Epilogue

 Logan

 

Six months later, Patterson and Daniels is in full swing. We’ve taken on a lot of pro bono cases this past year, but Andrew has also managed to build up a good client roster which in turn is keeping our business more than afloat.

Andrew and I have fully settled into domestic bliss. We’re still living at my apartment and in a few short weeks, we’ll be once again training for this year’s marathon. Only this time, we’ll be running for our very own law firm and for the charity of my choice!

It’s late in the day and I’ve just finished up helping a client with an issue she’s having with her landlord. I tell her goodbye and sit back down to check my emails before leaving the office for the night.

Today is my birthday and Andrew has left his office early, telling me that he wants me home by 7PM. I notice several birthday e-cards in my inbox. Matt, my mom and dad, Brooke and several friends from my job at the DA’s office have sent celebratory cards. When I check the clock, I realize it’s almost 6:30, so I shut down my computer and take the subway home.

Upon exiting the elevator on my floor, I immediately notice a trail of rose pedals going all the way down the hall to our door. This makes me smile and warms my heart. How thoughtful of Andrew to do something so romantic.

When I open the door however, the apartment is nearly pitch black. As my eyes begin to adjust I can see that the dining table has been moved against the window and is covered in white linen. There are lit candles throughout the apartment creating a romantic atmosphere as well as vases on each table filled with long stem red roses. 

Andrew comes out to greet me, “Happy birthday baby.”

He gives me a soft kiss on my lips and helps me take off my coat. Curiously, I ask, “What is all of this?”

Andrew tells me that he’s hired one of the top chefs in Brooklyn to cook dinner for us tonight. And that’s when I finally see that indeed someone is in our kitchen preparing a meal.

“Oh my God,” I exclaim in astonishment. “This is beautiful! Did you do this all by yourself?”

Andrew nods, then shrugs, “Well, I may have had a little help. Nothing but the best for my special man.”

The chef pokes his head out of the kitchen. “You ready guys?”

That’s when I hear a slight tapping sound on the door. I turn to Andrew, “Are we expecting someone?” He just smiles and tell me to open the door.

To my astonishment, there are four people standing in my doorway with tuxes on, holding instruments. I turn around to look at Andrew with my mouth agape. He’s hired a string quartet to perform during our meal! I invite them in and pull out chairs for them to sit down on. 

It’s all so beautiful that I become overwhelmed, especially when the band begins to play. We take our seats at the table and the chef brings out an appetizer. The chef tells us, “This is Hamachi-Osetra Caviar Tartare: Sea Lettuce, Smoked Dashi Gelee.”

Normally Andrew isn’t too impressed by food like this, but he knows that on occasion I like to splurge and appreciate the artistry that goes into a good chef’s creations. Chef Allard then pours a tiny amount of wine in a crystal glass and asks me to sample.

The appetizer and meal that follows is splendid. Andrew looks especially handsome tonight as he gazes at me across the table. It’s one of the most romantic dinners I’ve ever had. And that’s when I begin to wonder, why the extravagance simply for my birthday?

And it isn’t too much longer until I find out.

After finishing our dinner and saying goodbye to the chef, Andrew asks me if I want to slow dance. It feels wonderful to be in his arms as we sway back and forth to the music. Suddenly I see Andrew give a nod to the string quartet.

Mysterious indeed, but so far the night has been nothing but perfect.

They stop and begin to play a new song. It’s not long before I realize that it’s Moon River from one of my favorite movies Breakfast at Tiffany’s. We dance slowly for a few minutes until Andrew stops. I look at him curiously. That’s when he gets down on one knee, reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring.

Nothing could have ever prepared me for how I felt in that moment. I honestly thought until now that all of this was for my birthday. I look down into Andrew’s eyes and begin to tear up.

He starts out by saying, “I knew from the first time that I saw you that you were special. And I knew the night of the charity event over a year ago that I was in love with you. I fell in love with your beauty and kindness. Your beautiful face and gorgeous smile. The compassion you show every day to the world and to me. You saw something in me that I didn’t. You stuck with me through and through, helping me in ways you probably never imagined. You saw something in me that I didn’t know was there. And I want to spend the rest of my life loving and protecting you, and making you as happy as you’ve made me.”

He takes my finger and places the ring onto it.

Fuck!!! That is one big diamond.

Finally, Andrew says, “So, Logan Daniels, would you do me the honor of being my husband?”

Now I have tears streaming down my face. “YES! YES!” We kiss and the quartet begin clapping for us. We embrace and in an instant, I hear another knock on the door.

I turn and look at the door and then back at Andrew. Shocked I say, “Are you kidding me? Who now?” I open the door and hear “SURPRISE!!” Standing in the doorway are all of our friends, holding presents. My mom and stepdad as well as my father are there. The musicians begin to play again.

I look to Matt and Brooke. “Did you know?”

They look at each other puzzled and shaking their heads. “Know what?”

That’s when I lift up my hand and show them the ring. Matt screeches even louder than Brooke.

“I’m so happy for you cookie!” Matt jumps up and down. “Bridesmaid’s is my favorite movie. Now I can be one!”

Oh Matt, Matt… what am I going to do with you. I look at him and say, “You’re going to be my best man silly!!!”

Brooke then gives me a hug and congratulates me and the rest of the guests follow.

It turns out that the chef had made a whole array of appetizers for the guests. There’s also no lack of refreshments. Andrew and I decide to slow dance and soon others follow. Everyone is happy and having a great time and as the evening progresses Matt claps and shouts out, “Presents! Time to open presents!”

Everyone stops what they’re doing to gather around while one by one I begin to open them. I get to one and look at the card. It’s from Andrew. On the front of the card is a picture of Central Park in the spring time. There’s a walking bridge amongst a backdrop of blooming, brilliant colored, fuchsia leaves.

I open the card and written inside is,

“You give me life.

I love you,

Andrew.”

When I open the present, it’s a gold plated picture frame. And a picture of Andrew and I kissing. It’s a stunning picture of a quiet moment between us against a fall backdrop and as I study it more, I begin to wonder when and where it was taken.

It’s only later that Andrew tells me that it’s the picture the private detective had taken. He told me it was a symbol of our love and although initially a source of grief, it came to represent to him the beginning of the rest of our lives. My initial reaction wasn’t as favorable.

But the longer I thought about it, I soon changed my mind.

Because it captured the exact moment that Andrew was no longer afraid to kiss me in public. As Andrew described it, ‘yes, the circumstances surrounding the picture aren’t good. But the picture itself is of a pivotal moment in our relationship and in that perfect and pure moment there was nothing but love. What followed it is irrelevant.’

My perception of the picture changed completely after realizing this. How often do we get to keep those perfect moments in our lives encapsulated forever?

It was also the day that I fell in love with Andrew.

Maria unknowingly gave me one of the greatest gifts and it has become my most prized possession.

Later in the evening, after the quartet had left, my mom approaches me. She tells me, “Paul and I are going to head home honey.”

I give her a kiss goodbye and my father suddenly appears and announces he’s leaving as well. While holding up my ring, I ask them both, “Did you guys know?”

My mom looks at my dad, then back at me and says, “We knew honey. How’d you think he got me to come to the city!?”

Then my dad says, “Andrew came to my house last month and asked for your hand in marriage.”

They both kiss me goodbye.

That’s when I look over and see Andrew talking to Amanda. I walk over and hug him. Looking up to him I begin crying tears of happiness. Staring into his beautiful blue eyes, I’m suddenly speechless. A first for me… but I don’t need to say anything, because the looks we are giving each other says it all.

At one point, Andrew whispers into my ear, “Tonight is the night you’re going to take control of me.”

My eyes grow wide and I shout out, “Party’s over!”

 

 

THE END

 

  

Thank you for reading. If you liked this book, please .
If you would like to join my ARC team and receive free Advance Review Copies of my books, please email me at . Also, please feel free to email me with any feedback, as I love hearing from my readers.