Epilogue

Giselle

Primrose must have gotten there before me, because I could hear Ava ragging on her even before I pushed open the door and into the room, a big open-plan meeting space in the Commons Hall with a slanted skylight out into where the sunset glowed orange through the thick, ragged early-November clouds. A dozen some faces I knew by heart now turned my way, people raising hands—including Jordan, who’d never stopped pestering Primrose to let her join the group once she found out I was part of it too now—but Ava, standing at the front with Primrose, scowled at me.

“Oh, I see,” she said, her voice dry. “You two are just dressed to match. Ugh, you make me sick.”

Primrose—who was dressed well enough Ava was probably just jealous, in a sleek mid-length black dress with heels, some light curls done in the ends of her hair, wearing that subtle-sophisticated evening-makeup look that still turned me into putty in her hands—cast that heart-melting smile my way before she stepped over to my side, going up on her tiptoes and pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Someone’s late,” she teased. “You think I want to stand here and talk to Ava instead of you?”

“Shane held me up for ages talking about the budget… I eventually had to just about push him off me telling him I had another meeting to make.” I gave Ava the exact patronizing smile I knew she hated the most. “Hi, Kittycat. I like your outfit.”

She was wearing the same hoodie as usual. She flipped me off. “What, you two going to a charity ball after this?”

“Ah, just dinner,” I said. “With my parents. It’s my mom’s birthday today, so… fancy restaurant it is.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “I liked Primrose better before you turned her into this.”

Primrose snorted. “You’ve never in your life said one good thing about me. Don’t pretend that’s different now.”

I nudged her side. “I’ve heard this is how she expresses her affection.”

Primrose nudged me back, laughing. “Which means you’re solidly in her good graces, now, too, ma’am. Lucky us.”

Sooyeon pushed past where she was chatting with Matthew and Ethan and towards us, putting a hand on Ava’s shoulder that was half affectionate and half restraining. “How’s it going, Skates? Excited for a big event?”

“Excited as I’ll ever be,” I said lightly. “I think the plan seems solid so far, and the Sothe brothers have it coming to them, so I’ll…” I trailed off as Sooyeon slipped her hand down Ava’s side. “Can you wait until later to feel her up?”

Sooyeon slipped a hand into Ava’s hoodie pocket. Ava scowled. “Butterflies, the fuck are you doing?”

“Looking for snacks,” Sooyeon said.

“Fuck off.” Ava pulled a bag of pretzels from her other pocket and held it up. Sooyeon took it with a smile like the cat that got the canary.

“You’re the best, Kittycat.” Next to me, Primrose rolled her eyes, tugging me along with her towards the sofas in the center of the room.

“Let’s give these two perverts their space. C’mon. This is going to be your first large-scale operation, and there’s no more deserving target than shitty admin staff bullying students, so it’s a good welcome-aboard.”

It was a noble cause, even if I’d never expected myself joining up with an organization like this—I probably could have gotten suckered into joining anything for Primrose, if I was being honest.

But it wasn’t even bad. Even though tensions had been strained between anything with Zachary in the room for a while, things were starting to settle down now—I think the guy had needed to be taken away from power, for his own sake. He wasn’t the first person I’d seen broken by feeling responsible for everything. And even though I hadn’t loved having meetings with Andrea at the table, it was kind of healing—easier to see why she hadn’t been able to share her real self with me, and that it wasn’t anything I was doing wrong. And even though she’d given me a lot of sad, longing looks for the first week or two, we’d settled down into something more comfortable and natural by now. Besides, I was increasingly sure there was something going on between her and Randall, but… I wasn’t asking questions.

And mostly, the group was just a bunch of friends who’d stick up for one another when they needed help, who would share resources and opportunities, and more often than not, just gather for the sake of being together.

And it wasn’t like I minded being known as the girl on Primrose’s arm. I was kind of a hopeless lost puppy in love—which I realized by now that I was, even though we still hadn’t said those three little words, but I was content knowing I was just so damn happy around her that nothing else seemed to matter a lot.

When the planning meeting was ironed out and had started to settle down into more of just a gathering, Ava was leaning against the coffee table in front of me and Primrose talking about the network she was still exploring through Yun’s connections, when Sooyeon walked up behind her and tugged on her hood. Ava sputtered, shooting her a look.

“You trying to break my neck?”

“Damn, but you’re fragile, huh?” Sooyeon laughed. “I’m going out, okay? Need to check in with someone. Still down for bubble tea with me after?”

“Got nothing better to do,” Ava muttered. “Go check out your volleyball girlfriend or whatever you’re doing.”

“Don’t get too jealous, Kitty.” Sooyeon winked before heading back towards the door, and Ava watched after her for just a second too long. I cleared my throat.

“Hey, uh… have you two made it official yet, or what?”

“Yeah, fuck you. We’re not dating.”

I raised my eyebrows. “I think Butterflies would be devastated to hear you say that. Pretty sure she’s ready to propose.”

Ava scrunched up her face, looking away. “Well, she can get in line.”

I laughed. “What, you have that many people proposing to you?”

Primrose looked away. Ava frowned. “I didn’t even mean to say that out loud.”

I paused, studying her. “Uh… what, received a marriage proposal lately?”

Ava raked her hand back through her hair. “Shut up. Ugh…” She glanced around at the room, quieter now as people were pulled into their own, smaller groups around the room, before she looked back at me and Primrose, shifting up onto the table and pulling a knee up into her chest. “Guess I’m glad Sunburns didn’t tell you. If she’s not telling you, she’s not telling anyone.”

Primrose huffed. “I told you I can keep quiet.”

I looked wildly between them. “Angel, if you tell me right now that Ava’s been married all this time—”

Ava sighed. “Whatever. Skates is legit. I guess you can tell her, but I don’t want to deal with saying it myself.”

I shot Primrose a look. “Tell me she’s not married.”

Primrose looked away. “Engaged…”

“To Sooyeon?”

“Not yet, anyway,” Primrose said, getting a dirty look from Ava. “Ah… it’s an ugly situation. Creepy older guy basically claimed her while she was still a minor, waited until she was eighteen and proposed. And now he’s financially supporting her family, who would be really struggling without his help.”

I felt a little—dizzy, looking between them. Ava wouldn’t look at me, didn’t say a word, just… ashamed. Above all else, even though she tried to look like she was irritable, moody, snappy, she was just—how wouldn’t she be ashamed, though? What was more demeaning than being used as property like that?

Ava scratched her arm. “Quit looking at me like that. That’s the worst fucking part. I don’t want pity. I just want to be able to make my own decisions instead of… forget it.”

Primrose folded her hands in her lap. “Parents haven’t had much luck with steady work, and her sister racks up a lot of hospital bills. So… kind of a rock and a hard place, is what she was saying to me.”

The way Primrose said it was so… cautious, restrained. She really wanted to get her hands around the guy’s neck, but she’d probably already said her peace to Ava.

Ava stood up with a heavy sigh. “I said, forget it. Just don’t talk about it. Please. That’s all I want.”

“Either parent have a college degree?” I said, and Ava shot me a look.

“What’s that got to do with anything? Giving them life advice on how to manage their finances?”

“Work with me here. If no, then… phone skills? Maybe able to pick up some database skills? I could pull some favors… Dad’s company can always use an extra office employee.”

Ava turned to face me, dropping her arms by her sides. “What?”

“I think you said at some point you’re second-generation, right? I know one team with a diversity recruitment drive that could get them up in line, especially if I make some subtle requests. Get family health insurance extended on day one. Not a big ask with them, just kind of have to know where and how to ask.”

Ava stared at me, her lips parted, blinking fast. “Mom’s done some coding,” she said, finally. “Could probably learn SQL or something pretty handily…”

“Even better if it’s a woman. These departments don’t have nearly enough women or immigrants, and I know they’re tired of falling short on the diversity numbers.”

“I don’t know if insurance would fix everything.”

I laughed. “I know the right people to harass to get insurance claims… revisited. We’d just have to annoy them on your family’s case two or three times before they realize trying to deny you isn’t worth the trouble.”

“But…” She shoved her hands in her pockets, hunching her shoulders. “It’s not that simple.”

“Why not?”

She didn’t say anything, her gaze on the floor, a distant expression on her face. I stood up, feeling lighter, and Primrose stood up with me, giving me an incredulous smile.

“Give her my contact information.”

“I don’t know why you want to help,” Ava said quietly.

“Ah, well, you know. Trying to be a good FIRE member so I can impress my girlfriend, the big boss. It’s definitely not because I like you as a friend, because you don’t do that whole thing.”

“Damn straight I don’t,” she laughed, looking away. “I’ll, uh… pass your contact along. Guess, uh… guess I’m glad Primrose is gay.”

“And speaking of me being gay,” Primrose said, looping her arm under mine. “I’m going with my girlfriend to have dinner now, and it sounds like Butterflies is excited about a special night with you two tonight. Maybe you can pass along some good news, too.”

Ava put a hand over her face, looking away. “Ah, shut up. I’ll talk to you if I want to hear from you.”

Poor girl had spent so long thinking she just had to deal with this quietly in isolation… she probably needed a minute. “See you later, Kittycat.”

Primrose was quiet on the whole walk out of the building and down to my car, and it was only once I’d shut the driver’s side door behind me and the overhead light came on that she looked over from the passenger’s side and laughed, shaking her head, the biggest smile on her face. “Giselle, have I mentioned that you’re amazing?”

I looked away. “I mean, I always want you to compliment me, but… I’m just doing what anyone would do, just have more resources to work with than most people.”

“It’s absolutely not just what anyone would do. You really think it’s going to work out…?”

“Her mom moved to another country and raised a bunch of kids while working, struggling to get by, including a kid who seems to be pretty sickly. She’s probably one hell of a hard worker and good at navigating bureaucracy. She’ll be a good employee.”

“You just figured that whole thing out for her in, like, thirty seconds.”

“You’re going to get me embarrassed over here…” I scratched my head. She laughed, resting her head on my shoulder.

“And I get to be your passenger princess on top of it all. You’re really a dream come true.”

“Are you trying to embarrass me more?” Not that I ever wanted this to stop—Primrose leaning against me, soft and sweet, that warm and rich laugh she had, telling me all the things I wanted to hear most.

“You’re cute when you blush, so yeah, I always am,” she laughed, turning and planting a kiss on my shoulder. I kissed the top of her head, and she moved and met my lips, kissing slow, lingering there, before she parted, tracing her fingertips over my cheek.

“Am I blushing right now, then?” I said, and she smiled.

“Yeah.”

“Dammit.”

She laughed, nuzzling the tip of her nose against mine. “It’s cute. Well, now that you’re done solving someone’s entire life crisis in about two seconds and helping plan an entire organization with me, do you want to go out for this dinner with the parents at a luxurious restaurant downtown?”

“Please. I’m dying under this kind of attention.”

“I mean it,” she said, her brows knotting together in that achingly sweet smile. “I can’t believe how lucky I got with you… how lucky I was that you gave me a second chance. You have no idea how much that means…”

“I—I feel the same way,” I said, my throat tight, heart beating faster. The whole situation was so beautifully romantic all of a sudden, the night sky filled with stars, the trees filled with their autumn colors swaying in the breeze around the car, Primrose’s music playing softly from the speakers right where we’d left it when I turned the car off last. “You know I’m never going to forget the way you risked everything for me. Not even just to be with me, just… for my sake. You have no idea how much that means.”

She smiled until her eyes were almost shut, crinkling at the corners. “I’m still going to kill Ava for giving you my journal, though.”

I laughed. “You and Ava have been ready to kill each other for a while.”

“Touché.” She sighed, happily, contentedly—perfectly—as she fluttered her eyes shut. “I love you…”

My heart jumped, and—when I thought it might be exhilarating, almost terrifying, it just felt comfortable. Felt right. Like we were always meant to be like this. I rested my forehead against hers, slipping my hand to the back of her head, holding her lightly against me.

“I love you, too, Primrose.”

Even with my eyes closed, I could feel her smiling wider, letting out a cute little half-giggle. “I’m going to pull off that axel someday.”

“You know, now that we’re officially dating and my parents love you, there’s no chance they won’t just invite you anyway the next time we go.”

“Mm-hm. So I have to pull it off before then. On my honor as your girlfriend.”

Ah, well, if it was on her honor, who was I to argue? “You’re getting pretty good on the ice. I think it’s not too far off.”

“Better be. Just wait till we get to the rink tomorrow.”

I was looking forward to tomorrow. Looking forward to a lot of tomorrows with this woman.