Epilogue Cora
Four years later
okay. Life should look different. It’s always growing and changing and evolving.
We don’t all stay in the same house anymore because there are too many of us now, especially for the blue clapboard house.
Savannah and Chris took that house for their family. It just made sense for them to take it because she’s the one who values
traditions. And I have to say, seeing Genevieve and Juliette live out their childhood summers there does warm my heart.
Besides, Bianca and Luke have their own place, naturally, since they’re full-time Sunnyside residents. For the first year
and a half, Bianca lived in Luke’s sister’s garage apartment, where Sylvie loved having a surrogate big sister. But after
Bee married Luke last fall, she moved into his house. So far they seem really happy. And her event planning business? It’s
been voted a Sunnyside Favorite for three years in a row.
Which just leaves me and Jax.
We decided to buy a vacation place of our own on the beach. In fact, it was our wedding gift to each other. Part of it was
to signify our commitment to spending time with our family, but part of it was for ourselves. After all, Sunnyside was where
we fell in love.
We pull up to our house for the first day of the season.
“Should we go inside first?” Jax asks.
The question barely has time to settle before we both look at each other. “Naw,” we say in unison. As always, the first thing
we want to see is the water, especially this time. Because this is a particularly special summer.
“Do you think he needs a hat? It’s pretty sunny.” Jax grabs one from the backpack he’s holding and hands it to me. I look
down at the two-month-old snuggling against my chest and try to arrange the hat on his bald little head without waking him.
“We made it, Will,” I whisper.
“There’s zero chance you’ll remember this visit, little buddy,” Jax says to him. “But hopefully this place will become so
familiar, you won’t ever remember not coming here.” My husband puts a hand on the small of my back to offer support while
I carry our son across the sand to get his first look at the ocean.
To our surprise, everyone is on the beach waiting for us. Or, maybe it’s more accurate to say waiting for Will. Savannah,
Chris and the girls. Bianca and Luke. Even my dad is there. And they all take turns getting peeks at the sleeping baby while
we talk and catch up. Because there’s something about coming to the beach that just feels like coming home.
Sometimes I think back to the summer when everything changed. I wonder what would’ve happened if our mom hadn’t made that
last request before she died. Or if Savannah hadn’t had to have heart surgery, prompting her to plan the trip. Or if Bianca
hadn’t gotten engaged to not-a-gym-rat gym rat, forcing the famous bet.
I never would have wished for any of those things, but sometimes what we think are life’s biggest disappointments turn into
the biggest gifts. It’s how I got my family back. It’s how I learned to forgive.
It’s how I met the love of my life.
Although we did meet on the toothbrush aisle first. So maybe there’s something to serendipity after all.