Epilogue Jesse

I didn't expect my hands or my voice to shake as much as they were. I opened the ring box to show the amethyst and moss agate ring that both Zin and Lauren said was the perfect engagement ring for a witch, and they swore Sam would love it.

Her mouth dropped into a small " o" shape, and I waited patiently.

"How... what?"

She looked around the room at our best friends and families, and she started putting the pieces together that they hadn't all dropped everything tonight because of the book cover, though that accomplishment deserved to be celebrated.

"We're getting married?" she asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Well, normally, you'd say ‘yes' first, but that would be the desired outcome." I grinned at her; glad my kneeling knee wasn't my bad one.

"Oh my god! Yes! Of course, yes!" she practically shouted at me.

I stood with some effort and took the ring out of the box to slide it onto her finger. Our friends and family burst into excited chatter, and there were plenty of happy tears in the mix, too.

"It's perfect. The ring. The card ... where did you..." Her eyes floated over to her aunt before she finished the question. "You painted this? It's incredible."

"Naturally, dear. I have been taking art classes for the better part of a year. My technique has improved."

Sam gave a watery laugh at that, now staring at her ring again.

"You are too much. I'm going to design you the coolest wedding ring ever, and a coach's jersey that says fiancé on the back instead of Garrett ."

" I was thinking you could design my new tattoo. It could go around my ring finger, but I feel like I need one on the other forearm since you seem to like the skull so much. And this one could remind me of more than a drunken night in Florida."

Her eyes darkened predictably as she ran her nails over my bare forearm.

"You should take me home. To our new house. Right. Now."

She pressed her lips to mine and kissed me perhaps more insistently than she normally might in public, but she got her point across. I quickly thanked everyone for helping me pull off the proposal and tugged my fiancé out into the cool spring air. She seemed to be mesmerized by the ring on her finger, and I had to guide her around a trash can and a pole so that she didn't crash into them.

The only thing she claimed she had to do before making it to our room was to place the tarot card painting on the fireplace mantel.

"There. Now, it's ours."

"Now, it's home," I added, though I was looking at her and not the art.

This was what home would always be.