from school from Rachel.
We see Blaire standing across the street with her hands in the pockets of her trench coat.
She throws her arms open while Anya tugs at my hand so we can cross the street quicker. I watch as she runs to Blaire. They hug and swing together, and I go up to them. Blaire kisses me while my daughter is in her arms.
“When you called…”
“I was getting ready to go to the airport. I didn’t want to tell you so it would be a surprise,” she says, and I kiss her again. Harder this time.
This was the first time we have been apart in six months. It was only for eight days, but it felt like an eternity. I want to tell her she can never leave us again but that would be unfair. I never want her to feel imprisoned by this relationship.
Anya is full of questions and Blaire informs us that she has gifts for everyone.
We are already walking towards my car. Anya has decided we’re getting pizza, and there are no two ways about it. But before anything else, there is something I need to say. I need to get it out of my system before we can move on with the rest of our day.
I grab Blaire’s elbow and tug her back. Anya is still in her arms, and they both turn to me.
“What?”
“Will you marry me?” I ask.
And just like that, the million-dollar question is out there. “I don’t have a ring right now because I didn’t plan this, but I want you with me…with us, for life. I want the whole world to know you’re mine. You’ve chosen me…”
“Yes, Trevor. Yes!” Blaire bursts with excitement while Anya breaks into a laugh.
I should have gone down on one knee. I should have had a ring. The best ring in the world. I should have planned this, surprised her at a beautiful romantic spot when we were alone together. But none of it matters because she is kissing me again. I know she’s mine, and nothing in the world is going to take her away from me.
Epilogue
Blaire
I can’t believe that across the beach, the man standing in a tuxedo with ruffled hair and my corsage in his pocket, is my husband. The man of my dreams.
Everything happened so quickly. Two months ago, Trevor proposed out of the blue. He didn’t even have a ring. I said yes in a heartbeat because I have known for a long time that this is the man I want to build my life with. The man I want to raise all our children with. It didn’t matter how or where he proposed.
“Let’s run away together,” he had said to me a week later. “Fuck the big wedding.”
My eyes glowed at the thought of that.
“A private beach somewhere? With just our closest friends and family,” I suggested, following his train of thought. He had kissed me after that, then made love to me over and over again…
And now, two months later, here we are. I wouldn’t be able to point this island out to you on a map. It’s somewhere off the coast of Greece, where the sun kisses everything. It’s amazing how much you can get done in two months if you really want to.
I found my dream dress. Trevor found this island. We booked an entire hotel to accommodate our small wedding party, and that’s it.
We are spending five days here with our closest people, and then Lucy and Michelle are going on a vacation to Paris with Anya while Trevor and I spend the next three weeks in another remote location in Italy.
I still can’t believe this is actually happening. I’m married to him.
He catches my eye from across the beach and waves. My veil is flying in the breeze around me while I wave back.
Kim and Kirk are here with me. Their baby boy, Mitch, is in Kim’s arms, gurgling as he looks up at me, smiling. Life is good. Trevor, who hates being photographed, is actually in the middle of taking a picture right now with Reed Silvers and his wife, Gigi. They have their daughter with them. It was only discovered a few months ago that Kirk’s brother Reed and Trevor have been friends since college. We had to invite them to the wedding. We are all practically family now, considering that Kirk and Kim are my best friends.
“You deserve all this and so much more. All the happiness in the world,” Kim