Epilogue
I stare across the room at the blushing bride and can’t help but feel a little jealous it isn’t me standing there with my groom greeting the guest who came to celebrate in the joy of us spending our life together.
Olivia and Thomas had been going strong for five years now and since they were finally out of college, they saw nothing holding them back from making such a commitment to each other. I was envious of them.
They both had a love that anyone would be lucky be a part of- even if only for a moment.
Brody and I had yet to be married or take any kind of leap in our relationship. Other than moving in together five years ago, that was it for spontaneity. Sure we had talked about making the commitment a few times, but it never went further than that; just talking.
I guess that would explain my jealousy of the couple standing before me. Of course this didn’t stop me from being happy for her.
I slowly travel across the room to them to see if Olivia needs anything. It is part of my maid of honor duties.
"Hey,” she whispers to me so that no one can hear. “Could you please go distract my mom before she see’s my dad? Ever since the divorce they can’t even be in the same room together without fighting and I really don’t want a scene at my wedding.”
“I’m on it,” I nod. I can understand that. This is her special day after all.
I push through the crowded room in search of a bitter mother when I spot the one I’m looking for nearly twenty feet away. She seems to be keeping the company of my mother which almost makes me want to crawl back in a hole and hide until this whole reception is over. I wouldn’t bail on a friend though. That’s why I take in a deep breath and force myself to take the necessary steps over to their table.
By the time I reach them I hear them both discussing the divorce, to no surprise, and I ready myself to interrupt them.
“Beautiful reception isn’t it?” I say taking a seat at their table.
By the looks of it, they have already had a few classes of champagne.
“Yes,” Marla nods. “I can hardly believe it is all happening so fast. My oldest daughter is married now.”
“Fast?” My mother giggles. “They’ve been engaged for three years.”
At this point my mother shoots a pity glance my way.
What a nice way to make me feel better mom, I think trying to hold back my irritation.
“I know,” Marla sighs. “But the time just seems to have escaped me somehow. The last year alone has been nothing, but a blur.”
“It was a nasty divorce, wasn’t it,” Mom states. “And to think, he had the nerve to bring her here. This must be awful for you.”
To any unsuspecting person they might think that my mother was just being the concerned friend, but in my eyes, all I saw was a woman looking for a good piece of gossip to share with the world. That’s just how my mother was whether I liked it or not.
“This is my daughter’s wedding. Now is not the time to bring up my husband’s mistress.” She says sullen.
“Ex, dear,” My mother corrects.
Marla face is masked with confusion at my mother’s response. “Excuse me?”
“You’re ex husband.” She says again.
At the recognition of her response she blushes deeply. “Of course, that’s what I meant.”
I could almost see the amusement behind my mother’s eyes when she called Marla out like that. Hasn’t the poor woman been through enough?
As the music begins, couples throughout the room stand to their feet to dance including the Bride and Groom.
“Aren’t they just perfect,” my mother gushes. “Now that Heather is married with a child of her own, I doubt that I will ever get to celebrate another wedding in my family.”
And so it begins.
“You know, I saw in the paper last week that Blake is engaged to be married.” She continues. “He and his fiancé are planning an august wedding this year.”
Ever since she showed me that stupid article I haven’t heard the end of her constant remarks. I think she was upset the guy I had dumped down was getting married before I was. His parent’s hadn’t stopped talking about it since it was announced.
“I saw that.” Marla says. “She looks like a lovely girl. It’s about time he settled down. I didn’t think he ever would after-.”
She quickly cuts herself off before she can finish her sentence.
I suppose it’s my fault now that Blake took so long to move on. At least that’s the way my mother saw it. However, I’m sure that’s not the way Marla had meant by it.
“Yes, so did I,” My mother agrees. “I keep telling Farrah she’s not getting any younger, but she simply won’t even talk about the subject of marriage. I quiet depressing really. I guess grandchildren are out of the subject now.”
Never mind the fact that I’m 23 years old and still have my whole life ahead of me. Sure, I’d love to take that leap with Brody, but it’s not like we don’t have time for that later. There really is no rush. I think this is all just a competition to her.
“Hey babe.” A set of warm lips on my cheek instantly makes me smile.
Brody places a hand on my shoulder from behind me. “Care to share this dance?”
I nearly jump out of my seat at his request. Anything to get me away from here.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
I stand and take hold of Brody’s hand that is now stretched out to me and follow him to the dance floor enthusiastically. The past ten minutes were some of the worst in my life. I can’t even explain how pleased I am that I don’t have to visit my mother more than three times a year. We certainly get along better than we did before, but with us less is more. The less time we spend together, the more we get along.
“You saved me,” I state once we are swaying back and forth to the music.
“I would have been here sooner, but the limo kept us. Do you know how long it takes to decorate a car of that size in shaving cream?”
“I take it, you got it finished?” I smile.
“And I even got a few pictures.” He adds. “What kind of best man would I be if I didn’t?”
I giggle and lay my head on Brody’s shoulder letting the sound of the music guide me and the rest of the world fade away. Right now it was only us and that’s all I wanted it to be. Everything else could wait. The moment was too peaceful to think of anything else.
Brody takes my hand and leads me around the solar lit garden outside of the building just as twilight hit. The sky was a beautiful mixture of purple, blue and pink making the night seem almost perfect. Luckily most of the people had already left the reception and the bride was well on her way to her honeymoon. The only people left inside now were the caterers and the cleanup crew.
No one was outside to bother us. We were completely and romantically alone.
“I was thinking that we could put one of these in our lawn.” I smile leaning on his shoulder.
“Oh, no,” he states. “Our lawn is much too small for a garden of this size.”
“Then we’ll get a whole new house.” I joke with a laugh.
“Okay,” He agrees without a trace of humor in his voice.
I immediately pull us to a halt and lift my head to look at him. “I was kidding. I love our house.”
“I know you do, and I do too.” He says sincerely.”But I was just thinking it would be a bit too small for us in a few years and were not in college anymore so keeping a house close to campus isn’t necessary now.”
Well I suppose he has a point, but-
“To small?” I ask.
“Yeah,” He answers nervously. “I mean, if we ever…you know….have a family.”
His words stun me to a point that I don’t even know what to say. Of all the things that I expected to come from Brody, that was not one of them. The fact that Brody had never mentioned any of this to me until now only increases the shock in me.
As I fumble around, for the words to speak Brody beats me to it.
“I know we haven’t really talked about it much…or at all, but I thought that’ you’d want that.”
“I do,” I quickly blurt. “It just that-.”
“What?” He urges.
“It’s just…I’d kind of hoped we were married first.” I swallow nervously. “It’s just the way I was raised.”
Brody’s face let up with a smile and he gently grabs my hand in his before he speaks again. “I was hoping you’d say that, which is why I planned this.”
Before I have the chance to question him on his intentions the rose garden lit up around us with a thousand lights capturing me by surprise. I am so surprised that I don’t even notice him pulling out a little black velvet box from his pocket and kneel to the ground.
I gasp at the sight of the ring. “What are you…?”
All words suddenly leave me when the ring is placed at the tip of my finger and Brody smiles brightly. “Just say yes.”
Even through my speechlessness and shock I somehow manage to get the words out of mouth and into the open. “Yes….Yes of course I’ll marry you.”
By the time my words leave my mouth I am in tears. And not the sad hurtful kind either, but the incredibly happy ones. Happiness only Brody could give me, and for the rest of my life, he always would- because he was mine. And I was his.
Life had turned out better than any of us thought it would. Our high school life was gone and we were now living in the real world face real challenges. Like, working hard at a relationship for example, or paying bills and mortgages. Trying our best to raise children. Although we had all have faced many trials, we more the wiser for it.
Kristen went off to become an RN. After her accident that landed her in the hospital it encouraged her to help people and that exactly what she did. Now she’s working at the exact same hospital that made her do what she is doing today.
It’s safe to say that Blake and Kristen’s relationship would never be anything more than it is right now. They tried at being a couple, but they quickly realized it just wasn’t meant to be. They were two different people.
As for Blake though, he still became a father to his kids and even found someone else to love. I couldn’t be happier for him. We had scarcely kept in touch over the years after we parted in high school, but we still sent the occasional ‘how are you’ email every six months or so. I really and truly believe he has found happiness now and that all I could have ever hoped for with him.
Grace on the other hand was a different story. She and Hunter had gotten married right out of high school and a year later was diagnosed with Leukemia and passed away with in half a year. By the time they had caught the cancer cells in his body it was too late to do anything about it. She never really healed from his death. She had made no attempt to move on or date anyone else. It was just her and their daughter now and I don’t know if that would ever change. Sometimes we don’t always get a happy ending.
Megan, I hadn’t heard anything from since the day she left school. Though, I could only hope that where she was she found true happiness. The bitterness I had for her dissolved over the years when I realized it wasn’t really worth being mad over anymore. It was unfortunate what she did to me all those years ago, but I came out better for in the end. I just wish she knew I forgive her. Maybe one day I’ll get to tell her that.
Sarah was probably the luckiest of us all. Well second after me. She lives in Paris now with her very French, boyfriend that happens to own tow a very successful restaurants. She has invited all of us to visit next summer and stay with them.
Sadly she and Lucas didn’t last past graduation. With her plans to travel and his to go to college across the state they were forced to end their relationship, but still stayed very good friends so I hear.
I don’t think life ever goes the way we plan it, but the way it’s mean to go. But I can say this. I am truly happy where I am now and wouldn’t change anything that has ever happened to me for the world because it gave me what I have today. Love. And that’s not something I’d ever give up for anything.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author
Well that is all for Farrah and Brody’s journey. I hope this answered most of your questions about what happened to everyone. I’m really gonna miss this story and your comments as this has been an amazing book to write. I just hate it had to come to an end.
If you have any more questions please leave them in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them. However, if it’s about the spinoff of TBBIP (Olivia and Thomas’s story) I don’t know when I’ll be starting it. I have to finish a few of my other books before I take on another one. Just keep this story in your libraries for updates on it and the publishing of The Bad Boy is Possessive.
Well I suppose this is farewell for now. It’s time to put that little green completed checkmark by this story. Oh goodness…I think I’m gonna cry.
Much love,
Brittany
P.S: Keep a look out for the bonus chapters! :)
(Song of the chapter, Love Story by Taylor Swift) >>>>>>>>>>>>>