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“I love you, Phe.”
“Love you more, Maddy.”
Clay held open the car door for me and waved one last time before he climbed into the driver's side.
“You ready?” he asked as soon as he buckled.
“Let’s go home.”
Epilogue
-Clay-
The crowd was bigger than I anticipated. I was pushed back farther than I wanted, but I was still able to see everything happening in front of the store. The new sign above the door was stunning.Ophelia Fuller, Wedding Gownsstood out over the other signs on 5th Ave, and by the looks of the store inside, it was going to exceed everyone’s expectations.
The crowd was mainly women, all wanting to get their own wedding gown created by Ophelia. Some tried to press closer to the door, others claimed they had had their appointment for months. I rolled my eyes, knowing what was happening behind the scenes as Ophelia worked her ass off these last two-and -a-half months.
There was a light pink ribbon in front of the door, taped on each side of the glass, and on a small glass table was a pair of golden scissors. Ophelia and JoAnn were inside, prepping the staff on all the people who were about to barge in the doors.
My heart was racing. I knew Ophelia was going to give a small speech before cutting the ribbon and opening the door, but she had refused to share it with me, telling me it would make a bigger impact if I heard it for the first time with everyone else.
“This is a shit ton of people.” Milo appeared beside me, Madeline and Holly at his side. “I didn’t think there would be this many people.”
“Neither did I. Apparently, I’m not important enough to stand in front. All the women pushed me back,” I responded, waving my hand to the crowd.
“My question is, why aren’t you in there with her?” Madeline asked, pulling Holly in front of her and placing her hands on her shoulders.
“How you doin,’ Holly-wood?” I asked, rubbing her hair with my hand.
“Excited for Aunt Phe.” She smiled.
“Me too.”
The last two-and-a-half months had been mushed together. The moment we arrived in New York it had been nonstop. Ophelia was busy every day at the warehouse and boutique, sometimes taking me along with her, making sure to give me a pin cushion every time I walked in the warehouse. I had meeting after meeting with potential new clients, happy to report that more than half of them had signed contracts.
I was able to pay back Milo, even though he would only accept half of what I knew I owed him, and Elliot and I had built a friendship even through the business aspect. He was still impatiently waiting for a wedding date for me and Ophelia.
But what he didn’t know, what only a few people knew, was that Ophelia and I had gotten married yesterday. With Milo and Madeline by our side, we got married in Central Park. A small, simple ceremony where we pledged our love for each other, even taking it to the grave. I played with the wedding band on my finger, enjoying the smooth feel of it against my thumb, a constant reminder I was hers.
The crowd gave a small cheer as the glass doors opened and JoAnn and Ophelia stepped out, both looking stunning in their black dresses with pink belts to match the design of the store. Ophelia caught my gaze and scrunched her nose, giving me a cute grin. I mimicked her and then focused my eyes on JoAnn.
“This is amazing. Thank you everyone for coming to this big event, this grand opening. This is the biggest project I’ve put together in such a short time. It was hard and tough, but it was worth it in every way. I found this designer last year in Portland, Oregon and knew I had to stock her in my stores, and then, when I saw what she could do, it became so much more. I present to you, Ophelia Fuller.” JoAnn stepped aside and motioned toward Ophelia.
The woman cheered and clapped as Ophelia went and stood next to JoAnn.
“Thank you.” She smiled. “Seriously, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. It's so hard to believe that what seems like so many years ago, I was a fashion major in Portland, all these ideas in my head that I was slowly getting on paper. Drawing little sketches and using my little sewing machine to piece everything together. This would have never been possible if it wasn’t for a few people, so before I cut the ribbon and show off my designs, I need to acknowledge them. First, to JoAnn for believing in me so much to offer to put this all together. To see my potential even before I could. Thank you, JoAnn,” She turned to JoAnn, who gave her a slight nod, raising her hands over her heart. “And to Madeline, my best friend, who always pushed me in college, supporting me everywhere. If she hadn’t asked me to design a custom wedding gown, I would have never gotten those ideas down, and they wouldn’t be hanging in there now, waiting for their bride. I love you, Maddy. Thank you.”
“Oh,” Madeline said through tears. Milo rubbed her back and pulled her close to him, kissing her temple.
I grinned at them, thankful in my own ways for them, and turned back to my wife, who still took my breath away.
“And finally,” she continued, “my husband. Without him—I’ll be real open and honest here—absolutely none of this would be possible. When we met in college, he accepted me for who I was, inside and out, and then when I needed to apply to the big wig fashion guy in New York, he hit the send button. And when I was hesitant about asking JoAnn for this, he was the one to cheer me on, hitting that send button once again, and he was the one who listened and allowed me to fly. Clay, I love you so very much. I’m so happy we found our way back to each other. Thank you for helping me spread my wings.” She took a deep breath, holding back the tears I knew were forming in her eyes. “Okay.” She clapped her hands and turned to the table, grabbing the scissors. “Are we ready?”
The ladies cheered, and Ophelia, with the largest smile I had ever seen, cut the small pink ribbon in front of the doors. They fell to the sides, and the clapping and cheers grew louder. Even Holly shouted as Milo raised her up on his shoulders.
“Ophelia Fuller’s is open!” JoAnn shouted as she and Ophelia opened the double glass doors together, letting the crowd into the store.
I finally approached Ophelia at the door, instantly taking her in my arms to kiss her.
