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And with that, I walk out and close the door quietly behind me. I’ve laid out the boundaries and set up the guidelines for a relationship with my son going forward. That uncertainty is gone as far as I’m concerned since he knows what he’ll get from me, and I know what I’m going to get from him. My hope is he absorbs everything I said and uses it as a catalyst to start growing and changing. I’m sure it’s going to take some time for any meaningful change to happen, and I have no doubts there will be some bumps along the road, but I’m hoping for the best.
I can only do as I said—meet him halfway. It’s up to Micah now.
EPILOGUE
HARLOW
One Year Later
The cork pops with a crack like a gunshot and shoots across the room, making everybody around the table cheer and howl with laughter. Hunter pours me a glass of bubbly with a wide smile on his face and signals for the wait staff to pour for everybody else. I look around the table, feeling my heart swell as everybody raises their glasses to me. The love I feel emanating from everybody at the table is palpable and so overwhelming, I have to fight off the tears.
We’re sitting in a private room at a nice restaurant. Hunter made all the plans and put together the guest list in secret. When we walked in and I saw everybody gathered around the table, I couldn’t stop the tears of joy from falling. Joy and relief, to be honest. I’ve been working so hard for this for what feels like a lifetime and to have finally achieved my goal, my dream, the emotions roiling around inside of me are overpowering. My dad is seated to my right. He takes my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.
“I’m proud of you, sweetheart,” he says.
“We both are,” my mom, seated to his right, chimes in. “Very proud of you.”
“Thank you guys. I’m just so glad you’re here,” I reply.
“Where else would be on your big day, sweetheart?” my dad says.
Over the past year, I’ve gotten to know some of Hunter’s friends from the fire station, and he’s gotten to know my family. Because of the age difference between us, my folks were skeptical, of course. I think my father still is a little. But they’ve gotten to know him, and they’re coming to love him as much as I do. They can see just how good of a man he is, how amazingly well he treats me, and just how happy he makes me.
My dad said he couldn’t really ask for more than that from somebody I’m in love with. Grudgingly, but he said it.
Hunter’s friends have been warm and accepting as well. From the start, they’ve taken me in as one of their own. Of course, they’ve razzed Hunter about dating somebody so much younger than he is, making the obligatory babysitter and Girl Scout jokes, but it’s always been meant in good fun. And surprisingly, rather than get irate about it, Hunter has just rolled with it, usually firing back at them with something. The camaraderie is really special, and I’ve started to think of these guys as family too.
Hunter gets to his feet. “Okay, let me get your attention for a minute.”
The table falls silent, and everybody turns to Hunter. He looks at me with a wide smile and the unmistakable light of love and pride in his eyes.
“First of all, I wanted to thank you all for coming,” Hunter says. “Today is a big day in Harlow’s life. Maybe the biggest. She’s worked hard to make this dream a reality, and today, we get to share her joy in finally making it happen.”
Cheers and applause ripple around the table, and my parents look at me like they’re so proud, they could burst. The fact that Hunter put this all together for me, to celebrate me, puts a smile on my face I don’t know I’ll ever be able to get off. In all the many, different ways he makes me feel special, this ranks right near the top. Probably because Hunter isn’t normally very outwardly sentimental and isn’t prone to big displays of emotion—privately with me, he’s much different of course—so, to have him fussing and gushing over me this way means a lot.
“Harlow, I can’t tell you how proud of you I am. Your courage, strength, and fortitude are amazing and inspire me every day. Congratulations on finishing your program and becoming an official, full-fledged RN. You are going to do great things and save a lot of lives,” he says.
Thunderous applause erupts around the table as people cheer and congratulate me. My face grows warm, and I look down, embarrassed at the attention I’m receiving. I know I should be basking in the spotlight for a change, if only for a day, but I’ve never been good with being the center of attention. Unless it’s Hunter’s attention, of course. The applause and cheering taper off, and all eyes turn to Hunter who obviously isn’t done speaking yet.
“On a personal level, your impact on my life can’t be measured. You’ve changed me in more ways than I can count,” he says. “You continue to change me every single day. More than that, you make me want to be a better man. And for that, I am forever grateful to you.”
“And you’ve changed me too, baby. I’m more than grateful to you as well,” I say, my voice breathy and trembling.
Hunter looks at my dad, who gives him a nod and a smile with a strange glint in his eye. My mom’s eyes well with tears, and she looks at me with a strange sense of nostalgia on her face. I turn back to Hunter to find him down on one knee with an open box in his hand. As the light sparkles off the diamond ring, I clamp my hands over my mouth, stifling a gasp. I can’t stop the tears from rolling down my face.
“Harlow White, you have made me happier than I ever thought I could be,” he says. “But it would make me even happier if you did me the honor of becoming my wife.”
With tears streaming down my cheeks, I turn to my parents, both of whom have tears in their eyes as well. With a trembling hand, I wipe away my tears and draw a deep, shuddering breath.
“Did you know about this?” I ask.
My dad nods. “Hunter stopped by the house a week ago to ask permission.”
I turn back to Hunter. “That seems kind of old-fashioned.”
He shrugs. “I respect tradition. And it seemed like the right thing to do.”
“It definitely was the right thing to do. I like a man who respects tradition,” my dad chimes in. “But uh… honey? Are you going to give the man an answer?”
