Epilogue
“Go, Ryder! Go! Yeah!” Sage jumped up and down on the bleachers, her own safety not even a thought. “Go!”
“Swim!” Jaycee yelled right next to her. “Yes! Yes! You got it! Go!”
At the other end of the pool, Ryder hit the wall on the turn and headed back the other way. The entire stands erupted in cheers and screams so much so that Sage could hardly hear her own. It didn’t matter though because she had left sanity behind when Ryder had first come off the blocks. “Yes! Go! Go!”
With three strokes to go, Sage knew he had it. She put her hands in the air in victory. “YAY!”
When he touched and came up to whip his goggles off, Sage nearly knocked Jaycee off the stands in her enthusiasm. They grabbed each other and bounced even as they pounded their fists in the air. “He did it!”
“That was amazing!” Emily said from the other side of Sage. “Wow! That boy can swim!”
It was then that Ryder looked up in the stands. His first place finish now finalized on the scoreboard. He smiled and waved at them, and right there in the midst of her family, Sage whooped and hollered her approval and love. She loved that kid with all her heart.
When the five of them headed back to the van, Jaycee reached over to try to snag the blue ribboned medal from around Ryder’s neck.
“Hey, hey, hey,” he said, “no touching the merchandise.”
“I just wanted to see it,” Jaycee said.
“Don’t listen to her Ryder,” Sage said, leaning down to his ear. “She will totally take it if you let her get close.”
He angled his steps toward Sage, and she put her arm around him protectively.
“Oh. Oh. I see how it is,” Jaycee said, but she clearly wasn’t mad. “Man, you wiped out the competition on that one. No one else was even close.”
“Must be those eggs I made for him this morning,” Emily said. “They gave him some extra go-power!”
“I think it was all the screaming you two did in the stands,” their father said. “My ears may never recover.”
“Oh, yeah, like you weren’t screaming too,” Jaycee said.
At the van, they all piled in.
“Okay, guilty as charged,” he said. When they were all in, he looked over at his wife. “Where to?”
She checked her watch. “We’d better get on home. The girls have to get ready for tonight. I think Hannah’s coming around four to help me with their hair.”
“Eep!” Sage squealed and clapped from her place in the back. “Little brother wins gold medal, check. Homecoming game, check. Dancing all night, check.”
Her father’s gaze found hers in the rearview mirror, and he lowered it at her.
“Okay. Okay. Dancing until midnight when Cinderella’s coach turns back into a pumpkin, check.”
He nodded and started out into traffic.
“What time is Kevin picking you up, Jaycee?” Emily asked.
“About five-thirty. We’re supposed to be there early for the homecoming court thing.”
“You’re going to be so gorgeous in your dress,” Sage said. “We may have to put you behind the bleachers so Kevin can actually play.”
Jaycee smiled at the compliment. “Well, I may have to hog-tie Luke to keep his hands off of you.”
Sage’s eyebrows went up at the fact her sister would say such a thing with their parents right there.
“And I may not let either of you go if you keep this up,” their father said, his gaze warning both of them.
“Pssh,” Jaycee said. “I’m sure both of them will be too freaked out by ‘the lecture.’” She put air quotes around the words. “I’m not sure Luke has ever recovered from freshman year.”
Sitting back, Sage smiled to herself. He hadn’t, but she wasn’t going to tell them that. Her thoughts went to the magical night ahead of them. As a junior Jaycee was sure to get Homecoming Princess, and Sage couldn’t be happier for her sister. Intense and so driven and focused, Jaycee sometimes scared her with the passion she brought to school events and activities. She couldn’t imagine what she would be like in basketball season. In fact, Luke had already warned her to lay low and speak softly—especially if and when they ever lost. Sage prayed even now that wouldn’t be often, and then she smiled to herself. Who would have thought she would be praying for such a thing four months ago?
At home, they all tumbled out with Emily calling out directions about lunch and who should get ready first and dresses and hair. Sage wondered what Luke was up to, if he was half as nervous as she was. So when she got into her room that was now devoid of the suitcases that had been put away in the attic, she laid down across her bed to text him.
How’d Ryder do? So wish I could have been there.
She smiled. He won. You freaking out yet?
Hannah got here an hour ago. She wants to know when you want her over there. Oh, and she brought your corsage thingy. She said she hopes it’s the right color.
Cream. How badly could you mess up cream?
Hey, darlin’, I don’t know cream from green, remember? It looks fine to me, but Hannah’s worried.
Tell her I’m sure it will be great. So I’ll see you in a few hours?
Can’t wait.
Me either. The conversation over, Sage flipped over and held the phone to her chest for a second. Then she bounced up. “Eep! Time to get ready!”
“When you girls get finished,” Emily called down the hall, “come on out here. I want pictures.”
“Ugh.” Sage put her head back, and Hannah yelped.
“No pictures!” Jaycee called from her room.
“Hey, don’t do that,” Hannah warned, “unless you want a nice burn mark right here across the top of your forehead.”
“Sorry. I’ll be good.” Pulling herself back up, Sage looked in the mirror and smiled. “Eee! I love it, Hannah. It’s amazing!”
“Well, sit still. It’s not done yet.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” But that was a tall order because her whole body was set on massive excitement mode.
“You girls almost finished? Mom’s getting antsy,” her dad said from the doorway.
“Two more,” Hannah said, unclipping the top of Sage’s hair and spinning one piece around and around the curling iron.
Coming in, her father gazed at her in the depths of the mirror. “Wow. You look so much like your mom.”
Sage smiled as her eyes went misty. “You think?”
“Yeah.” His eyes didn’t look exactly clear. “Beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous.”
“Stop,” Sage said, knowing she couldn’t wipe her eyes or she would destroy her make-up.
“Just let me get this in and we’re done.” Hannah swept the top layer over to the side and carefully but with some effort snapped the little clip into place. “There! All done.”
“Oh, Hannah!” Sage squealed. “It’s amazing!”
Hannah smiled as she stepped back to let Sage get up. When she did, she had to be extra careful with the yards and yards of soft ivory satin-chiffon that trailed from the intricately gold-beaded waistline all the way down to the floor.
“Perfect,” Hannah proclaimed. “My brother is not going to know what hit him.”
“Hey! Hello! Picture time or we’re going to miss this!” Emily called from the living room again.
“Guess it’s time,” Sage said with a lift of her shoulders.
“We’re coming.” Her father offered her his arm, and she took it with one look up at him. He didn’t say anything, just lifted his head and nodded to her. Sage ducked on the acceptance in his eyes and let him lead her out to the living room.
There, they found Jaycee, equally gorgeous in an emerald chiffon hi-low dress accented with gold-toned shoes and her hair upswept.
“Oh, Jaycee.” Sage let go of her father to go to her sister. “You’re gorgeous.”
“So are you!”
Without thinking, they hugged as the first camera flash went off. Then, pulling back, they each laughed as they touched their hair.
“Watch the hair,” they said simultaneously and then laughed.
“Okay, heads together,” Emily said and picked up the camera. However, instead of snapping the picture, she nearly dropped the thing. “Oh. I almost forgot. Here, Greg, hold this.”
In surprise he accepted the camera, barely catching it because both hands had been in his pockets.
“Mom!” they both whined.
“No. No. This is worth it. Just stay right there.” And she disappeared down the hallway.
“Well no use wasting good photo time,” their dad said. “Heads together.” And he snapped their picture. “You know who we need? Ryder! Bud! Get out here.”
Ryder came out, still wearing his medal.
“Get in the picture, hotshot.”
And their brother came between them. Each sister put an arm around him, and their dad started snapping away. Over the top of Ryder’s head, Jaycee got her sister’s attention and puckered her lips. Sage smiled, barely able to keep the laugh in as she nodded.
One. Two. Jaycee mouthed. “Three.”
From either side of him, Ryder’s sisters planted a kiss on his cheeks as the camera went snap, capturing his surprise for all the rest of history.
“Here they are,” Emily said as Ryder tried to recover and wipe the lipstick off. He went to the couch as she came over to them. Right in front of them, she stopped. “Now, girls. When we went through some of the stuff for the garage sale back in June, I came across these pearls. Now I know girls don’t do the pearl thing as much as they used to, and to be honest, I don’t even think these are real. But when I used to go to my grandma’s house when I was a little girl, she let me play with her pearls. So when she passed away, my mom agreed I should have them.” Emily held them up with more than mist in her eyes. “I don’t know who wants which ones. There’s one that’s a single strand and one that’s a double.”
Sage’s heart turned over at the offer, and make-up or not, she didn’t get the first tear caught.
“Oh, Mom,” Jaycee said. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure. I want the two of you to have them.” She held them up just higher. “Now who wants which one?”
No one moved for a long moment.
“How about I take the double-strand,” Jaycee finally said. “Second daughter. Sage, you can have the single.”
“Oh, Jaycee.” Now the tears really were ruining her make-up. “I couldn’t.”
Jaycee took the single strand from her mom. “Yes. You can. I want you to have them.” Sniffing, she put on her best commanding face. “Now turn around and don’t argue or we’re going to miss our dates.”
Sage did as she was told, picking the fall of wavy hair off her neck so Jaycee could latch the necklace. When she was finished, Sage did the same for her sister.
“Okay. Okay,” their father said, “heads together.”
And with that, they leaned in as the camera captured a moment that was destined to have its own special place on the mantel.
As Luke pulled into the Lawrences’ driveway, he waved at Kevin and Jaycee, thinking it looked quite odd for the star cornerback to be picking up his date in a T-shirt and football pants. But some things couldn’t be helped and in a small town, pulling double duty with things was one of them. When he parked, he checked himself twice in the mirror and barely remembered the corsage in the passenger seat. He had been with Sage half-a-million times it seemed, so why were his nerves about to jump out of his skin now?
Heading up the back walk, he only barely caught himself before he knocked. This was no time to show up at the back door. Willing his breathing to actually start before he passed out, he went around and knocked on the front door. The wait nearly killed him.
“Luke,” her father said, finally opening the door and putting out a hand in greeting.
“Mr. Lawrence.” Why did this suddenly feel like freshman year all over again? Somehow he got his hand out though the nerves threatened absolute revolt.
“Come on in. Come on in.”
Luke stepped in, realizing that only Ryder was in the room, playing on a game device on the couch. “Uh, is Sage ready?”
“They’re making final gown adjustments. Come on in.”
The farther into that room he went, the more Luke had the feeling he was about to be eaten. Still, he forced his feet forward.
“Well,” Mr. Lawrence said, stopping in the middle of the room and putting his hands on his belt. “So here we are again.”
Luke’s gaze found the floor, bounced to the corsage in his hand, and then back to the floor. “Yes, Sir.”
With a slow nod, Mr. Lawrence appraised him. “Lot of water under the bridge since the last time.”
Not lifting his gaze, Luke nodded, afraid of what he would see if he looked up.
Mr. Lawrence knotted his arms in front of him. “You’re going to take care of her, right?”
It took effort but he finally got his gaze up. “Yes, Sir, I will.”
“And you’re going to love her enough to do what’s right for her, right?”
This nod was easier. “Yes, Sir. I always have.”
At that the older man smiled. He put out his hand again. “Okay. Just so we understand each other.”
“That we do, Sir.” Luke shook hands just as his gaze snagged on the entrance of every dream he’d ever had. The blood drained from his face with about the same velocity as the racing of his heart ramped up. “Oh…” Dropping her father’s hand, he stepped over to her, and asking with his eyes only, he laid the corsage in the chair and put his hands up to her arms. “Wow.”
Her smile was as bright as a diamond. “Is that it? Just wow?”
Taking all of her beauty in, he shook his head though it barely moved. “Yeah. Just wow.”
She laughed, and Luke couldn’t help himself as he pulled her in to his embrace and held her there, oblivious of everyone else in the room. “You look amazing.”
“Okay. Okay. Enough of that, you two,” Emily said, swiping at her eyes and grabbing up the camera.
“Yeah,” Hannah agreed, coming all the way into the room just as a knock sounded on the door.
“Who in the world is that?” Emily asked, spinning to it.
“Oh.” Luke ducked and ran his thumb down the side of his nose. “That’s my mom. She came to take pictures too.”
Greeting his mother at the door, Emily dragged her into a hug. “Hurry. Hurry. He’s about to give her the corsage!”
“I’m so glad I didn’t miss it,” Felicia said, coming in with her own camera. She took one look at them and swooned. “Oh, Sage, that dress is gorgeous, and look at you. Ohhh. I may melt.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah,” Luke said as embarrassment crawled into his chest. “Can we get on with this so we don’t miss the game?” Of course, the game was the least of his concerns.
“Okay. Here, stand right here.” Emily took hold of him and dragged him to the other side of the room. “Yes. Right there. Yep. Perfect. That’s great. Now, Sage, pin his boutonniere on. But be careful, we don’t want blood on the dress.”
Luke looked down at her dubiously. “Or on me.”
“Or on him,” Felicia agreed as the cameras started flashing.
“Okay. I’ll try.” Sage took the little cream-colored flower from the side table. “Just yell if I poke you.”
“Ahh!” he said and then laughed when she jumped back.
Looking up at him, she shook her head. “Ha. Ha. Funny man. Now stand still or I really will jab you.”
It took her a minute, but she finally got the flower secure.
“Well, look at that. She’s almost as good at doing that as she is at doing dishes,” Luke said, appraising her handiwork.
“And now the corsage,” his mother coached.
Luke retrieved the flowers from the chair and went back to her. He was pretty sure the difficulty he had getting the plastic covering thing open was because of the shaking of his hands. Once open, he took the flowers out and looked at them to figure out how to put them on her.
“It’s a wrist corsage, dummy,” Hannah said from the side. “They just go on her wrist.”
“Oh.” He was too grateful to his sister for thinking of something like that he didn’t have the presence of mind to make a retort. Taking hold of the small band of elastic, he stopped. Before he lifted the flowers up, he waited a second for Sage’s gaze to come up to his.
When it did, he saw the joy and hope sparkling there. “The first of many.”
A soft smile split across her face, and holding her carefully with his eyes, he put the corsage on her wrist. In the next second, she was where she had always been meant to be—wrapped in his arms.
“Thank you. It’s perfect.”
Closing his eyes, he kissed her hair and whispered, “I love you, you know that?”
She tightened her grip around his waist. “Not half as much as I love you.” Then she looked up into his eyes and smiled.
Snap went the camera, and even without the photographic evidence, Luke knew he would remember that moment forever.
The game was never in question. They won by 21 points, and Jaycee even ended up with her princess crown. By the time they made it to the dance, Sage was spinning on a cloud of happiness so all-encompassing that she thought she might never come down again.
“Eep!” she said, catching up with her sister and giving her a hug. “Love the crown. It. Is. Fab-oo.”
“Ugh. I was so nervous. I about came out of this dress.” Jaycee did a pull on the top of the dress clearly not used to formalwear.
“Congrats, Jayc.” Luke came up behind Sage, stepped around her, and gave Jaycee a quick hug. “You looked like a million out there.”
“I wish I felt like a million. These shoes are about to snap my last nerve.” She reached down and tried to adjust them. “Have you guys seen Kevin? I think I lost him somewhere between the field and the dance floor.”
“He was over by the snacks last I saw him,” Luke said, putting his arm around Sage who snuggled in to his embrace.
“Okay. Thanks.” And Jaycee, with a very small limp, headed that direction.
A slow song started on the DJ’s speakers, and Luke turned to look down at Sage. “May I have this dance?”
“I’d be delighted,” she said, matching the fake formal quality of his request and batting her eyelashes in case he didn’t believe her. As the soft guitar began to play, she followed him, her hand tucked into his, out to the dimly lit floor. However, surprise jumped to her when instead of simply taking her in his arms, he spun her under his arm and out. She lowered her gaze on him. “What’s this? Has someone been taking dancing lessons?”
“Hannah.” He stepped toward her and pulled her close in to his embrace before pushing them gently into a slow waltz, going first one way and then the other on the cloud-like music. “And she’s about to kill my feet over the deal too.”
Sage giggled, ducking into his arm before pulling her gaze back up to his. “Well, I’ll try to be kind and not bruise your feet too badly.”
“That would be very much appreciated.” His gaze slid down to her as they glided across the dance floor, and Sage was imminently taken with how smooth he was at that. He grinned at her. “But I’d be a whole lot more worried about your feet than mine.”
Snagged by his gaze and the look therein, she laughed. Happiness didn’t begin to touch the feeling. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
As they danced, he took her hand and spun her under his arm and then out again, and bliss twirled her back to his embrace.
“Not too bad,” she said as joy danced through her.
“I’m learning.”
“I like this learning thing.”
“Me too.”
The song had gone from a soft lilting beat to a definite easy sway as the artist sang about not giving up no matter what happened. Drifting on the words and his touch and the way he was holding her and looking at her, Sage just let herself breathe. Back and forth. Back and forth until the movement and the moment were all she could concentrate on. And then, slowly, she began to let go of all the struggles, all the trials, all the heartache, all the obstacles that had tried so hard to make this moment never come into existence. Those were gone now, and all that remained was his love for her.
With each sway, they came closer together until he was pressing her into him.
“Hey,” Luke said, his hand wrapped protectively around hers as they moved together. “You know, you’re pretty good at this.”
However, instead of a laugh, Sage looked up at him and sank even deeper into the feeling of being surrounded by his love, by him. Never before had she felt so rock-solid safe, and as he pulled her back to him, she knew she could trust him with anything even the once-broken pieces of her heart. No, he hadn’t given up on them, on her, no matter what, and she felt the absolute certainty that he never would detach her feet from gravity. One way and then the other they swayed, and she let him lead, knowing she could just let go and let him with no thought that he would ever let harm come to her while he had a breath in his body.
“No, I won’t give up no matter what,” he sang as if he was making the pledge to her rather than just singing the words of some random song.
Sage tightened her grip on him, loving him as much in that moment as she had ever loved any other person ever. Coming back just a bit, she pulled her gaze up to his. “How did I ever get so lucky to find you?”
He grinned down at her. “Darlin’, I ask myself that same question every single day.”
Then, caught in the gentle, irresistible vortex of his presence and gaze, Sage relinquished the last shreds of control, moving only as her spirit and happiness took over everything else. Wrapping her hand in his gently, he spun her out again and then let her spin in to him so they were dancing not face-to-face but with her back to him.
“No, I won’t give up no matter what,” she sang, gazing up at him now swaying behind her, and soft understanding drifted into and through his eyes at the words she had sung. Even as she moved there with him, Sage wanted him to know that they weren’t just some words in a song. She meant them with all her heart. “You know that, right?”
The music continued as the dancers swirled around them though neither even noticed the others. He let her go so she slowly came back around and into his arms, not fancy, just right. Her wrists wrapped up and around his neck as his hands came to rest on her waist.
Arms, hands, and gaze he held her as gently as she had ever been held. “I was sure hoping you would say that.”
Now it was her holding his gaze, gently, tenderly, steadfastly. “I mean it, you know? I won’t give up on this, on us, no matter what.”
“I know. Believe me, darlin’, I know.” Then right there in the middle of the dance floor, his gaze turned liquid, and he tenderly lowered his lips to hers as their swaying stopped.
Tilting her head just enough, Sage accepted his kiss. It was gentle and soft, gone but not in a heartbeat. And then he was looking at her again.
“I love you.”
“Not half as much as I love you.” Breathing him in, she pulled him to her and put her head on his chest, easily releasing herself into the arms of his unbreakable, unrelenting, unconditional love.
No space had ever been so right or so unquestionably perfect, and finally she knew without a doubt that the perfection of love really was what would bind them in unity. From this moment into God’s eternity. And that was exactly the way it had always been meant to be. No more mirrors. No more struggle. Only love, and love, real love would be enough no matter what.
Did you LOVE Luke and Sage?
Wait ‘til you meet Jaycee and Derek!
When I’m Weak
Coming August 2016!