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Alex wrapped her arm around her friend’s shoulder. “Lucy, you’re just like her. You’re loyal, encouraging, loving…if I could take all the best qualities and write myself a best friend, she would be you.”

“Lex…” Lucy sniffed.

“Gran would be so proud of you, Lucy, just like I am.”

“I hope so. The novel is for her as much as for me. I just wish I could tell her, ‘I did it, Gran.”’

“She knows, Lucy. I swear she does.” Tears began to sting Alex’s eyes. “I wish I had met her.”

“Me, too. She knew about how we met—online. She thought it was so cool, a best friend on the other side of the world. When I met you in person, a part of me believed Gran made it happen. If she couldn’t be here, she did the next best thing—sent you crashing into me.”

“Crash is the right word.”

Lucy chuckled and dabbed her eyes. “Gran would have loved you—and Joan.”

“Oh, my God—Joan would have adored your gran. Imagine, those two together?” Alex snickered. “Double trouble. Now that’s a story idea we should work on!”

Lucy jolted up in her chair, eyes wide with excitement. “Yeah!”

“They could be a superhero duo in their youth…” Alex squeezed Lucy’s arm. “…or best friends in their golden years, sidestepping into a parallel universe, running an undercover superhero academy for girls—”

“Fucking hell, we have to do it!”

“We will, I promise.” Alex resumed typing.

“Harry said I should find a way to celebrate Gran’s life, and something arty would be bang on.” Lucy piled her hair on top of her head. “You know, yesterday Harry took me to the street in Brooklyn where she lived.”

“Aww!” Alex flashed a smile at Lucy. “He’s the sweetest. You got the last good one.” She sent off another email.

“Lex…” Lucy bit her bottom lip, letting her curls fall to her shoulders. “Harry…asked me to move in!”

“Lucy!” Alex sat back, grinning.

“It was so romantic! He asked while we were watching the sunset from Brooklyn Bridge. I almost cried, but I stuck the landing. Fuck, Lex, I am so becoming that girl!”

“That’s not a bad thing. So, are you…moving in?”

“Um, not yet. I don’t want to jinx it.”

Alex laughed. “Typical you.”

“I love him, but I also love my space and my flat…when Charlie’s not home.” Lucy shrugged. “I don’t think I’m ready to give it up just yet.”

“Nothing wrong with being happy with the way things are—”

Lucy’s phone danced across the table with a text. “Oh, it’s Freddie. About bloody time! Hang on, I’ll read it aloud.”

It’s done. Simon came out to his parents. He cried. Then he told them about our engagement. They cried. Then they popped open some cut-rate bubbly. I cried. Wait—I cried because I was HAPPY, not because the champers was terrible. I love Si and his parents and you guys and the entire FUCKING world so hard right now. Give Lex a huge kiss from the future Mr. Simon Desjardins. Looks like Freddie Ryan finally gets his happy ever after. x

“First you and now this?” Alex waved her hands in front of her eyes. “I’m gonna bawl.”

Lucy couldn’t contain her smile. “Love conquers all.”

Seeing her best friend so loved up and happy, Alex didn’t have the heart to disagree.