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“That’swhat I’m for?”
Melissa assures me, “It is now that Sammy is almost a teenager. But don’t worry, it’ll lighten up after she graduates from college.”
All the ups and downs of my adult life have led me to this very moment. And if things work out between me and Melissa, then all the heartache was worth it. Life gives, and it takes, but ultimately, I believe the gifts outweigh the heartache. We just have to be courageous enough to keep going.
EPILOGUE
MELISSA
“Sammy, hurry up! Your mom just pulled up,” I call out to her while busily adding things to the pile of bags accumulating by Jamie’s front door.
Jamie shakes his head. “We’re only going to be in the Cayman Islands for ten days. You look like you’re getting ready to move there.”
“I’ve packed for a variety of temperatures,” I tell him primly.
Sammy skips down the hallway with an overnight bag thrown over her shoulder. “I can’t believe you’re not taking me with you.”
“You can come the next time,” Jamie tells her. “But meanwhile, your mom has made a lot of holiday plans for you while you’re in the city.”
Melissa asks, “You’re not getting cold feet about going, are you?”
Sammy shakes her head. “No, I’m just giving you two a hard time. I’m looking forward to spending time with Beth.” She winks and adds, “She has a lot of Christmases to make up for.”
I hand her a packet of papers. “Here’s where we’ll be staying. There are phone numbers in case our cell phones don’t work.”
Even though we all know Beth is here, the knock on the door causes us all to jump. Sammy races to open it. “Hey,” she says in a friendly way. She’s seen Beth six times since that night in the hospital, but this is the first time she’s spending the night with her. Jamie has been slow to trust his ex, so this is a big move.
“Hi there.” Beth reaches out to hug her daughter. “You ready to go?”
“Yup,” Sammy says enthusiastically. It’s nice to see a relationship developing between these two.
Beth smiles at Jamie and me. “Let us know that you arrived safely,” she says.
“I gave Sammy all of our information,” I tell her.
Jamie walks over to his daughter and wraps her in a hug. “Have a great time and don’t forget to shop for me.” He teases, “I want alligator loafers, and a fur coat.”
Sammy laughs. “I want a Coach bag full of Twix bars.” She looks at me and asks, “What do you want, Melissa?”
I take in the scene before me with a very full heart. “I have everything I have ever wanted right here,” I tell her. “Just be safe and have a great time.”
Once Sammy and Beth are gone, I tell Jamie, “Everything is working out perfectly.”
“I love you,” he says. He told me that for the first time a month ago and I can’t hear it enough.
“I love you too. Now come on, our first vacation is waiting for us, and I can’t wait to feel the sand between my toes.”
I watch as Jamie picks up a satchel next to the couch. I can’t imagine there was anything left to pack, so I ask, “What’s in there?”
“Just a special surprise for a special lady,” he says.
“Really? Could it be for me?”
He shrugs. “Maybe.”
“Can I open it now? I do love special surprises.”
“Not a chance,” he tells me. Then he says, “Come on, the sunshine is waiting for us.”
And just like that, I realize that’s exactly what Jamie and Sammy have been for me. They are my sunshine. They are the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing I think about before going to bed. I finally have my guy and he’s more than I could have ever hoped for.
