AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Even Natalie looks taken aback. "Thank you," she says sincerely. "And thank you for your generous donations, too."
Juno inclines her head like a gracious queen, and I try not to snort. I signal one of the servers over, and she trots up with four glasses of champagne.
"Here's to making the world a better place," I say, raising my glass in a toast. As we clink our glasses together, I can't help but marvel at the strange twists and turns life has taken, bringing Natalie, Juno, Caitlin, and me together in this one moment.
In the end, perhaps that's what life is all about – finding beauty in the darkest places, forging connections amidst chaos, and embracing love wherever it may appear.
Juno's concession to Natalie isn't my last surprise of the evening. "What isshedoing here," I murmur to Natalie nervously, spotting a woman that I know to be Evelyn Chang making her way towards us through the crowd. Her smile is infectious, and she seems nice enough…
But she's still FBI.
"Hey, you two!" Evelyn exclaims, pulling both of us into a warm group hug, even though we've never been formally introduced. "This is amazing!"
"Tell me about it," Natalie replies, her eyes crinkling with happiness. "Are you sure you should be here, though? Won't Bell get a bit, you know…Bellabout it all? Your being here with some of these, uh, guests?"
"Ah, well," Evelyn begins, tugging at her blazer, a hint of pink blooming on her cheeks. "You'll be the first to hear this, Nat. But I decided to leave the Bureau and start my own tech security firm. I quit last week."
"Really?" Natalie asks, her eyebrows raised in genuine surprise and delight. "That's fantastic, Evelyn!"
"And…" She looks down, smiling. "Patrick asked me out last week, too, as soon as I turned in my resignation." She glances at me, explaining quickly, "Patrick O'Conner is someone from the team Nat and I were in. So yeah, we're dating, kinda, I guess. He's leaving the Bureau too, though. He wants to go back to school to get his PhD."
"Evelyn, I'm so happy for you." Natalie pulls her in for a hug. "You deserve it. Both of you."
"Thank you," Evelyn smiles, her blush deepening. "I owe a lot of it to you two, actually. Seeing your story unfold made me realize that life's too short not to take risks and follow your heart."
I'm actually touched. "That's…lovely, Evelyn. Thank you for saying so."
"Thankyou," she repeats. And then she lowers her voice. "And thank you for the other work you're doing. If you ever need to talk tech security, I'll work gratis for you." A little louder, she goes on. "So that's enough about me. Let's celebrate!"
As the party continues, I find myself stealing glances at Natalie, who seems lost in thought. She notices and gives me a reassuring smile before taking my hand.
"Let's step outside for a moment," she suggests, leading me towards the exit.
Once outside, the chilly air embraces us, contrasting with the warmth we left behind. The sky above is a vast canvas splattered with stars, providing just enough light to illuminate the shelter's still-modest facade. We stand there, hand-in-hand, our breaths mingling with the evening breeze.
"Look at what you built," Natalie whispers, her voice filled with awe and reverence. "And all those lives changed for the better."
"Whatwebuilt. None of it would have been possible without you," I remind her, squeezing her hand gently. "If I had a glass, I'd toast you, sweetheart." I mime it instead, and Natalie grins and mimics my gesture.
"Here's to us," she says, and then entwines her fingers with mine. "We made it. We actually made it."
"And the prize at the end of all this was worth more than I could ever have imagined," I tell her. "I hope you know how much I love you, Natalie Miller."
I kiss her softly.
"I do," she says afterward. "And I love you, Alessa. Never doubt it."
A sudden gust of wind sweeps through the street, lifting our hair, carrying with it the distant laughter of the women inside the shelter.
And I close my eyes and kiss Natalie again, with all of my ruby-red heart behind it.
