late, her flight from DC delayed by thunderstorms. However, where she was presently was a mystery to Max.
The fox-like screech of the apartment’s front door reached her where she lay, the hinges whining in protest. A moment later, a sliver of artificial light cut through the dim room.
“Good morning,” she said, letting Annie know she was awake.
“Oh shoot. I was hoping to be back before you woke up.” She held up the matching ceramic travel tea mugs in her hands, the ones Annie had gotten for them, each monogrammed with their initials.
Max grinned as she sat up, propping herself up against the headboard.
The mattress sank slightly under the addition of Annie’s weight as she leaned in, placing a chaste kiss to her lips.
“I woke up like a few seconds ago. My Annie senses must have been tingling.” She wiggled her eyebrows, reaching out to take the cup with the initials MDM in big loopy letters on it, inhaling deeply, trying to pick up any specific flavor notes.
Annie shook her head. “You’re never going to guess it.”
“You want to put money on that?”
“No, but I will wager one deep, passionate kiss.” A hint of a smirk crossed Annie’s features.
Max inhaled deeply, really letting the scent of the steam fill her. It was definitely sweet and florally, maybe a little bit of pear? Almond milk for sure.
“Okay, I think I’ve got my official guess. Honeysuckle, pear lychee, with agave and steamed almond milk,” she said, a hopeful inflection in her words as she waited for confirmation from Annie.
“Well, that’s unfortunate…” Annie took her cup, along with Max’s, setting them both on the bedside table. “Your guess was incorrect. And I’d like to collect my winnings at a later time.”
A slow grin unfurled across Max’s face. “Really? I thought I had it.”
Annie shifted, kneeling on the bed in the space between her legs, hands lightly running over exposed thighs. Max slipped a hand around the back of Annie’s neck, her lips claiming Annie’s in a rush of catching breath and laughter as she twisted their bodies, dipping Annie, kissing her deeply.
“So what’s the tea flavor?” she asked nonchalantly, returning them to their upright position. Annie’s giggle flowed through her, effortless and easy, so sweet to her ears.
“You’re really just going to kiss me like that then go right back to our conversation?
That doesn’t count as my winnings by the way.
” Annie swatted at her arm. “The tea is Elderberry Yuzu with honey and steamed almond milk. Summer got it in at Muffed and Stuffed this morning, and we’re the first to try it.
I promised we’d give her our full review the next time we stopped in. ”
Max reached for her cup, taking another sip. “It’s perfect.”
“I thought so too. I also grabbed us some muffins. I was thinking,” Annie drew out her words, fingertips gliding across the bedsheets, “maybe we could go over to the vineyard and work on the house a little today. Maybe take a walk through the cherry orchards. The bloom is so pretty right now.”
Max looked at Annie, really looked at her, knowing that Annie could pretty much ask her to do anything and her answer would always be a resounding fuck yes. “Absolutely. Leave in ten?”
Annie’s smile was the one Max knew paired with Annie getting exactly what she wanted. The same one that, if Max had her way, she always wanted her wearing.
“Perfect.”
* * *
They spent the morning sifting through piles of old things at the farmhouse, laughing between stolen dances and bites of stuffed muffins while they dodged dust bunnies the size of cats.
Annie had picked out a delicious combination of banana Nutella and key lime pie stuffed muffins, and Max may have snuck more than her half’s worth of bites of the banana flavor, thankful Annie didn’t call her out on it.
It felt good to be working on the house together.
Since they had moved out here in January, the farmhouse had sat pretty much untouched aside from the handful of times they had come by to do odd maintenance tasks.
Max had needed to shift her attention immediately to learning to manage the vineyard’s day-to-day needs, so finding time to pour into the place kept getting put on the back burner.
Annie was always the first to remind her, in that gentle, reassuring, Annie kind of way, that even doing a little here and there would be enough to get them closer to the goal of being able to make this house the home they wanted it to be. And Max loved her for that.
Max sneezed, sending a cloud of dust flying off the rustic mantle she had been inspecting moments ago. “I think the dust is getting to me.”
“Sounds like the perfect time for a walk through the cherry blossoms.” Annie held out her hand, Max slipping hers into it, right where she belonged.
Their shoes crunched along the gravel beneath them as they made their way down the hill towards the sea of trees adorned with fluffy pale pink and white flowers. A slight breeze picked up, swirling the cherry blossom petals, making them look like snow.
“I love when they do that.” Annie smiled, squeezing her hand as she tucked herself snugly against Max’s frame.