Epilogue

EPILOGUE

EVIE

Three Months Later

" S urprise!" we collectively shouted when Irene arrived at the diner.

"Which one of you came up with the idea to tell me a pipe burst the night before our grand opening?"

"That was me," Dice said sheepishly.

Irene narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger at him. "No cake for you."

"My apologies," Dice said.

Irene stared at him for a few more seconds before she smiled. "See? It doesn't feel good when someone you trust messes with you."

"Are you mad?" I asked.

"Of course not. I mean, I could've done without the stress of the last thirty minutes, but this is definitely a welcome turn of events. Honestly, I should've known. You people don't miss an opportunity to throw a party."

"Only when there's a reason to celebrate," Phoenix said. "Congratulations on your new diner. It's a welcome addition to our town."

"Thank you," Irene said and clasped her hands together. "Well, enough of that. Let's have cake. There is cake, right?"

I laughed. "Yes, there's cake."

"Have a seat. I'll get you a piece," Edge said.

"Give me one second. I need to get something from the office." She returned a few minutes later with a large envelope in her hand. "This is for you," she said and handed it to me.

I stared at the envelope while everyone else started enjoying their cake. "What are you waiting for?" Irene asked. "Open it."

Carefully opening the flap, I pulled out a stack of what appeared to be legal documents. I quickly scanned the first page, but I couldn't make sense of the words I was reading. "What is this?"

"It's the legal paperwork necessary to name you as co-owner of the diner. All you have to do is sign on the pages marked."

My mouth dropped open, and my eyes widened in shock. "What?" I finally managed to ask.

"You heard me. Half of the diner is yours." While I tried to process her words, she looked around the room and found Byte. "Don't worry. I didn't forget about you. You get the other half when I retire."

"Irene," Byte started, but she held up her hand to stop him.

"If I've learned anything over the last few months, it's that I'm not invincible, and I'm not going to live forever. You and Evie are the son and daughter I've never had. It makes sense to leave it to you."

"You are definitely the mother I wished mine would have been. You've done more for me in the time I've known you than she did for my whole life. This means so much to me, and I can't thank you enough." Wrapping my arms around her, I hugged her and used those few moments to get my emotions under control.

Irene leaned back and smiled. "Okay, enough of this. There's a perfectly good cake that needs to be eaten."

Once the cake was served, I sat back and looked around the room. It was filled with friends and family. Tony and Bart were off to the side, quietly talking to each other. Walter and Buck were laughing with Phoenix and Ranger while the rest of the Blackwings were milling about. And Edge was by my side, smiling at me with love-filled eyes.