Epilogue

Two Months Later

"I can't believeyou wanted to come back here," Sage said the Saturday before Easter.

They were back on Staten Island and going to have Easter at her parents' house tomorrow.

Violet was only a few weeks out from delivering and in no condition to host. Her mother and grandmother had offered to do the cooking at Trace's house, but in the end they decided to make the trip now knowing they wouldn't do it again for a while.

It was assumed Knox would come with Sage. Though they weren't living together, it felt almost like they were.

In the past two months life seemed to have flown by. So much was happening.

All good too.

Jasmine gave birth to her son, Gabriel, in February. Dahlia to her son, Grayson, in March and Poppy to her son, Tatum, the first of April. Just three weeks after the products for Mateo were finalized and the runway had been last week.

Rose was pregnant and since she hadn't been sick was able to keep it secret pretty long but was due in June.

Kate had told everyone the collaboration with Mateo was a huge success.

Sage didn't need to be told any of that because she could see the results herself from the sales that had been generated.

Life almost couldn't get any better in her eyes.

Which didn't explain why Knox wanted to bring her to their old middle school playground where everyone hung out after lunch twenty years ago.

There were kids on the grounds now, eying the two of them and wondering what might be going on. Just like she was thinking the same thing.

"I feel like it was the thing to do," he said.

"Why is that?" she asked, looking around. "This brings back memories. Not all good ones either." She was smiling when she said it.

"I know," he said. "I want to change that. You've made me a believer in forgiveness. A believer in fate even. Definitely second chances."

"All those things and more," she said. "I believe it all myself too."

"Good," he said, getting down on his knee. "Then believe in me. You've talked about being in the right place at the right time or the wrong place at the wrong time. This felt right to me and it's why I'm doing it now."

Her hands went to her face, covering her jaw which was wide open. "Oh my."

"Are you surprised?" he asked. He had a panicked look on his face.

"Very?"

"Not too soon I hope? I can't get a refund on this ring."

He was half laughing but still looked nervous to her.

He flipped the lid and she burst out laughing. Rose had made this ring, it was obvious.

The white gold band was thick with a sage leaf design all around it. The center had a blooming sage flower with a large diamond in the center.

It was more than stunning.

It was absolutely perfect.

"It's not too soon," she said. "I might even say it's about damn time, but it's only been seven months."

"More like twenty years in the waiting for me. Sage Mancini, will you be my wife? Will you love me until the day I die just as much as I love you?"

"Yes," she said, dropping her hand to his. She noticed it was shaking but with happiness. "I will love you until the day neither one of us is on this earth, but it's going to be a long, long time from now. We have a lot of time to make up for."

"We do," he said, slipping the ring on her finger. "Now it's time to go show Nonna. I think she'd be proud of the ring."

"It's not the ring she'd be proud of," Sage said. "It's what the two of us have together."

"That's my girl," he said, giving her a kiss.

"Always your girl. Wish this was your first kiss back then."

"It's our first kiss as an engaged couple now. Even better!"

The End!

Checkout the next in the series. An Adventure For Aster

Aster Allen is a true hero.But with that unwanted title comes a career change he didn't plan on and a lot more stress he doesn't need.

A job offer from his old Army Commander ends up being his savior, forcing him to move to a small town where few know him or his background. Things that maybe he'd like to keep that way.

Raine Scarsdale is sick of being labeled and judged by her career and upbringing. But living in the small tourist town of Mystic makes that almost impossible. She just wants to be who she is and finally has a chance when she meets a newcomer to the area.

The only problem, it seems too good to be true, just like her last serious relationship, when she starts to suspect Aster's not always forthcoming with information.