“Thank fuck for that.”
Thank God, indeed.
Because it was the reason we were here. The reason a ring was on my finger. The reason I was Tessa Harper-Graham. Even if mylegal stage name would still stay Tessa Harper. Because I fell in love with the best man I could imagine.
My friend.
My tall, ginger haired, nerdy computer engineer husband.
All mine.
Forever.
I smiled. “What’s next?”
He kissed me again. “Now, we’re gonna go get you an Emmy.”
I laughed, wondering if this feeling of happiness would ever lessen. If I’d ever stop feeling happier than I’d ever been.
I didn’t think so.
Famous or not, I was all his.
And he was famously mine.
Epilogue
OLIVER
What do you think, little starlet?” I cooed, holding the blonde-haired toddler in my arms. “Should we go see Mommy?”
She giggled, clapping her hands.
It was Tessa’s last day of filming before she was taking a long, extended break, heading back to Portland. She was starring in a rom-com with one of those heart-throb actors, and I would have been jealous, except for the way her eyes lit up every time we visited her on set. I knew she had never had eyes for anyone else.
Avery Harper-Graham was the light of my life. Both of our lives.
I tugged on a little blond pigtail, marveling at how everything had turned out.
The pregnancy wasn’t exactly planned, though we’d both wanted it. Thankfully, she’d been wrapping up on a project and had only had to film during her first trimester. Between my job as a software developer and Tessa’s flourishing acting career, we could afford a house in two places. Being in Portland, people didn’t usually recognize her on the street, not like they did in LA.
And it was home, as much as anywhere with Tessa was home.
The best part of my job, especially since I'd gone remote whenI moved to California to be with her, was how flexible my hours could be.
Because I got to stay home and watch our daughter grow up. She was eighteen months now, with blonde hair with the slightest hint of red, green eyes, and a whole lot of freckles. The perfect combination of both of us. I’d dressed her in a little pastel sundress that was covered in stars. My little starlet.
Heading out to the car, I buckled Avery into her car seat before heading towards the set where they were filming. I loved getting to watch her act, to see her in her element, so fucking beautiful it was hard to breathe.
“Mama!” Avery cheered from the backseat as we pulled up. She was used to our routine, going to visit Tessa as she finished filming each day. We’d catch the last few takes before they wrapped up, and then I got to take both of my girls home.
“Yes, baby girl, we’re going to go see mommy.” A grin spread over my face.
I showed my pass to the security guard and was waved onto the set. Pulling Avery out of the car and smoothing out her dress, I kissed the top of her head.
And there she was. My wife. Light of my life. All mine.
Avery wiggled in my arms, and I put her down, letting her toddle over to her mom, who was talking to her co-star. “Mommy!” Tessa lit up as our daughter wrapped herself around her legs before she picked Avery up and lifted her into the air.
