Epilogue

Epilogue

Three years later

As Taryn opened the door, the sun bathed the small apartment in a warm, golden glow. It was late afternoon and she'd been gone since the darkness of the early morning, carried into the city on the C train full of quiet strangers. Grad school was kicking her ass in the best way possible, but she'd learned to use her commute to get a portion of studying done, proud of her 4.0, and ready for more. She had leads on several summer internships in Manhattan. Two of them paid pretty decently, which would certainly help pay the rent on her and Charlie's one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. The place wasn't fancy, and the appliances took turns needing repair, but it was theirs and radiated warmth and love.

"It smells amazing in here," Taryn said, craning her neck to see Charlie in the tucked-away kitchen in the corner.

"Hey, gorgeous. It's because I'm making impromptu lasagna with a sauce recipe I found on the internet."

"Then I vote yes on internet sauce." Taryn dropped her camera bag on the couch as she made her way to Charlie. "In fact, I could kiss you right now."

"You better."

She grinned and cupped Charlie's face in her hands, and they shared a sweet, lingering kiss.

"How was your Contemporary Trends presentation?" Charlie asked, coming up for air. "I was thinking about you all day. Sending the good vibes."

She leaned back against the counter, watching Charlie butter the garlic bread. "I don't know why I get so nervous about those things, especially when I was entirely prepared, but it went better than I'd even planned. Tons of questions after. Lots of class discussion, especially on the influence of social media on storytelling. Milagros, the instructor, pulled me aside and thanked me."

"Baby. That is the best news. I knew you were going to kill it. Did I mention this is celebratory lasagna? Because it is. All for you."

"Celebratory lasagna?" Taryn let her mouth fall open. "I had no idea. My afternoon keeps improving." For Taryn, there was simply nothing better than coming home at the end of a long day to the woman that she loved. The meal was merely a bonus.

"How was the commute?"

"The sunset over the skyline was breathtaking. I was ready with my camera this time and think I got some good shots. Did I mention I'm loving the lens you got me for my birthday? Getting tons of play off it."

"Oh yeah? That sales guy said it was incredibly versatile." She ran her hand absently in circles on Taryn's thigh. "Show me the photos when they're ready."

"You're on. How was your day?"

"Class this morning went well. This particular group of students is so eager. I absolutely love it when a group like this comes together."

"Those are my favorite classes, too."

"Finished another chapter and had a very productive call with my agent. I'll tell you what she had to say over dinner. It's surprising."

"I hate to wait. I'm too impatient for that." Taryn pursed her lips.

"Don't give me the pouty face. You know I crumble," Charlie said, pointing at Taryn with her wooden spoon. "We'll talk over dinner."

Taryn surveyed the clock above the oven. "Do I have time to change?"

"Is six minutes doable?"

She kissed Charlie's cheek. "Sold."

"A glass of wine with dinner? I'm having one."

"Double sold."

She dashed off with a smile and found her favorite pair of black joggers and a comfy sky-blue tee that had been washed a hundred times and was soft as a baby. Nearby on the dresser, she spotted the photo book she'd made for Charlie, reminding her of the journey that brought them to this very moment in time. A delicious shiver moved through her, and she grinned, aware of how lucky she was. Their shared vision for home was quite simply anywhere they could be together, and the corner unit in Brooklyn with the window seat fit the bill nicely.

Charlie didn't have the fancy job at a major publishing company that she'd always imagined, and Taryn didn't have the connections or experience level to make it as a big-time photographer in New York. Yet. But they dreamed their dreams side by side. They supported and encouraged each other to reach for the stars by day before falling into bed together at night, exhausted and happy. Taryn couldn't imagine anything better.

The lasagna was close. "You hit this out of the park," she said, staring down at her plate in reverence. "I think I'm going to cook tomorrow. I want to get better."

"Oh, do you really think you cooking is a good idea for all involved?" Charlie laughed behind her napkin, probably remembering the time Taryn served dry and charred roast beef that came with a crunch.

"Let's just have the delivery apps fired up and ready to go as backup," she deadpanned.

Charlie laughed. "You're on."

"So, what did the agent say?"

"She called about the book." Charlie had been working quietly on her novel for quite some time. Having started it in grad school, she'd been revising, draft by draft, until the book became the beautiful work that it now was, about a girl's coming of age and the events that propelled her adult trajectory to extreme ends. Taryn found it to be a tearjerker for sure, and knew others would devour it the way she had.

"And?" Her heart rate began to pick up pace.

"She's had a couple of nibbles but no real bites. She thinks we should put shopping the book on hold for now."

Taryn deflated. "What? No, no, no. I think you just haven't found the right publisher just yet. Tell her that it needs to be someone—"

"She did present me with a book deal for the short story, however. A really nice one."

A pause. "Wait. What? An actual book deal?"

"Formally issued, just waiting on a few last-minute details to be negotiated and my signature."

Taryn blinked, processing. Her stomach had dropped out from beneath her. "For a short story?"

"The little boy and the fire. Remember that one? My agent shared it on a whim. They love everything about it including my writing style. I took a meeting this morning with one of the executives at Luner Meyers and—"

"Luner Meyers? Luner Meyers is huge!" She was standing up at this point. "They're the biggest there is!"

Charlie laughed, beaming. No, basking in the moment. "That's true. You don't have to stand up, but that was a pretty great reaction."

"Come here," Taryn said. Charlie stood, too, and Taryn pulled her into the biggest hug imaginable. Then a kiss. Then another hug. Then a kiss until they were laughing and jumping up and down together in their tiny but adorable kitchen. "Do you have any idea how proud of you I am?" Taryn touched her heart, which had swollen exponentially, aching with joy. "This is the best news I've ever heard, and I don't know what to do with myself. My hands are all weird and moving wherever they want." She shoved them rigidly to her sides like boards.

"Let's sit," Charlie said, handing Taryn her glass of wine. "Drink this. It will help you relax and enjoy."

"We're definitely going to enjoy." She took a sip and set the glass down. "And you're damn right it's celebratory lasagna." They laughed again.

Over dinner, Charlie filled Taryn in on all the details of the meeting and the offer in front of them. It happened to come with some big numbers, including an advance that would make Charlie a significant amount of money.

"You're going to be rich," Taryn said in awe. "You'll be too important to talk to me."

Charlie stole a quick kiss. "Never. You're too sexy to not talk to." Another kiss. "And I'm going to buy you so many charms for your little bracelet."

"You remember my bracelet? You know, I still have it tucked away somewhere."

"Of course I remember." She reached into her pocket, pulled out a small felt satchel, and presented it to Taryn, who stared at her in question.

"What in the world?"

"Something small I picked up. For you. Open it."

Taryn did and inside found the very four-leaf clover charm she'd pined for as a kid. "What? Are you kidding me right now?"

"Your mom said that you never did get the cash together to buy it. But I think it's more fitting that I buy it for you because you're my good luck, Tare. Everything in my life that shines can be traced right back to you and the moment you shook up my world." As she spoke, Charlie had taken the charm from Taryn's hands and strung through it a silver chain, also in the felt bag. "And whenever you wear this, I hope you'll remember what a blessing you are in my life and how deeply I love you."

"I love you, too. And I'm so very proud of you." Taryn's eyes filled. "You received the biggest news of your life today. I should be showering you with gifts, not the other way around."

"I disagree." After fastening the necklace, Charlie leaned down and kissed Taryn softly. "This makes me happy. You do."

Taryn marveled at the incredible woman she shared her life with. There were big things ahead for Charlie and, hopefully, for herself as well. The best part of all of it, however, was that they'd experience every second of it together.

"Do you understand how happy I am right now? My heart almost can't contain it all."

"I'm happy, too. And when you're done with that lasagna love affair, maybe we can fully enjoy our evening." Charlie's eyes dipped to the neckline of Taryn's shirt and darkened in the way they always did when she was turned-on.

"Lasagna who?" Taryn asked.

"Smooth."

She offered her best sly grin. "I got a lotta smooth moves. I'm hoping to impress you, soon-to-be-published author and all."

"Oh yeah?"

"It might take some time, though. Are you free?"

Charlie looked skyward in thought. "Pretty much for the rest of my life."

Taryn felt the grin hit her face and grow. "Best answer ever."

There weren't a ton of things in life that Taryn could say were permanent. Politics, fashion trends, buzzwords, technology, and the weather were all in constant transformation. But as sure as she was in the moon and stars, Taryn knew that she and Charlie would walk through this world together, gathering experiences and important moments to carry with them for always. She knew they'd fill a million photo books along the way, and she, for one, couldn't wait to watch them pile up. They'd also build a family one day, having already estimated two to three children, but decided they'd play that decision by ear. In the meantime, Taryn wanted to soak in every moment they had together, creating stories on paper and pixels and film.

"Today was everything," Taryn told Charlie later that night as she lay naked and gorgeous in Taryn's arms. She ran a hand absently up and down Charlie's back.

Charlie lifted her face. "I loved every minute of it." She placed a sweet kiss on Taryn's lips and studied her. "Let's do it again tomorrow. What do you think?"

Taryn arched a brow and pulled Charlie close. "If you're there, I'm there."