Epilogue

Three months later…

"We really didn't plan this very well," Juliette murmured to herself, even as a little voice inside her head assured her that it was fine.

But looking around, she worried over everything. They had moved into their new house in Montecito less than a week ago, and she had just finished unpacking the last box. Everything was in its place and no one would be able to tell that they had just moved in, but she was exhausted.

The house had been only the third one they'd looked at, but as soon as they'd pulled up to it, she'd known it was the one. Simon had readily agreed. It looked like something out of an Italian village to her and the Mediterranean architecture sealed the deal. The house had five bedrooms, six bathrooms, indoor and outdoor living spaces, a media room, a room for a studio for Simon, and the best part? It had views of the Santa Ynez mountains. The view from their bedroom was positively breathtaking and it was hard to believe this was their home.

Then there was the condo in Brooklyn they'd purchase the month before. So saying life had been busy was an understatement.

Today was a big deal because Simon's family was arriving for the private screening of the tour film. Tomorrow was the public premiere, but they were hosting the private viewing here at the house tonight with just family and friends. All of the guestrooms were going to be used—Noah and Lily had one, Jax had another, Simon's mother had one, and then Nikki, Celia, and Alex had the last one. It was going to be wonderful having everyone here and showing off the house, but she'd never entertained on this scale and it made her just a wee bit twitchy.

All around her, caterers and the event planner's staff were scurrying around and all she wanted was a few minutes to herself to breathe. As if on cue, Simon came strolling toward her.

"Hey, beautiful. How about joining me for a little snack outside?"

Juliette glanced over his shoulder. "The rental people are out there setting up the tent. I don't want to get in the way."

"Hmm…okay. How about the bedroom?" He waggled his eyebrows at her. "I was thinking some fresh fruit, maybe a small charcuterie…a couple of cookies…"

"Are you insane? We can't go in the kitchen and make all of that! The caterer's in there working on the food for tonight!"

"Hang on one sec," he said before walking away. She was standing in the middle of their living room wondering if she should have gotten more fresh flowers when Simon returned with a tray. "Like I was going to go in the kitchen and disturb anyone. Pfft…"

"Then where did that tray of food come from?"

"I simply asked and they said it was no trouble. Easy."

"Simon…"

With a nod of his head, he led her to their master suite and closed the door behind them. There was a small seating area in their room, and he placed the tray down there before going back and locking the door.

"Sit, my beautiful girl, and breathe. Everything is going great."

She sat, but she didn't believe him. "It just feels like I'm forgetting something." Then she yawned. "Sleep. That's what it is. I've forgotten to sleep."

Grinning, he picked up an apple slice and fed it to her. "I know. It's been fun christening all the rooms in this place."

And it had been, but she was paying for it now.

"I'm afraid I'm going to fall asleep later and embarrass myself." That's when she noticed there were two steaming mugs of coffee on the tray. "You thought of everything."

"I just know what you need. And if I'm being honest, what I need. I can tour the world and put on concerts and feel like I can stay up for days, but moving into a house was way more exhausting."

They ate in companionable silence for several minutes when Simon's phone dinged with an incoming text.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"Noah. He said they'll be here in fifteen. Mom and Jax are with them."

That meant rest time was almost over.

Dammit.

So she made sure to eat a little more and drink her coffee, because once his family started to arrive, it meant everyone else was close behind. Dinner was set for six outside in the tent, followed dessert and then the premier of the film.

Tomorrow's screening was really just for publicity's sake. They would walk the red carpet and Simon would do interviews. It was more about the footage of him going into the theater than anything. Oddly, she was more relaxed about that than she was about tonight. She hadn't seen the film yet, but Simon had. She'd asked about it and begged for some clips, but he'd held firm and said he wanted her to be surprised.

Although, she had no idea how she was possibly going to be surprised when she'd seen his concert live every time he performed it for the last four months. Still, it was cute that he wanted the whole thing to be seen for the first time by everyone around him.

Mick and his wife were joining them tonight and so were the members of the band, but that was it.

"Take one more bite," Simon urged her, holding up the last cube of cheese. "Everything's going to be great." Standing, he kissed her. "You're beautiful and it's time to show off our house. You ready?"

It wasn't like she had a choice, but when the doorbell rang out in the distance, she smiled and followed Simon out of their room to greet his family.

Tonight was the night.

Simon stared at his reflection for several long moments and felt the kind of jitters he had the very first time he stepped out on stage in the third-grade chorus concert. Oddly enough, he had some things in common with that day so long ago: then, it was his first time on stage in front of his friends and family, and tonight was his first time being the subject of a movie that was premiering in front of his friends and family.

And just like that chorus concert, he had big plans for the finale.

He had the solo at the end of that concert—something he didn't tell anyone about in advance. Afterwards, his mother had taken him out for an ice cream sundae, and it had been like a dream come true at the time. They never had money to do anything special like that, so the fact that she found a way to make it happen had always meant so much to him. Tonight he was hoping to make another dream come true.

The knock on the bathroom door broke him out of his reverie.

"Hey, you okay in there?" Juliette asked. "Dinner's ready and everyone's heading out to the tent."

One last look at himself, he nodded and walked over to open the door. Smiling, he gave Juliette a quick kiss. "It's my big night and maybe I feel like being a diva and making an entrance."

She snorted with laughter but didn't correct him.

Together, they joined their guests out in the beautifully decorated tent. There was a long table with seating for 24 people. There were flowers and candles and soft music and it humbled him that this was all to celebrate this achievement.

"There's the man of the hour!" Jax called out. "Finally!"

He and Juliette took their seats and then food was being served, wine was being poured, and conversation flowed. Simon sat at the head of the table and let out a long, quiet breath. Juliette sat to his right, his mom to his left, and that's whose hand rested on his arm.

"I'm so proud of you," she said, leaning in close. "I've been with you at awards shows and to tons of your concerts, but this is just so…surreal."

Smiling, he had to agree. "Thanks, Mom."

"And the house is amazing!" she went on. "The pictures didn't do it justice. It's the perfect home for you and Juliette."

"Thank you. When we pulled up to it that first day, I took one look at her face and I knew she was in love with it. Then I started walking around and felt the same way." Reaching for his glass, he felt like he needed to share part of this journey with her. "I never thought I'd do this—buy a house and do the whole settling down thing."

"Well, you haven't exactly settled down yet," she murmured. "I understand that people move in together without getting married all the time, but…I thought maybe one of my boys would walk down the aisle first."

"There's always Jax," he teased, and when she snorted, it made him laugh. "Believe me, I thought Noah would have gone the more traditional route too, but he's so happy. I mean…just look at him."

At that moment, Noah was feeding Lily a forkful of crab cake and he was laughing and smiling and looking completely at ease.

"She's so good for him," his mother said before looking over at Juliette, who was talking animatedly with Celia. "And she's so good for you. You've always been a happy person, Simon, but since you met Juliette, it's on a whole other level. This relationship has given you a sort of inner peace that I think has been missing."

Again, he had to agree.

For the next ninety minutes, they ate and talked until he thought he'd go mad. When it was finally time to head to the media room, he was the first one on his feet. It was another thirty minutes before everyone was seated and they each had their personalized snack trays handed to them. The event planner had thought that doing snack trays with popcorn, candy, and a drink would enhance the movie experience, and he and Juliette had readily agreed.

At last, it was showtime.

The film opened in black and white with backstage footage, all very candid. There was the chaos that he'd grown accustomed to, and it was fascinating to see it from this perspective. Then came the rush of his entire team as they headed for the stage. The camera stayed several feet behind him as he talked to his lead guitarist, Sammy. They were laughing about something, but you couldn't hear what they were saying. The only sound was of the roar of the crowd in the distance, with it growing louder the closer he got to the stage. The two of them shook hands and Simon wished everyone luck as he jogged up the stairs to take his place.

The words "The Power of You" came up on the screen in the font and style that matched the album cover, and then the film turned to color as Simon took the stage and began to sing.

It wasn't just the concert, however. There were some random interviews—some with him, some with the band or Nikki, or his family. But mostly, it was a concert in its entirety.

Up on the screen, he and the band were taking their final bow after a second encore, and that should have been the end, but another interview popped up.

"Simon," the off-screen interviewer said to him. "Writing your own music can be incredibly personal. What inspires you the most?"

He grinned at the camera before answering. "We've all experienced love and heartbreak, and, even if you haven't, it's very easy to imagine what it would feel like and to draw from that. I'm a very passionate person who is also very empathetic. So for me, writing love songs is…I wouldn't say easy, but maybe easier than for most."

Again, the off-screen interviewer spoke. "Do you have any particular song that is…maybe the most personal you've ever written?"

Another grin. "I believe you have some exclusive footage for the fans, don't you?" Then he nodded. "This was the first time we ever played ‘Indescribable Love' so it's a bit rough around the edges, but I promise it sounds a lot better on the album. Enjoy."

Back to black and white, the footage of him on the stage the day Juliette came back to him in Buffalo. Beside him in the media room, he turned his head and saw her smiling at the screen, mesmerized. Simon found himself silently singing along and then holding Juliette's hand as they watched him jump off the stage on screen and go to her.

"Oh God," she whispered. "I look terrible!"

"Nonsense," he murmured, kissing her cheek. "You're beautiful. Always."

The entire scene played out and when they were kissing, the screen faded to black and the tour title flashed again before the credits rolled.

Everyone was on their feet clapping, and Simon stood and smiled, thanking them all. His mother had Juliette's attention, as he had instructed her to do while he got into position. When his mother glanced at him, he nodded, and the entire room went silent.

For a moment, Juliette looked around in confusion before spotting him down on one knee. Her hands flew to her mouth as her eyes went wide.

Holding up the five-carat ring with the halo setting, Simon gently cleared his throat. "That song is everything I feel for you, my sweet Juliette. You bring out the absolute best in me, and make me a better man. I always thought I was happy, but I realized I was leading a very one-dimensional life. Everything I am, everything I create, is because of you. I fell in love with your feisty attitude, your infectious laughter, and your cooking."

Everyone laughed.

"But more than anything, I fell in love with you. You are enough, Juliette. You are everything. I love you and want you to be not just my partner in business, but in life. Will you marry me?"

Her hands were still over her mouth, but she nodded. Simon took her left hand and slid the ring onto her finger before they kissed.

"It really is just like in the movies!" Jax called out as everyone clapped.

This was much better than an ice cream sundae to celebrate, but maybe they'd have one later anyway.