EPILOGUE
MIA
6 months later
“Heads up!”
I lift my head just in time to duck as a football whizzes past me, narrowly missing the folding table that I just set a bowl of fruit on.
“Jonathon Byrd! That almost hit the food!” I scold him. He runs over to me, kicking up sand behind him. He plants a firm kiss on my lips and places a hand on my hip, giving it a squeeze. “Sorry, baby. Won’t happen again.” He winks at me, retrieves the football, and runs back to throw it to Matt.
“Where do you want the chips?” Paige asks. I take the bowl from her and find a place for it on the table. This is Paige’s second time visiting us since I officially moved to Hawaii five months ago. Each visit keeps getting longer, and I’m doing my best to convince her to move here, too. She says it won’t happen, but that won’t stop me from trying.
After John surprised me in Minnesota, things happened pretty fast. I gave my notice at work the very next day, and just a few weeks later, we had my apartment cleared out, and John and I came back to Hawaii together. My parents flew out with us to help get us settled, and they plan to come visit again in a few months. Of course, my mom was sad about me moving away, but she’s supportive of John and me, and my happiness is what she cares about most.
I look out at the ocean and still can’t believe I get to call this home. My heart swells with happiness. The beach, the sand, the food… I absolutely love it all. But not as much as I love the man I moved here for. I love John so much it freaking hurts. In addition to all the love, I’m also so dang proud of him and all the work he’s been doing on himself.
He does a video conference therapy session once a week with his therapist, Dr. Kandry, who lives in California. She’s been absolutely incredible. I’ve done a few sessions with him too, which was great. She helped give me some ideas on how I could best support him. He’s come a long way. His friendship has deepened with a few of his close friends—Matt, Brian, Adam, and a couple other guys he was in the service with. He’s also gotten closer to Quinn—we both have, actually. Quinn is like a sister to me too, now, and I’m happy to call her one of my best friends. We have plans to go visit her in Alaska next month, and she’s actually planning to come here this year for Christmas, as well as their aunt and uncle. I feel so grateful for the support system that has truly rallied around John and been there for him.
He’s even gotten back into doing things he used to love. The boys take him fishing every couple weeks—I graciously opt-out and let him have some guy time—and he surfs almost every day. He’s even started teaching surfing lessons to tourists. I always sit on the sand a little ways away and watch him teach; it’s one of my favorite things to do.
And, of course, we still manage the cottage for our Airbnb guests. John has to keep me from being too chatty with the guests, reminding me that they want their own space. I can’t help getting excited and wanting to chat with everyone who comes to stay.
In between bookings, we even sneak over to the cottage every once in a while to cook and sleep for old times’ sake. That cottage holds a special place in our hearts, and always will.
I spent the first several months here just getting settled into life with John, but now I’m trying to figure out how I can incorporate my editing experience here on the island. I have a couple leads for jobs in the field, which I’m excited about. I spend a lot of my free time at the bookshop, and of course Julie’s. Hazel was thrilled to see me when I came back, and the feeling was definitely mutual. We have a standing Friday morning date at the coffee shop where we fill each other in on our weeks and plans for the weekend. Julie and Hazel come over every once in a while to swim in the pool. I’m not sure who enjoys it more, Hazel or John. That little girl has John wrapped around her little finger, and she knows it.
John’s kiss on my cheek brings me out of my daydream. “What are you thinking about?” he asks me.
I smile at him. “Just how lucky I am.”
He gives me a kiss on the lips this time. “I’m the lucky one.” My heart skips a beat as I pull him in for a hug.
“Hey, thanks again for putting this picnic together,” he says, wrapping his arms around me. “Matt and Brian kind of invited themselves along at the last minute… I think Matt might have a thing for Paige.” He chuckles.
I glance over to where Paige is lounging on a towel, attempting to read a book. Matt is tossing the football up in the air to himself just a few feet away from her. He sits down and turns his head to her.
“Paige, you’re looking a little lonely, sweetheart.”
“In your dreams, Casanova,” Paige replies as she sits up, brushing the sand off her legs. She walks over to us.
“Geez, does he flirt with anyone with two legs? He’s more exhausting than my second graders…” she asks in amusement. I laugh and throw my arm over her shoulder. “Ahh, I’m so glad you’re here, Paige.”
She smiles at me, resting her head on my shoulder. “Me too.”
“Girls, are you hungry?” John calls, placing a burger on his plate. We walk over to the table and make ourselves a plate of food. I bring my plate over to my towel in between Paige and John, and I enjoy the food while also enjoying my favorite view in the entire world—the ocean.
“Hurry, hurry!” I tell Paige as soon as we finish eating. “We have about ten minutes… let’s hurry and clean up.” We rush to put the food back in containers and into the cooler while John and Matt run our garbage to the trash can.
I quickly hurry back over to where John is sitting on his towel and squeeze myself between his legs, leaning against his chest, and he wraps his arms around me. I slide down a little bit, just until my head rests right under John’s neck, securing me into my favorite spot: wrapped up in John's arms, watching the sun set over the water. Matt and Brian are throwing the football behind us, and Paige is next to us, reading her book.
I sigh, taking in the gorgeous sun appearing to sink into the sea as the turquoise water crashes softly onto the sand in front of us. I’m suddenly so grateful that Sean and I broke up, and that I came here all those months ago looking for clarity on the next chapter of my life. It all led me to this very moment, watching the sunset with John, and I’m so deliriously happy that I get to do it for the rest of my life. That, and an endless supply of papaya, are all I need.
The End