Epilogue
Valentine’s Day
I WAKETO FIND A VASE of pink roses and a card on my bedside table. I smile and turn to Blake, who is still sleeping. It’s still very early, but I’m a morning person. Jekyll and Hyde are sleeping in their kitty bed, tucked cozily around each other. The first week, when I first moved in to Blake’s house, they were afraid of each other. You’d never catch them both in the same room, but slowly, over the past two months, they took a shining to each other, and now they’re inseparable.
I grab my journal and flip the pages to my last entry. I slip my new sparkly pink pen out of the spiral binding and get busy writing. Most people grab their phones first thing in the morning. I always grab my journal. Most often, I just read my old entries, but occasionally, I add a new one.
* * *
Good friends,good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. – Mark Twain
Dear Journal,
Sorry, I’ve been ignoring you lately. I know it’s been a long while since my last entry. I’ve just been so busy.
Life has been absolutely crazy. Crazy, but beautiful. It’s Valentine’s day today, and my gorgeous man is sleeping soundly next to me. He got me pretty pink roses, my favorite. I love Valentine’s Day – all the love, hearts, candy and chocolate. What’s not to love? But this time of year has always been a little hard for me. In three days, it will be the anniversary of our dads’ accident. Blake and I have decided to go visit their graves and have a little chat with them. We’re thinking of making it an annual tradition. I’m so glad we can share this now. We couldn’t when we were younger, but we’ve both grown so much over the years.
It’s been great being close to Momma and my family. Momma and I chat every day, and she swings by the store to help me out. I’m still so crazy busy but enjoying every single minute of it. My inventory consists of fashions for women of every age; older fashions for Mrs. Davies’ clientele, more contemporary stuff for younger women, and even children’s clothing. The store is the talk of the town, and it’s been going really well.
Yes, I wanted to have little ones, but that’s going to have to wait a while now. For now I’m happy with my two babies, Jekyll and Hyde.
I miss my friends, but I’ve made new ones here. The girls and I still text all the time, and chat often on Facetime. We still share journal entries and chat about books we love. Corrie still pesters me for dirt about my sex life – she’s so shameless. And Gabbie shows me her growing belly pictures. I can’t wait to see the new baby. And they’re only two hours away. Once in a while, I drive over for a sleepover at Kayla’s place; movies, popcorn, martinis, and laughter.
And turns out, we’re all going to Paris! Kayla’s mom is getting married in the city of love, and we all thought we’d tag along, because what’s better than a week in Paris? Nothing!
I was flipping through the other day, and smiled at the sight of the list I wrote not long ago.
Get job (stat!)Check!
Get the last of Peter’s things packed up (Good riddance, jerk!)Check!
Get finances in orderCheck!
Car tune-up/winter tires.Check!
Take an art class.Looking into it!
Bake a cake. (I can have cake again!)Check!Blake loves my cakes.
Go to the library.Check!
Check out Rosetta Stone – French.This one will have to wait! Too busy.
Trip with the girls? Talk about it at our next meeting. Paris?Yes, yes, yes!
Write children’s book?Started…
Buy vintage record player like the one Gabbie has. And records too.Check! Have one in my shop.
Get cat –Check!I have two!
Blake tosses and turns. He’s so beautiful first thing in the morning. I love when the morning light streams through the windows and dances on the planes and curves of his face and shoulders. I could watch him sleep forever. He slowly opens his eyes, a little groggy. “Writing?” he says, his voice ragged. He smiles softly. “You always have your nose buried in that thing.”
I grin at him. “I’m just about done,” I tell him. “Just another minute.” I stop for a second to give him a peck on the cheek. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
“Happy Valentine’s day,” he echoes. “Did you see your flowers?”
“Yes, they’re pretty. Thank you so much.” I quickly turn back to my journal entry.
