Epilogue
“There, that’s him,” I say, pointing through the small window to the adorable baby boy. “Elijah Jerimiah, my nephew. He’s perfect.”
The swaddled little bundle, stretches his arms and kicks his feet as if he knows he’s being watched. He’s so tiny, and he has a thick head of hair. The love I already feel for him is insane, like my heart might bust out my chest.
Steven wraps his arm around my waist, kissing my temple. “Just like his aunt.”
Turning my gaze to him, I bump him with my hip and press my lips to hold back my smile. “Don’t be such a cornball. I mean, you’re right, but still.”
These past months have been such a whirlwind. Everything is so good, it feels like a dream. I go around pinching myself all the time, terrified I’m going to wake up. I’ll admit, it’s still a struggle for me, accepting that I deserve this life—that I deserve Steven. But seeing myself through Steven’s eyes makes it a little easier every day.
I think maybe we all have that moment—the one that changes us forever. Death, heartbreak, or other tragedies. Whatever the cause, we go from being one person to someone else entirely. For me, that was Paul. Because of him, I lost sight of who I was and wanted to be. Now, I feel like I’m finally getting those pieces of myself back.
He laughs. “Come on, bestselling author, let’s go see the new parents.”
Finding out I hit the bestseller list was the most surreal moment of my life. Something I’d been striving for since I was a young girl, was finally a reality. But more than that, my message is being heard. For so long, it’s been society’s belief that the guidelines of sexual assault are black and white—having no gray area, but Ashland’s story is helping to change that. Women all over the world have been sending me letters of thanks, and I’ve done countless interviews. People aren’t only talking about a topic no one likes to talk about, they’re also changing the dialogue.
Surprising even myself, I ended up putting my own story in the back of the book. It didn’t give his name or enough detail for most people to figure it out, but it forced me to talk to my friends and family about what happened, helping me take another step toward healing.
The hardest part of sharing my story was dealing with everyone else’s emotions about what happened. To them it was new information, a fresh wound that was bleeding. But, for me, telling them was about closure—picking off that final scab to reveal the healed skin underneath.
“Who cares about them, I want to get my hands on that sweet baby boy.”
“Yes, well…” he says, taking my hand in his. “You need to go through them to get to him.”
I pout, dragging my feet as he pulls me down the hall.
When we get to the door, I tug on his arm to stop him from going inside. He turns his gaze to me, his eyebrows furrowed. “Do you think we should wait to share our big news? It’s sort of a special day for them, and…”
He gives me a soft smile, always so understanding when it comes to my eccentric ways. “I’m sure Julianna will be thrilled, but if you want to wait, I’ll support that.”
I give him a soft kiss on the lips. “Thank you.”
He knocks on the door, and Eric opens it with the brightest smile I’ve ever seen on his face. While Steven and Eric do their bromance thing, I hurry over to my sister. She looks tired, yet there’s still a glow about her.
“We stopped by to see him on our way in, he’s so beautiful. Good job, Momma,” I say, fighting back the tears swelling in my eyes.
She reaches out for me, and I stuff my left hand in my pocket before grabbing hers with my right.
“I’m a mom, how did this happen?”
“Well, I believe Eric put his—”
“Okay, Aunt Lori, none of that.”
I shrug. “Hey, you asked.”
She sighs, squeezing my hand. “Am I ready for this? What if I’m a horrible mother?”
I tilt my head and roll my eyes. “It’s a little late for second thoughts,” I tease. “But you were born ready. My nephew is very lucky to have you as his mother. I know you’re going to do an amazing job raising him.”
She nods her head as a few tears fall down her face. Steven steps up behind me, wrapping his arms around me, and I release Julianna’s hand as I melt into him.
“Hey,” Eric says, stepping up to the other side of Julianna’s bed. “What’s going on over here? Those better be happy tears.”
Julianna turns to look at her husband, beaming so brightly, I feel a warmth wash over me. “Don’t worry, they are.”
“Congratulations, you guys,” Steven says over my shoulder, bringing their attention back to us.
“Yes, yes. Salutations all around, but we didn’t come here to see the two of you. Call the nurse and ask her to bring my nephew in here, I can’t wait to get my hands on him.”
Julianna laughs, rolling her eyes. “In a minute, isn’t there something you want to tell me first?”
My eyes widen as I look over my shoulder at Steven. “I thought we agreed to wait to tell them?”
“He didn’t tell us,” Julianna says as my gaze lands on her again.
“I read it in the paper.”
“The paper?”
“Yes…that tends to be where they post the bestseller list.”
My body relaxes as I let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, right, of course.”
Illusions of Ash has been a much bigger success than I ever could have imagined. Becoming a Bestselling author is something I always thought would only be a dream, but it turns out some dreams do come true. Even the ones you’re too afraid to let yourself hope for.
“Wait a minute, what did you think I was talking about? If you have news, I want you to share it with me now, don’t wait. Screw waiting.”
I look back at Steven again, and he gives me an “I told you so” smirk. “You already know how I feel. There’s no time like the present.”
“Fine,” I relent. As my eyes return to Julianna, I pull my left hand out of my pocket, lifting then turning it to reveal the diamond on my ring finger.
Julianna squeals with excitement. “Oh my God, you got engaged!”
Lori looks back at me, a wide smile on her face, as Julianna examines her engagement ring. The gold vintage style ring has a round one carat diamond with a starburst of smaller diamonds around it. Or at least that’s what the jeweler called it. I spent weeks looking for the right ring. Lori mentioned several times how much she liked the vintage look of Julianna’s ring, but I knew her well enough to know I needed to get something that was more one of a kind.
Once I had the ideal ring, I waited for months trying to find the perfect moment and come up with a flawless plan. Lori isn’t the type of woman who would appreciate a public proposal, that much I knew. As well as the fact that it would need to include something meaningful. She can be a little high maintenance at times, but that’s part of what I love about her. She never settles.
When she got the news about becoming a bestseller, I decided to turn a great night into an epic one. It was simple, but perfect. Peonies, Thai food, champagne, and a well-trained dog helped me pull off the perfect proposal.
Of course, my Gram was thrilled when we told her the news. The woman has been pushing for the two of us from the beginning. Gram adores her, and Lori loves Gram. After my grandmother was released from the rehab center, I convinced her to stay with me, and Lori has stepped in doing everything she can to help. Her assistance lightens my load tremendously, and she never once tried to talk me into placing Gram in a home. In fact, I think she’d kicked my ass if I tried it. We’re already the perfect team, and I’m so glad I have her in my court. When the time comes for me to say goodbye to my grandmother, I know I’ll be able to handle it a lot easier with Lori at my side.
Lori is possibly the strongest person I’ve ever met. She’s a rock. Sometimes that means she needs you to keep her from sinking. But when you need something sturdy to cling onto, she’ll be there.
“Oh my gosh,” Julianna coos. “It’s so beautiful. You did an excellent job, Steven.”
“Thanks. It wasn’t easy. You know how your sister can be.”
Lori elbows me, laughing. “Hey, I know what I like and what I don’t. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
I kiss her creased forehead. “No, there’s not. It certainly worked out in my favor.”
“You got lucky,” she teases.
I don’t think it was luck at all—it was fate. As much as I hate the way things went down with Cat, I know that was fate’s way of bringing us together. Lori never would have let me in if I hadn’t been in a relationship with Cat. That gave her a sense of security, enough so, she was able to let her guard down. Besides, all is well that ends well. Cat and Lori are closer than ever now. They’ve had a lot of long talks, and Lori has finally stopped trying to hide from the people who love her.
“Nope, you were my destiny.”
Her eyes roll as she drops her head, shaking it. “You’re the worst.” When she lifts it again, she’s smirking, a little pink on her cheeks. Even after all these months, I can still make her blush, and it always gives me a sense of pride.
The love I share with Lori isn’t the love I thought I wanted, it’s the love I needed. Our journey has included some wrong turns and bumps along the way, but it only makes getting to the destination that much sweeter. Your life is what you make it, and I plan to build an amazing one with Lori.