Epilogue

Julian

T he following April, my family made the trip from Atlanta to watch the Carnegies perform at the Savannah Music Festival. There was a VIP section near the stage reserved for the special guests of the bands performing each day, so we joined Coy, Dallas, and Reno at the Carnegie's table and feasted on steak, shrimp, corn on the cob, coleslaw, black-eyed peas, and garlic toast while waiting for the performances to begin.

A lanky cowboy with a broad white hat jogged onto the stage to kick off the night, then welcomed the Carnegies to the stage. The family band was a local favorite and received raucous applause. My eyes zeroed in on my man, who wore dark jeans and a white tank top that showed off his sculpted arms and perfect chest.

I leaned toward my mom and said, "Don't start throwing undergarments or rush the stage when the shirt comes off."

Denver approached the microphone and thanked the audience for the warm welcome. He introduced the members of the band, then started right in on their first set of the night. I'd seen them play dozens of times, but they never failed to amaze me. The five of them were always so perfectly in sync. They covered songs from multiple eras and genres with Denver doing most of the singing. I knew they'd each get a rotation on the various instruments and a turn at the microphone, so I wasn't surprised when Christopher stood up and walked out from behind his drum kit.

"Ohhh," Lulu said. "I bet the shirt is coming off. Wooohoooo." She looked over at me and winked. "What? You didn't say anything about me behaving. Where do you think your mama learned it?"

Mom smiled sheepishly and winked. "I spent summers with Aunt Lulu as a kid too."

When Christopher accepted an electric guitar from Denver and walked to the microphone, I forgot all about my two favorite cougars. "This song is for Julian. It's called ‘Just Say Yes.'"

The waterworks started before he even launched into the Snow Patrol song. I felt everyone at the table staring at me, but I couldn't look away from Christopher as he sang to me. The rest of the Carnegies added their voices to the chorus, and they harmonized perfectly. And I knew it wasn't just Christopher asking me to join their family. When the last note faded, Christopher hopped off the stage and walked to our table.

I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him while the crowd around us cheered and the Carnegies chanted, "Just say yes! Just say yes!" into their microphones.

I pulled back and stared into the amber eyes I loved so much. "Yes!"

The End!

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