Page 74

Epilogue

Three Years Later…

“Addilyn Burke,” a nurse calls from the doorway across from us. Trey lets out a heavy sigh next to me as I smile up at her. Standing, I hold my hand out to him, and he grabs it, shooting a wink at me as he stands and follows behind me. “This way, Miss Burke,” she says, offering me a bland smile that doesn’t feel even the slightest bit real, and Trey lets out a low growl behind me.

He pulls me into his side, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, and burying his nose in my hair as he whispers, “That shit is changing real soon.”

I can’t stop the smile from spreading across my face as I peek up at him and roll my eyes. If Trey had it his way, we would have been married the day he asked me but that didn’t happen. In the three years since he proposed, there have been ups and downs like any relationship, and I wish I could say that my fear didn’t play a part in our relationship but it has.

“Here you go,” the nurse says, standing aside so we can enter the office. “The doctor will be with you shortly.”

“Thank you,” I say, and Trey nods at her. We each take one of the two chairs positioned in front of the regal looking desk, and I sigh, looking over at the man I love. He forces a smile but I know that he’s just as nervous as I am. This day could change everything.

About three months after our engagement, Trey took over the bar and we were planning our wedding, but when Emma had the twins, everything changed for us. Neither one of us could ignore that we wanted a family but I was adamant that I wouldn’t do this to a child. There was a lot of back and forth where Trey tried to convince me otherwise, saying that there was no way to know. When I didn’t budge, he started doing research, which is how we ended up here.

Six months ago, he found this doctor who could do gene testing on me and find out if I carry the Alzheimer’s gene. It’s all really complicated, and to be honest, I was too nervous to really listen to everything he was telling me a week ago when they did the testing but the gist of it is today we’ll find out if I have a future or not. My stomach rolls as I peek over at Trey and think about all the things on the line for us today. Sure, he promised to stick by me when he didn’t know what would happen but what will he do if the doctor comes in and says I have the mutated gene. If my fate becomes sealed in a few minutes, will he still want to stick around?

I wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t. Dealing with everything Mom needs is draining on a good day but she hasn’t had one of those for six months. The only person she recognizes anymore is Trey, and she always thinks he’s my father. In some ways, it’s nice. She’s so happy, always smiling and bright – the way my dad described her in his letters, and I can’t help but think that it’s for the best this way. She doesn’t remember any of the bad stuff that happened in her life, she’s just hopelessly in love.

“Good to see you again, Miss Burke, Mr. Harrington,” the doctor says, walking into the office with a folder in his hand, and I wipe my hands on my jeans, suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

It’s going to be okay.

Trey’s words work their way through my mind, and my shoulders relax a little as I force a smile and look up at the doctor. “Hello, nice to see you again, too.”

He chuckles and shakes his head as he sits behind the desk and opens the folder in front of him. “That’s okay. I know most people aren’t all that excited to talk to me.”

“Well, you are kind of holding my entire future in your hands,” I point out, and he glances down at the desk and nods.

“Right. Should we get to it, then?”

I nod. “Please.”

“Okay. So I could sit here and explain the process to you and what we look for but I get the feeling that you wouldn’t hear any of that so I’m just going to lay it out for you. You don’t have the mutated gene.”

My hand shoots out to grab onto the arm of the chair while my world spins. I just stare at him, hearing him but not really registering what he just said to me. The news sinks into me slowly, and I start to process what it means. I don’t have the gene? I’m not going to get sick? I suck in heavy breaths and drop my head, trying my best to reorient myself but it’s proving difficult. Everything I knew has been wiped away, and for the first time in four years, my future is bright and wide open.

“Addy?” Trey asks, crouching down in front of me, and I peek up at him. He’s beaming at me, and I can’t stop the smile from spreading across my own face. I start laughing, and it quickly morphs into tears of joy as I look up at the man I’m going to marry as soon as freaking possible.

“Now, I need you to understand that you could still get the disease but you’re at no more risk than anyone else,” the doctor cuts in, and we both nod at him before looking back to each other and laughing again. Everything that I had dismissed as something I would never have is rushing back, and I’m imagining an entire future with Trey as I look into his amber eyes. I can really have it all.

“All right, well, I’ve got to get to my next appointment but you guys can stay here as long as you need to,” the doctor says as he stands and flashes us a warm smile before leaving the room. Trey stands, pulling me up with him and slams his lips down on mine, burying his hand in my hair as he pours all his emotions into me. When he finally pulls away, he takes a deep breath and presses his forehead against mine.

“So, how soon can I get you in a dress and in a church?” he asks, and I laugh, pulling away to look up at him.

“How long is a flight to Vegas?”

He blinks in shock. “Really?”

“Absolutely. I want to marry you right now. Let’s call the family and hop on a plane.”

“Fucking finally,” he whispers as he claims my mouth again in a kiss that makes me shiver in his arms, and I can’t help but smile against his lips as I realize that, very soon, he’ll be my husband.

* * * *

Trey’s voice spills out of the speakers as the chapel begins to play a stripped down version of Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic that he recorded for me, and tears sting my eyes as I wait, out of sight, in the back of the chapel with Daisy and Emma.

“Is that Trey singing?” Emma asks, trying to peek out into the chapel where everyone is waiting, and I nod.