Epilogue

epilogue

. . .

The film set pulsed with an electric energy as crew members scurried about, adjusting lights and repositioning colorful props. Hillary stepped onto the set, her eyes widening as she took in the controlled chaos. She clutched her notebook close to her chest, a subtle smile playing on her lips.

She’d grown accustomed to walking around this set the last five months, having slipped effortlessly into the skin of one Angela Shred, P.I. She hadn’t landed the second interview, but the third had been successful and came with a director she couldn’t help but want to work with.

Hillary’s attention was drawn to Julius as he stepped behind the camera, his presence commanding the set. He spoke with the actors, his voice warm and encouraging. “Let’s try that again, but this time, really feel the emotions. Immerse yourself in the moment.” The actors nodded, their faces determined.

Julius glanced up, catching Hillary’s eye from across the set. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he mouthed, “I love you,” before turning back to the scene at hand. Hillary’s heart skipped a beat, and she found herself momentarily lost in the magic of the moment.

He’d surprised her, telling her he was taking a small hiatus to try his hand at directing, but like acting, her fiancé was a natural. He commanded the room the same way he did the stage. She was mesmerized watching him direct and had fallen prey to acting out the chemistry between her character and her co-star Ryan’s more than once when they were alone on set.

She was certain it violated some law, but when he set his gaze on her, there was nothing she didn’t want to do with him.

“Hillary, you ready for the big day? Not too much longer till we wrap and you get hitched,” Carrie Markle, the actress who played her mom, pinched her lightly on the arm as she walked by.

“I’d be more ready if I could get this last article out to my editor without staying away for twenty-four hours.”

“Go to the closet, push the costumes aside and then hide behind them to write,” Carried offered with a smirk. “Just make sure no one is there, first.”

Hillary flushed, shrinking down a bit at the implication of what she might find.

“I think I’ll just settle for a table outside.”

Carrie’s laughter followed Hillary off set into the Toronto sun. It was cooler here in summer than New York, but not by much.

She settled onto a worn wooden crate, the rough surface somehow cool against her skin from sitting mostly in the shade. Pulling out her well-loved notebook, she had flipped to a fresh page, the crisp white paper inviting her thoughts to flow freely.

Hillary’s pen hovered above the page for a moment as she took in the vibrant energy surrounding her. The crew hummed, equipment clattered, and distant laughter of the actors blended into a symphony of creative chaos. She began to write, her hand moving swiftly across the page as she captured the essence of the film set in vivid detail.

As she wrote, Hillary’s mind drifted to Julius, and a soft smile played upon her lips. She marveled at his transformation from the shy, awkward boy she once knew to the confident, talented man he had become. The love they shared had grown and deepened, weathering the challenges of distance and the demands of his career, and likely soon to be hers, if she truly capped her pen after this series and focused on acting.

It was a very personal piece, one that she didn’t know if she had any business writing, but after an Emmy nomination this past cycle, she’d suddenly found herself a huge topic for many reporters. It made sense that she would document the journey from reporter to wife.

Hillary’s pen paused as she reflected on the journey that had brought them to this moment. In just 30 days, they would stand before their loved ones, their hearts entwined as they promised to love and cherish each other for a lifetime. The thought filled her with a mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation.

She glanced down at her notebook, the pages now filled with a blend of her observations and her innermost thoughts. The words flowed effortlessly as she poured her heart onto the paper, capturing the joy, love, and dreams that she held dear.

As Hillary lost herself in her writing, the world around her faded away, and she found herself transported to a place where love reigned supreme. She imagined the future she and Julius would build together, a life filled with laughter, adventure, and unwavering devotion.

In sixty days she would no longer be Hillary Mitchell, amateur reporter and actress, but Hillary Theon, skilled reporter and not too shabby of an actress. But in the meantime, she had a story to write and a film to make.