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She breathed in deep, sighing slowly. “I know. I think I always knew that. You’re mine, and I’m yours.” She sighed against me. “And every family has a little chaos.”
EPILOGUE 1: ELIZA
“Trask!” I screamed from the bottom of our stairs. “I swear if we are late to your own event I am going to lose my mind!”
He pounded down the steps, fighting with his tie. “It’ll be fine! Just a bunch of people from the historical thingy who will shake my hand and tell me I did a good job.”
“As if that’s what I’m nervous about! I don’t want to be late! Your parents already think we are dumb kids, I will not let them add ‘late and impolite’ to the list.”
He laughed and kissed my cheek, tucking a flyway strand from my face. “As if you care what they think.”
Okay that was true. “Fine. I just want to hang out with Lennon and I’m nervous for you and standing around here is making me go nuts.”
“I knew you liked her. Just don’t go liking Jude more than me.”
She snorted. “I like you just fine.” I slapped his butt, and we made our way out of our little apartment. We’d been in this little home for about four months and it was everything we ever hoped for. It had a year lease which would end right about the time I finally graduated. After that, the world was our oyster, and it was looking like a toss-up between heading south to be closer to Jude and Lennon or east so Trask could work on some older buildings.
Trask drove us to the site. “Are you nervous?” I asked.
“About?”
I scoffed. “About the fact your whole family will be together out in public for the first time since last Christmas.”
Trask sighed. “No, not really. My parents won’t change. They tell themselves we’ll come around and the distance between them and their sons is just youth and inexperience and not years of damage. I’m happy they wanted to be included though, if nothing more than to network, they’ll still be there.”
I nodded. I hated that they still had emotional power over Trask. Deep down, he still wanted to please them. But that’s just not how unconditional love worked and he was finding that out the hard way.
“Jude will be there,” I said.
Trask smiled. “Yeah. Can’t believe they made the drive.”
I laughed. “Of course they did. They’re so proud of you. Plus, he and Lennon wanted to check out Crater Lake and some other parks on their drive.”
He let out a long sigh, looking as handsome as ever. “Makes me want to take another road trip.”
I clutched his hand. “Once I graduate?”
“Hell yes.”
“I was thinking we should go out east. Maybe sketch some buildings. Maybe apply for a few jobs there?”
He bit his lip. “You’d want that?”
“Anything to see more of this.” I pointed to the old church as Trask parked the truck. This was his first solo project. He saved the historical church and schoolhouse from being demolished and managed to get a fund set up and local companies to volunteer their time and labor to move it out of a demolition zone and onto a vineyard. He restored it to its incredible beauty. It sat surrounded by acres of vineyards that were slowly changing color as autumn snuck in.
Trask stepped out of the car and opened the door for me, allowing me to grasp his arm as we walked over the gravel parking lot to the church building. I wore his favorite wedges he’d gotten me with a light sundress. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “You look stunning.”
I blushed like I always did when he whispered sweet things to me. We hugged the few people already there and poured some chardonnay from the winery and sipped on it while we waited for the other guests to arrive. It almost looked like a wedding with a few rows of seating out front. There would be a few guest speakers from the historical society and a tiny speech from Trask, then the chapel would be open for the public. It was absolutely darling. Maybe enough room for seventy people inside, but Trask managed to acquire the original stained-glass windows and even the bell that hung overhead. I could tell people were going to be biting at the bit to get their names on the list for the future wedding venue.
“Eliza!” Lennon said, running up to me, well, running as best as she could with one good leg and the prosthetic one. “Hey! So good to see you!”
We’d seen them not even a month ago. Connecting with them on our road trip years ago was the best thing we ever did. I found siblings in Trask’s brother and sister-in-law. I’d never had that. I had Rosalie and a few friends, but this was different, especially when I heard how they met and got married.
“Hey!” I said. “How was the drive?”
“Oh, fine.” She shrugged. “We made it a two-day trip, stopping at some landmarks on the way. Are his parents here?”
I shook my head. “Not yet.” I had a kindred spirit in Lennon. Trask’s parents didn’t like me, but they loathed Lennon.
