I see the panic start to set in Spencer’s eyes.
“Oh my god, what’s wrong? Did we run out of food?”
My best friend holds up his hands. “Whoa, Whoa, Whoa calm down. The food is fine, we have not even started serving yet. Everything is going exactly as planned… I just hit my head on the rack of pans.”
A giant grin covers my face. Having my best friend here, living here, has been the icing on the cake. Jaxon, of course, is thrilled. And Spencer seems to be pretty happy with how everything panned out. Spencer needed a chef, and Beckett needed a change.
“Hey, JerkFace! Did you get everything out of my apartment?”
“Yes, Butt Munch! Your castle awaits!”
“Wow,” Spencer says in bewilderment. “It's like I’m back in elementary school, but the guys are hotter!”
I pull Spencer’s back to my front, letting out a low growl. “Mine!”
“Yes, yours, but come on, have you not seen the two of you? For fucks sake!”
“I’m so glad we are going to be neighbors!” Beckett says, with a smirk.
“Nope, I’m taking it back. You can’t live there!”
“Too late! It’s mine! Besides, Jaxon is driving me nuts! If I don’t move out now, we will kill each other.” Their closeness in age does not help the fact they bicker like brothers.
I nuzzle into the crook of Spencer’s neck. “You ready, sweetheart?”
He lets out a slow breath. “Yeah, I think so.”
I turn to stand in front of him, lifting his chin to meet my gaze. “Everything is going to turn out perfect. Do you know why? It’s because you are an amazing man. All of this around you? This was your dream, your mother’s dream. You made this happen!” His eyes flicker around the room. “You worked hard for everything you have. And you did all this while learning to love yourself for exactly who you are!” A small tear escapes and I swipe it away with my thumb. “I am so proud of you, Spencer. No matter what happens, I will always be by your side. And I will love you every fucking day for the rest of our lives!”
I rest my forehead on his. “Go enjoy your dream, Spencer!”
* * *
Spencer
Every morning I wake up wanting to pinch myself. How did I get so lucky? I’m in disbelief that my actual dreams have come true. That doesn’t really happen. It’s just something you dream your whole life about. But I’m standing in the kitchen of two generations of dreams, Dragonfly Cafe! The best part, though… having the most incredible man standing right beside me.
We were two lonely people at a point in our lives where everything was unsteady. We grabbed on tightly to each other, learning to let go of the things in our past that kept us from loving ourselves. Me with society telling me how I should look and who I should date. And Finn, his mother who made a young boy believe for years that he was responsible for his own sister’s death.
“I love you!” I say.
“I love you, too!” he says, giving me a toe curling kiss. “Come on, your party awaits!”
I scoff before pointing to my now very noticeable bulge. Finn just chuckles, grabbing my hand while my other tries adjusting the situation in my pants.
The kitchen door swings open and I’m met with cheers and applause. I feel my cheeks flame at the attention.
The cafe turned out great! I was able to find two giant farmhouse tables that take up the right side and along the left is a wall of bench seating, with cute little pillows Alice made. The walls are decorated with drawings and paintings that the guys over at Ink Me have graciously allowed me to put on display. Each picture has a little piece of paper next to it, telling about the artwork and the artist. And under that are price tags. Finn has a few on display. Of course, the important one will forever hang in our home.
I notice one that wasn’t up earlier. I gasp as I see it’s a picture of David Tennant, my Doctor, standing in the rain, and it brings me back to the first night I met Finn. The only reason I was upstairs was because I had gotten soaked by a downpour. I look for the paper on the side to see who drew it, but I already knew. I wrap my arms around Finn.
“I love it!”
He chuckles, “Drawing my favorite Doctor was no hardship!” He bends down, whispering in my ear, “I mean, have you seen him? He’s hot!” Thank God, we agreed on that!
My favorite thing might be the giant U-shaped counter connecting the bookstore to the cafe. Finn made it for me and I am just blown away at how good it turned out. It’s exactly what I wanted.
Looking around the room, it’s filled with the people in this town who have supported me and been by my side. Mr. Jacobson is here and looking awfully smitten with Alice in a corner booth, his cane unbedazzled and back to plain old wood.
