Epilogue

T en months with Madison and nothing but perfection. Okay, maybe not perfection, but the way our imperfections bounce off each other? Spicy as hell.

Since the night in the treehouse, we’ve been inseparable. Had I thought Paris romantic before? It is ten-times better with her by my side. My time with Madison is beyond anything I can ever describe. Our lives ended up in New York, while still commuting every now and again back to Willowcreek to help Madison’s mother when she needs it.

However, this time we’re all gathering, once again at Mrs. Kendall's house. The project is finally completed and the grand opening of the clubhouse nears. All of that is in the back of my mind, though. I am preparing to ask the most important question someone can ask, but no matter how sure I felt about it this morning, the more the realization sinks in with what I’m going to do today, the more nervous I become .

“Hey, hey!” Sam calls out from the kitchen the moment I enter the house. Madison had already made her way here a few hours ago to help Sam and the others set up for Kylie's baby shower.

Everyone is supposed to be here. Friends, Family… hell Allison had a huge conversation with Madison about the pastries and cupcakes that Kylie wanted. Something to do with her recent addiction to carrot cake and macarons.

The moment I walk into the kitchen, I stop dead in my tracks. Madison and Sam have appetizers and desserts literally scattered everywhere and in between it all is Kylie—taste-testing every single thing present while Dante tries to convince her to sit down.

“Kylie, please, babe. Why don’t we take you outside so they can finish?”

“Oh my God,” she grumbles, shoving a small sandwich into her mouth. “I’m hanging out with my friends and I’m starving. It’s not my fault that I’m hungry.”

Hearing Kylie talk to Dante like that surprises me. She’s usually quiet and more reserved, but the glare she is giving him right now as she shoves the last bite of the sandwich into her mouth brings a smile to my face. Because damn… I never knew that woman could make Dante submit the way he is right now.

With a heavy sigh, he turns, shaking his head as Sam hands him a platter, instructing him out the door.

“Well, now… never thought I’d see Dante back down.” The girls’ eyes all turn to me and Madison smiles, rushing over to place a kiss on my lips.

“You finally made it!” She beams with delight. “Did you manage to grab the rest of that stuff from Mom’s house?”

I lift up the large canvas bag with decorations to show her. She takes it before planting another kiss on my lips. “You’re amazing. I’ll take these out to Knox and Asher. Everyone should be arriving soon.”

She quickly disappears, and the moment she does, Sam and Kylie turn on me.

“Are you ready?” Sam asks before Kylie can get a word out.

I sigh, knowing exactly what she’s talking about. I’d been planning to propose to Madison for months, but never found the right time. One conversation with Asher and it got leaked to Sam, who called Kylie, who insisted today was going to be the day I did it. Telling me that it couldn’t be more perfect than with everyone together .

“Guys… I really don’t think that today is the day. It’s your baby shower, Kylie.”

Her eyes widen slightly before narrowing as she crosses her arms over her chest and stares at me. “Exactly… It’s my baby shower and I want this as a gift from you. You’ve been nervous about doing it for months now, Jaxson. You know you want to marry her… so, let’s make it happen. Plus, her mom’s going to be here and it will literally make everything perfect.”

I should have known they aren’t going to let this go.

It isn’t that I don’t want to ask her. I do. More than anything, I want to marry Madison. I guess a part of me is just terrified she will say no. I mean, the conversation has been brought up multiple times over the past six months and every time Madison said maybe one day . But will that one day be today?

Fuck… what if she says no?

Deciding against arguing with them, I nod. Kylie gives me a satisfied smile and claps her hands together eagerly before turning back to Sam—just in time for Knox, Asher, Dante, and Madison to come back through the kitchen.

“Hey, Superstar,” I call out to Asher, who comes over to give me a brotherly hug.

“Glad you finally made it. Madison has been busting our ass for hours now to make sure shit gets done. Think I’d rather go play in the Superbowl instead.”

“Hey!” she snaps, turning around to glare at him. “I heard that… and just you wait till Sam has her baby shower one day. She’s an event planner. Imagine how that's going to turn out.”

He groans slightly before giving me a sideways glance. “I’m already going through that with the wedding…” he mutters softly for only me to hear.

“I heard that,” Sam quips, causing both Asher and I to laugh.

Two hours later and the party is in full swing. Everyone that we know has shown up, including most everyone’s parents. Except for mine and Asher’s. Both of us prefer to keep those lives separate from the festivities currently going on. As much as I would like to say things with my parents have improved, they haven’t.

And honestly, I’m okay with that.

Allison, Madison’s mom, has been more than I can ask for. And seeing the two of them smiling and gushing over the different gifts Kylie is receiving only makes me more eager to put a ring on Madison’s finger.

“You ready to have one too?” Dante asks, sliding up to where Knox and I are watching Kylie open her gifts. I’m slightly surprised he’s talking to me. Though we’ve spoken in the past, it isn’t like we’re super close.

“Uh, not any time soon. Madison and I have the new business going, so it’s taking up a lot of our time at the moment.”

“Oh, that’s right.” He nods, taking a sip of his drink. “The events catering business.”

“Yeah, Starlight Premier Catering. I do the food and Madison makes the cakes. We have even partnered with Sam on a few events in New York.”

“Is that right? I’m actually looking to throw a party in a few months to announce a few big changes with my company. I was planning to talk to Sam about the planning part… would you guys be interested in taking care of the food?”

The last thing I was expecting when coming today was to book something with Dante for his business, but I’m grateful nonetheless. “Absolutely. When were you thinking?”

“August. I want to wait until after the baby is born.”

I laugh. “Who imagined that would ever come out of your mouth, Dante?”

Dante and Knox both chuckle. “You got that right,” Knox adds. “Mrs. Kendall sure knew what she was doing in the end, didn’t she?”

“What do you mean?” I ask, my gaze shifting to him with curiosity.

“Well, she brought us all back together. Even if it was in death. She always said we’d be together forever and I mean… she wasn’t wrong.”

Just thinking of how happy Mrs. Kendall would be right now brings a smile to my face. Knox is right. She would absolutely love how things turned out, even though she probably didn’t intend for everything to happen the way it did. Then again, maybe she knew exactly how it would go .

Before I can continue the conversation, my gaze meets Kylie’s who gives me a pointed look. The presents are done, and everyone is talking amongst themselves. Which means the time has come to pull the trigger and take a leap of faith.

Checking one last time that the ring is still in my pocket, I take a deep breath and make my way towards where Madison sits, preparing to give a thank you speech slash… something else.

“Can I have everyone’s attention?” All eyes turn to me, and the masses fall silent.

“As many of you know, things over the past few years have been strained on all of us. And it took Mrs. Kendall passing, God bless her soul, to bring us all back together. This place…” I say gesturing to the house and back garden. “Is where we all began. It’s what started our friendship, and what keeps bringing us back for every major event since she passed.”

Madison’s hand touches my arm, causing me to look down at her as she mouths, what are you doing ? I ignore her and continue.

“But what’s most important, at least to me, is that she brought Madison and I together.” Turning to Madison, I pull the ring from my pocket and get down on one knee next to her. The collective gasps and short oh my God response from Allison is the only approval I need as tears start to fill Madison’s eyes.

“Madison, I love you more than life itself. You’ve been with me through the good and the bad, and I know that we’ve talked about marriage before and how it wasn’t important right now, but… I want to spend every day with you for the rest of my life. I want you to be my partner, now and forever. The ups, the downs… I want to share every moment with you until the end. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

A sob creeps from her throat as she nods her head over and over again. She flings her arms around my neck as she kisses me. “Of course, I’ll marry you, silly.”

Collective cheers erupt from our friends and family as everyone starts clapping. My fingers shake slightly as I slide the ring on to her finger and watch as Kylie, Sam and Allison all awww in approval at her rather large and expensive ring .

She always said she didn’t care about the finer things in life and opted for cheap, but I didn’t want to go that route with her ring. I wanted to spoil her. I want her to know that she deserves everything in life and I plan to give it to her.

Now and always.

Because from here on out, I’m forever home.

THE END