Page 77 of Fight or Flight
EPILOGUE
CLAIRE – SIX MONTHS later
It’s early spring as we stand in my friends’ garden, and I sip at the alcohol-free beer that tastes exactly how it sounds.
I eye the enthusiastic faces around before stopping on Nora, who’s currently playing tag with Amelia’s daughters and Henry. They’ve been a foster family for her for a while now, and I know Amelia and her husband, Mark, are seriously thinking of adopting her. It’s clear that they absolutely adore her.
And it makes me happy to see Nora smile so freely. I know the pain is still there, but it’s absolutely fascinating how the right people can take even the biggest hurt in your life off your shoulders and carry you through each day.
I should know something about it.
My eyes search for Aidan, and I find him in a heated conversation with Brody as they both glance toward Jenny. They quickly exchange something, and the big man limps away before I take his place.
“What was that about?” I ask worriedly, but to my surprise, Aidan grins in response.
His eyes lift above my head, and he grabs my shoulders to turn me around.
“Just look,” he says under his breath.
The music stops suddenly, and I swing my attention toward the table to see what’s going on. Aunt Ruth shushes her husband with a jab when he continues to laugh at something one of the men at the table said, and then I see what got everyone’s attention.
Brody kneels in front of an oblivious Jenny as she coos into the little baby carriage with their baby girl and then lifts her head when it gets awfully quiet.
“What got you all so spooked,” she throws, and then finally notices Brody at her feet.
“Did you fall again? What did I tell you about trying to walk without the stick?” She grumbles but then frowns when he chuckles, his face getting slightly pink when she mentions his inability to walk without the aid.
“Actually, this fall was premeditated, Sweetheart,” he takes out a small black box out of his pocket and glances at her with a face full of love, anticipation, and fear. All the women around gasp, including Jenny, and her eyes immediately fill with tears.
“Jen, you are the embodiment of a perfect woman for me. The moment I fell for you, I fell hard and was adamant about not letting you go. You are my true love, my friend, my partner in crime, and the mother of my children. I know we’ve talked about it, and with everything...” he blinks a few times and takes a deep breath. “But I want it all. I want you to be my wife for better or for worse. I want to claim in front of the whole world that you are mine. I want to-”
At that moment, Jenny drops to her knees and kisses Brody straight on the mouth without any care that we’re all watching. Just when it starts to feel a bit uncomfortable, and I’m about to look away, she leans back with a happy laugh.
“What took you so long, Handsome?”
“Is that a yes?” He asks slowly.
“It’s an “of course I’ll fucking marry you” yes,” she exclaims throwing her arms around him as everyone starts cheering.
They both stand up from their kneeling position before he presents her with a simple yet pretty ring and puts it on her finger with shaking hands.
Then Brody grabs her hand and pulls it up to yell, “She said yes!”
My own happy tears blur my sight, and I glance to the side at a proud-looking Aidan as he claps while watching the happy couple in front of us.
“Did you know he was planning this? You don’t look that surprised,” I accuse him playfully.
Aidan twists his head to look at me, his face softening like always when his eyes land on me.