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I got lost in my set, enjoying the easy, groovy feeling of the songs I was playing. It was thrilling to see that people were actually into it, too. People were swaying as they talked and looked at the art, and it was because of my music! I felt powerful, in a way. It was like being the DJ in a club, controlling the mood and the energy.
The night was so fun that it inevitably came to an end. After most of the people left, Kaitlyn and I packed up, and Professor Barley came over to give us our check. She’d even allowed us to set out a tip jar, which was kind of her.
I felt satisfied, totally content, as Margie drove us home. I was exhausted from playing for so long, but I was so happy. I ended up falling asleep in the car, and when I woke, it was like I’d been magically transported.
“Someone’s a sleepyhead, huh?” said Margie, laughing.
“Oh, shush,” I said, though she was right. I was dead tired.
After brushing my teeth and changing into PJs, I went right to bed, and she joined me. She gave me a kiss and said “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I said, feeling drowsy already.
If life could continue to be like this, I thought… I’d be the happiest woman in the world.
EPILOGUE
MARGIE
T HREE YEARS LATER
I couldn’t believe something as simple as a coffee could help me find the woman of my dreams, the woman who I was going to spend the rest of my life with.
We’d stayed in Rosebridge proper for a while, especially since it was easier for Brianne to build up her marketing consultancy there, but eventually moved to the outskirts, like Leah and Jean had. We were still friends with them after all this time, and I still liked to help out at the animal shelter, when I wasn’t doing field work.
During my senior year, I’d found a biology professor who was interested in working with me on a longterm project, so I’d applied to do a masters at Beasley. I’d been accepted for the program, and now this professor and I were doing fieldwork on the local bird populations. I had to wake up at 4:30 AM on some days to set up the mist nets, but it was worth it. I was finally doing what I loved. When I graduated at the end of the year, I would try to find other field work opportunities in the area. There was a lot of ecological research to get involved with that I never could have imagined before.
Our painting endeavors had gone so well that we’d both been accepted to various shows at Shadetree. Brianne wanted to spring for a studio space for both of us eventually, when both of us could afford it. I didn’t have much time to paint now, with my research, but it was something we enjoyed together.
All in all, life was good. I didn’t want anything to change. Well, once I was done with my masters, I wanted to travel more, and I was open to the idea of moving away from Rosebridge. But it was so peaceful and beautiful up here, it was hard to imagine living anywhere else. Later on, I knew I’d want kids, but that still seemed so far in the future. It was like the world was my oyster.
But there was one thing I was sure of. I wanted to marry Brianne. In fact, I was so sure that I’d actually gone out and bought a ring. I wasn’t sure when the right time to propose would be, and I knew Brianne wasn’t the kind of person who was into big, fancy celebrations. I would just have to carry it in my pocket and wait for a good moment.
But I knew I couldn’t just keep waiting, like Leah had told me so long ago. I just had to go for it.
So one day, as we were enjoying the hiking trails in our neighborhood, I realized that I was coming up on the perfect moment. It was summer again, and the forest was alive with birdsong and the calls of other creatures. It perfectly encapsulated what I loved about Rosebridge.
There was a cliff on this trail that had a beautiful vista of the distant hills and mountains, and we often brought picnics here. It was the perfect place for a proposal—beautiful, and with meaning for both of us.
We sat down when we reached the cliff, enjoying the view. The sun was a couple hours away from setting, so it painted the whole vista in shades of gold. It was incredible. This was what I loved about living in New England. Soon enough, the leaves would change colors and the whole place would be like a rainbow.
I snuggled up to Brianne and rested my head on her shoulder. Now was the time.
“Brianne,” I started. “I have something to ask you.”
“That’s funny,” she said, “I had something I wanted to talk to you about too.”
“What?” I sat up and looked at her. “Um, is it urgent?”
“Depends. Is yours urgent?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. What was she getting at? And what was with that mischievous smile on her face?
“Well… I wanted to ask you… Brianne, will you marry me?” I pulled the ring box from my purse and snapped it open.
“Of course I will,” she said, “but only on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
