Epilogue

One Year Later

The cork pops with a crack like a gunshot and shoots across the room, making everybody around the table cheer and howl with laughter. Hunter pours me a glass of bubbly with a wide smile on his face and signals for the wait staff to pour for everybody else. I look around the table, feeling my heart swell as everybody raises their glasses to me. The love I feel emanating from everybody at the table is palpable and so overwhelming, I have to fight off the tears.

We're sitting in a private room at a nice restaurant. Hunter made all the plans and put together the guest list in secret. When we walked in and I saw everybody gathered around the table, I couldn't stop the tears of joy from falling. Joy and relief, to be honest. I've been working so hard for this for what feels like a lifetime and to have finally achieved my goal, my dream, the emotions roiling around inside of me are overpowering. My dad is seated to my right. He takes my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm proud of you, sweetheart," he says.

"We both are," my mom, seated to his right, chimes in. "Very proud of you."

"Thank you guys. I'm just so glad you're here," I reply.

"Where else would be on your big day, sweetheart?" my dad says.

Over the past year, I've gotten to know some of Hunter's friends from the fire station, and he's gotten to know my family. Because of the age difference between us, my folks were skeptical, of course. I think my father still is a little. But they've gotten to know him, and they're coming to love him as much as I do. They can see just how good of a man he is, how amazingly well he treats me, and just how happy he makes me.

My dad said he couldn't really ask for more than that from somebody I'm in love with. Grudgingly, but he said it.

Hunter's friends have been warm and accepting as well. From the start, they've taken me in as one of their own. Of course, they've razzed Hunter about dating somebody so much younger than he is, making the obligatory babysitter and Girl Scout jokes, but it's always been meant in good fun. And surprisingly, rather than get irate about it, Hunter has just rolled with it, usually firing back at them with something. The camaraderie is really special, and I've started to think of these guys as family too.

Hunter gets to his feet. "Okay, let me get your attention for a minute."

The table falls silent, and everybody turns to Hunter. He looks at me with a wide smile and the unmistakable light of love and pride in his eyes.

"First of all, I wanted to thank you all for coming," Hunter says. "Today is a big day in Harlow's life. Maybe the biggest. She's worked hard to make this dream a reality, and today, we get to share her joy in finally making it happen."

Cheers and applause ripple around the table, and my parents look at me like they're so proud, they could burst. The fact that Hunter put this all together for me, to celebrate me, puts a smile on my face I don't know I'll ever be able to get off. In all the many, different ways he makes me feel special, this ranks right near the top. Probably because Hunter isn't normally very outwardly sentimental and isn't prone to big displays of emotion—privately with me, he's much different of course—so, to have him fussing and gushing over me this way means a lot.

"Harlow, I can't tell you how proud of you I am. Your courage, strength, and fortitude are amazing and inspire me every day. Congratulations on finishing your program and becoming an official, full-fledged RN. You are going to do great things and save a lot of lives," he says.

Thunderous applause erupts around the table as people cheer and congratulate me. My face grows warm, and I look down, embarrassed at the attention I'm receiving. I know I should be basking in the spotlight for a change, if only for a day, but I've never been good with being the center of attention. Unless it's Hunter's attention, of course. The applause and cheering taper off, and all eyes turn to Hunter who obviously isn't done speaking yet.

"On a personal level, your impact on my life can't be measured. You've changed me in more ways than I can count," he says. "You continue to change me every single day. More than that, you make me want to be a better man. And for that, I am forever grateful to you."

"And you've changed me too, baby. I'm more than grateful to you as well," I say, my voice breathy and trembling.

Hunter looks at my dad, who gives him a nod and a smile with a strange glint in his eye. My mom's eyes well with tears, and she looks at me with a strange sense of nostalgia on her face. I turn back to Hunter to find him down on one knee with an open box in his hand. As the light sparkles off the diamond ring, I clamp my hands over my mouth, stifling a gasp. I can't stop the tears from rolling down my face.

"Harlow White, you have made me happier than I ever thought I could be," he says. "But it would make me even happier if you did me the honor of becoming my wife."

With tears streaming down my cheeks, I turn to my parents, both of whom have tears in their eyes as well. With a trembling hand, I wipe away my tears and draw a deep, shuddering breath.

"Did you know about this?" I ask.

My dad nods. "Hunter stopped by the house a week ago to ask permission."

I turn back to Hunter. "That seems kind of old-fashioned."

He shrugs. "I respect tradition. And it seemed like the right thing to do."

"It definitely was the right thing to do. I like a man who respects tradition," my dad chimes in. "But uh… honey? Are you going to give the man an answer?"

I spin back around, eyes wide, to find Hunter still down on a knee, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"I'm so sorry," I exclaim. "Yes. Of course, I'll marry you. Yes!"

As the room erupts with more applause and cheering, Hunter scoops me up and spins me around as he kisses me. We laugh together as he sets me back down and slips the ring on my finger. After that, everybody files over to give us hugs and to congratulate us. It's then that I see Micah slip into the room with a tall, willowy redhead on his arm. He gives me a wave and a smile as he makes his way over to us.

"Micah made it," I say.

Hunter smiles. "Good. I was hoping he would."

For six months after Hunter confronted Micah in his apartment, they didn't speak. True to his word, though, Hunter went to that restaurant, Dotello's, at 7 PM every Friday and sat for an hour, just waiting. For six months, he sat alone for that hour. He was hurt, and I hated to see him in pain, but he never let himself get discouraged, and he never gave up. And then one night, Micah showed up. And they've spent the past six months working on their relationship.

Things were understandably tense and tentative. To some extent, they still are. But I'm happy to see that things between them seem to be getting better. I can see the burden that's beginning to lift from Hunter's shoulders and see more of a lightness about him lately now that he and Micah seem to be on a little better footing.

Through it all, though, he never lets what's going on between him and Micah affect us. He treats me like a queen.

My relationship with Micah, however, remains very much a work in progress. Most of the time, we're cordial at best. Knowing there are still some tough feelings and even tougher conversations that need to be had, Hunter does his best to keep us from being around one another until we're both ready to have those talks. He acts as a much-needed buffer between us. So, frankly, I'm a little surprised that Micah showed up today. But it seems to make Hunter happy, so I'm glad about that. Nothing, not even Micah, is going to take the shine off my day.

Micah walks over to us and gives his dad an embrace that's still somewhat stiff and awkward but has some genuine warmth behind it. He steps back and gives me a smile that, to my astonishment, looks sincere. He stands there awkwardly for a moment and puts his hand on the small of the redhead's back.

I can't put my finger on what it is, but there's something different about Micah. There's a glimmer in his eye and a glow about him I've never seen before. And for a moment, he looks shy. Awkward. But one thing I don't feel is the usual tension and anger that tend to fill a room when Hunter and Micah are together. And then it hits me. Micah's happy.

"Dad, Harlow, this Aubrey," he introduces her. "We've been seeing each other for a few months now, so I thought it was time I introduced you to her."

Hunter beams as he shakes Aubrey's hand. Then, she turns to me, so I do the same and give her a warm welcome. She's stunning and has a real presence about her. She doesn't seem like somebody Micah would have dated in the past. She's far too strong. I'm sensing this isn't just some casual thing between her and Micah, but something deeper. More than that, I'm feeling some seismic shift in him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Aubrey says. "Micah's told me a lot about you."

"The pleasure is ours," Hunter says.

"And congratulations," Micah says with a smile, gesturing to the ring on my finger. "I'm really happy for you guys."

"You knew too, I take it?" I ask.

He nods, his smile widening. "My dad told me he was planning on proposing about a week ago. I went with him to look at the rings."

"I'm always the last to know," I say with a grin.

Micah shifts on his feet, and a look of uncertainty flashes across his face. He looks at Hunter and quickly turns away, turning to me instead. I get the sense there's something he wants to say but is having trouble finding the words.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

He nods. "Yeah, I'm good," he says and turns to Aubrey. "I'm really good, actually."

"I can see you want to say something," Hunter says. "Spit it out, kid."

"I just…"

He turns to Aubrey again, who gives him an encouraging nod. "Go ahead, babe."

Micah takes her hand and gives it a squeeze, seeming to draw strength from her. He stands up a little straighter and looks directly into Hunter's eyes, a small smile and a strange look on his face.

"I … I was accepted into the Fire Academy today," he says slightly hesitantly, but with a ring of pride in his voice. "I'm going to follow in your footsteps and become a firefighter."

The moment the words passed Micah's lips, Hunter pulls his son into a tight embrace, the unmistakable light of pride on his face. Neither of us knew Micah had been working toward getting into the Fire Academy. Toward building a career. I look at Aubrey again and realize he's working on building a life.

"I'm proud of you, kid," Hunter says, his voice thick.

"Thanks, Dad," he says, then turns to me. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

"Go," Hunter says. "I'll introduce your lovely girlfriend to the guys."

Micah gives him a nod and leads me over to a quiet corner of the room. He slips his hands into his pockets and looks around, shifting on his feet. He licks his lips, clears his throat, and runs a hand through his hair, seemingly unable to stand still.

"Congratulations on getting into the academy. That's amazing."

He nods and says nothing, but I can't help but see the pride on his face. It's a major accomplishment and I'm happy for him.

"Aubrey seems nice."

He can't keep the smile off his lips. "She's amazing."

"You're different, Micah."

"Yeah. She's … she's helped me think a lot about my life."

"I think that's a good thing. A great thing."

"Yeah. It's long overdue."

His voice grows softer, and we stand in silence for a minute. Whatever he has to say seems to be stuck in his throat.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

He clears his throat and clenches his jaw, seeming to be working up to whatever it is he has to say. I stand back and give him the time and space to get it out.

"Well, the first thing is I wanted to tell you how happy I am for you and my dad," he says. "I mean it. You guys are good together, and I've never seen him as happy as he is with you."

"That's a two-way street. I've never been happier in my life."

"That's good, Harlow. That's really good."

"Thanks."

"So, listen…" He clears his throat again. "What I also wanted to say was that I owe you an apology and?—"

"You don't have to apologize?—"

"I do. I owe you that much at least," he says. "I treated you horribly. I was awful to you. I see and understand that now, and I want to say I'm sorry. For everything."

His voice is slow and halting but rings with sincerity. My heart swells and tears well in my eyes for the thousandth time today, choking me with emotion. Unable to form anything resembling a coherent word, I throw my arms around Micah and pull him into a tight, warm embrace. And just like that, years' worth of angst and animosity fall away.

"Thank you," I finally manage to croak out. "That means a lot."

"It's the least I could do. But I promise that I'm going to make up for being such an asshole to you and my dad," he replies.

I take his hand and squeeze it. "I think you already have."

He smiles and lets out a breath of relief. It's as if the thousand-pound weight he's been carrying on his shoulders for so long has been lifted. He seems lighter. Freer. And his smile is easier and more genuine.

"Come on," I say. "Let's get back to the party. And I want to hear all about Aubrey."

"She's changed my life," he says.

"I can't wait to hear all about her."

As we walk over to where Hunter is introducing Aubrey to the rest of his guys, my heart skips a beat in my chest as I watch him interacting with Micah. The wall between them has crumbled. The gap has been bridged. And they finally look like a father and son.

I didn't know I could be any happier or that this day could get any better. But it has. And I know it's only going to get better from here. I don't know what I've done to deserve this bounty of joy, but I'm grateful for it.