Epilogue

Alice

Tonight is Lola's dance recital for the End of the Year Show, and I can't wait to see her perform on stage. She's been rehearsing a lot these past two months, even demonstrating a few parts to Deacon and me. But she didn't want to give away the whole routine. Deacon and Lola's relationship is still a little rocky at times, but they're both doing their best to make it work.

I'm about to head out when Hayley squeals from her spot in the reading nook. When I glance at her, I notice she's on her phone .

"Hey," I call. "The reading nook is for reading only." We don't have many rules in our apartment, but that one is sacred.

"Exactly," Emma chimes in. She's sitting on the couch, drinking coffee and reading on her Kindle.

Hayley's hand flies to her mouth. "Sorry. I was reading," she says, shaking the paperback she's holding. "But I just saw a notification. Believe me, you're going to want to hear this."

I put my bag down and hustle over to the couch. "What is it?"

"They just announced the cast for the Velvet Kisses movie they're shooting here this summer."

That gets both our attention. After going over every single detail of that contract with our lawyer, Emma finally said it was acceptable. And because of the money and exposure we would get from it—not to mention the cool experience—we said yes.

"Get this," she bubbles while glancing at us, her eyes sparkling. "The female lead is Madison White, and the male lead is Auston Buckley!"

"No way!" I squeal. They're both really famous and have starred in several romcoms I love. I once saw the two of them together as leads, and they had so much chemistry, it was explosive. Probably because they're dating in real life. "I'm excited."

"Same!" Hayley says, kicking her feet.

"Emma?" I turn to her with a frown. She hasn't so much as moved since Hayley told us the news, and she's looking at her coffee, her eyes unfocused.

"What?" she says, shaking her head and looking at me.

"What do you think? That's huge, right? We wanted exposure for our store. It doesn't get much bigger than this"

"Oh, yes. For sure."

Hayley arches an eyebrow. "Why aren't you freaking out with us right now?"

She shrugs. "It's a movie. Not really my thing, you know? They'll probably butcher it."

I narrow my eyes at her. I'm not buying any of it. She was thrilled back when we decided to accept the studio's offer—well, as excited as Emma can be, but still—so her behavior is definitely off.

"You do know who they are, right?" Hayley says. "Big actors. Madison starred in Forever , and Auston—"

"I know who they are," she cuts in. Her cheeks redden, and she shakes her fringe like she always does. "I just don't really care, that's all. "

I want to tell her that the shade of red on her cheeks says otherwise, but I'm going to be late for Lola's show. So that conversation will have to wait. Besides, I don't want to piss Emma off. Ever.

"Well, I gotta go," I say with a wave. "See you later."

When I get downstairs, Deacon is already waiting for me, a beaming smile on his face and a bouquet of pink roses in his hands.

"Hey, you," he says, drawing me against him. Immediately, his woody, earthy scent forms a bubble around me, and I forget everything else.

"This," he says, taking a single rose from the bouquet, "is for you."

I frown. "For me? Why?"

"I don't need a reason," he says, kissing my temple. "In fact, I should have bought two bouquets."

I shake my head, smiling. My boyfriend is quite the romantic. You know how he was a total grump before? Well, the romantic in him is double that. Of course, he's still a little grumpy, but I love that about him. "You always buy me flowers. Not that I'm complaining—Mrs. Edibam's flowers are always beautiful—but this is Lola's night."

He kisses me softly. "It'll go perfectly in your hair," he says, putting it in before placing another kiss on my lips. "Thank you for coming tonight and for being here. "

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I say, taking his hand. "But let's head out, or we're going to be late."

Deacon

Pride, a whole avalanche of it. That's what I'm feeling right now as Lola gracefully moves across the stage. She's never looked as much like her mother as she does now. So perfect, focused, and happy. I can tell by the ease in her steps and that look in her eyes. When the song stops, and she salutes, I'm instantly on my feet, clapping louder than everyone else.

"Yeah!" I whistle. "That's my girl. Woo-hoo!"

Alice laughs next to me and joins in.

Lola shakes her head, pretending to be annoyed, maybe even embarrassed by our behavior compared to the well-educated parents around us, who all applauded their kids politely. But I know she's not ashamed, because she gives us a little wave, and her smile shines brighter than any of the lights on that big stage.

Alice rests her head on my shoulder, and I wrap an arm around her. "She was amazing," she says. "I'm really proud of her. "

And that, right there, makes my chest all warm and tingly, because I know Alice, Lola, and I have a real shot at this happy family thing.

We watch the rest of the show, but I must admit—after seeing Lola, it's not as entertaining anymore. And I'm pretty sure some kids have a longer run time than Lola had.

Finally, the whole thing comes to a close, and we wait for Lola to join us. When she does, she's still beaming the way she was on stage, and my heart leaps in my chest.

"Congratulations," we both say.

I give her the bouquet. "You were amazing. I'm so proud of you."

"Me too," Alice says.

She smiles even wider, and I'm pretty sure her eyes are getting wet. "Thank you for coming. I had the best time."

"You were a true star up there," I say, squeezing her shoulder. "I'm sure your mom is just as proud of you as we are."

We both hug her, and sure enough, when we pull back, there's a tear streaming down her cheek. "Thank you."

She intertwines her arm with Alice's, and we make our way out of the auditorium. "Now, can we go for ice cream?"

"Absolutely." I nod, and Alice glances at me, smiling as always .

If there's one thing I know, it's that life is a lot better when you have a smile on your face. I know "grumpy-sunshine" is all the rage these days, but if you ask me, sunshine-sunshine should be the new big thing.

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