Epilogue

EMORY

My backyard looks nothing like it did this morning.

Warm, glowing string lights are strung from the trees, and there's a makeshift dance floor in the middle of the yard that I know for a fact Ford will be on in a matter of minutes.

It's a balmy spring evening with a nice breeze, but the suit I'm wearing is still suffocating. I know the feeling will disappear the moment Scottie walks out of the French doors, though, because that's how it is when I lay eyes on her.

She's all I see and think about.

"What do you think?" Taytum slides up beside me and gestures to the decorations.

I reach my arm around my sister. "Scottie will love it."

"I take full responsibility." She smiles.

Her best friend, Claire, pops up from her husband's chest. "Hey! I helped."

Theo pulls her back toward him with a grin on his face.

I'm surrounded by friends and family, teammates, and probably the most important person–William.

He leans against a tree with his hands in his pockets, seemingly looking anxious while staring at the French doors.

I get it.

I feel anxious when Scottie isn't near too.

It didn't take long to get him out of prison, considering the evidence putting him there was completely skewed. Unfortunately, according to the new attorney that selflessly stepped forward after catching wind of the media, William was an easy target, and the investigators on his case ran with it even though there were holes in the story leading to his conviction.

What they thought was an easy confession turned out to be a nightmare shortly after an appeal was made.

Scottie fought like hell to get William the help he needed shortly after he was released. With the help of the fans who were fully invested in our lives after the drama, William had a social worker lined up, and he's on his way to being a successful member of society despite his diagnosis.

He even has his own place with a few other people who are also under the care of the social worker.

"Where is Ford?" I ask my sister. He's been the most welcoming to William.

Because, well, that's just Ford.

Taytum looks like she's up to something.

I glance at our dad, who is talking to Coach Jacobs. My mom is off playing with Ellie while

Rhodes stands awkwardly beside his nanny, who he's pretending not to be obsessed with.

Most of the team is obsessed with her, actually, making jokes every other practice about how they want to ask her out, only for Rhodes to threaten to throw them through a locker a moment later.

The French doors open, and we all turn to look. My heart beats out of my chest, and a hush of silence moves through the backyard.

"For fuck's sake," I mutter, seeing that it isn't my wife.

Taytum can't keep it together. A laugh begins to slip from her lips, and before I know it, most of the backyard has erupted in laughter.

"Biscotti, anyone?" Ford wafts his arms out in front of him, showing off the absolute ridiculous costume he's wearing.

"Where the hell did he even manage to find a biscotti costume?"

Taytum turns to me and smiles.

"Was this your idea?" I ask. "Real funny."

She shakes her head and smiles. "Our little Scottie Biscotti has jokes."

Of course. I shake my head. I know exactly why Scottie set this up.

My girl doesn't like attention, and by sending Ford out first—in a biscotti costume, no less—she thinks everyone will be distracted, and they won't notice her .

How wrong she is, though.

When I turn and see her, my world tilts.

My beautiful, compassionate, mouthy wife slowly enters the backyard with her white Converse peeking out from her floor-length, simple, silk dress. It's cut low in the front, and with her hair up in a loose bun, I can't help but stutter over my thoughts.

I walk to her, and everyone else disappears, even Ford in his biscotti costume.

"God damn," I mutter, wrapping an arm around her waist. She peeks up at me with her shy eyes, and I watch the pink spread across her cheeks. "You're beautiful."

"Stop it," she whispers, trying to hide a smile.

"Can I cancel the party? Everyone already knows we're married. I'd rather take you back upstairs."

"No way. Do you know how hard it was to get Ford in that costume?"

I chuckle. "Nice touch. Thought we'd all be so distracted by him that we wouldn't see you, huh?"

She nibbles on her glossy lip. "You know me too well."

"And I love every part."

Her smile warms me. I intertwine our fingers and face the crowd. I raise our joined hands, and Ford shouts from the dance floor, speaking into the microphone, "Let's give it up for Mr. and Mrs. Emory Olson, everybody!"

An applause hits our ears, and I gently pull my wife toward my parents, who are waiting to give us a hug. I watch as William pushes off the tree and heads for us. I move to stand off to the side, but he catches me by surprise and holds out his hand to me.

"Thank you, Emory," he says, shaking my hand. "For everything."

I nod once and watch as he hugs his sister. My chest is tight, and my heart does this weird movement that only ever happens when I know Scottie is happy. Like it can't beat properly if she is anything but.

Scottie pulls back and smiles at William. Her eyes twinkle, and there's a shiny gloss filling them the longer she stares into his eyes.

But then, there's a little hand tugging on Scottie's dress, and she glances at Ellie, whose nanny is off to the side, watching the entire interaction. Scottie bends down and gets on her level. Ellie whispers in her ear, and suddenly, I want to be privy to their conversation.

After they stand, she and Ellie walk over to me, and I raise my eyebrows. "Telling secrets, are we?"

Ellie holds something out for me to take with a hopeful look in her eye. I bend to inspect it further.

"What's this?" I ask, watching her dangle a bracelet with blue and black beads in front of my face.

"I made you a bracelet."

"Me?" I ask, unable to hide my shock.

She nods. "Well, I made Scottie one, but then I realized that you needed one too. It's a wedding gift."

With a father as grumpy as hers, I have no idea how she can be so damn sweet.

Scottie holds out her delicate wrist, and I drop my head with a chuckle. The word Biscotti is surrounded by gold and blue beads. I have a feeling that has something to do with Rhodes and his silent way of joking.

I hold my own wrist out, and Ellie slides a bracelet onto it.

Biscotti Lover.

"Nice touch." I wink at Ellie, and she giggles.

I swoop her up, and a gleeful giggle leaves her mouth. "Wanna go show Scottie how to dance?"

Ellie nods her head with excitement.

I catch Scottie's pretty grin, and we all head to the dance floor to celebrate being Mr. and Mrs. Olson, once and for all.

The End