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Epilogue
Lainey
Three months later...
“Go, go, go!”
The size six fluorescent ball glides down the lane, slowly knocking all the pins at the end down, astonishing me and everyone else sitting with us.
“Strike!” Tara yells, spinning around to beam at me.
Simon laughs at my sister’s reaction, sweeping Tara into his arms gently so that he’s not squashing her belly, and I sigh with contentment as my sister glows even brighter.
When Cass suggested I invite Tara and Simon, I’d questioned whether I should. Not because I didn’t want Tara to come out with us, but because I wasn’t sure she should be hefting heavy balls around. Simon and I have done our best to make sure Tara is comfortable. She’s using the lightest ball and has succeeded in knocking pins down every turn because of the way she pushes the light ball down the child’s ramp with so much gusto.
Ben wraps an arm around my shoulders. “I’d forgotten how much fun we had here,” he murmurs.
Leaning back, I smile and look up at him. “Same.”
Tara sits down next to me, sighing. “No wonder you used to come here every weekend.”
“That had more to do with Amber and Lucas wanting to bowl on weekends here,” Ben tells her.
“They were thinking about joining the bowling league at one point,” I add.
They loved it here, and so we always came here. But even though I came here because of them in the beginning, I grew fond of the place and made a lot of good memories here. Many including the man beside me and the conversations we used to have.
“Speaking of.” Cass looks at her watch. “They should be here any minute.”
On cue, the front door of the bowling alley swings open and the couple walks in. I wave at Amber and Lucas as they join us, taking the last empty seats adjoining the two lanes we’ve hired for the evening. Cass and Duncan didn’t invite them, per se, but when Amber called Duncan and heard we were here, she asked if she could come. Ben and I said we didn’t mind because, honestly, we don’t. We’re never going to be the best of friends with the other couple, but occasionally hanging out with them doesn’t bother us.
With the new additions, the noise level suddenly picks up, everyone trying to converse over the loud music pumping through the speakers. Seb, Duncan, and Ben are placing bets on which one of them will win at air hockey once the table becomes free. Amber is asking Tara about her pregnancy. Cass is talking to Simon and Lucas about the last episode of Green’s Law. I just sit back and watch, enjoying the contentment and happiness warming my chest.
A year ago—heck, even six months ago—I couldn’t have imagined this scenario. The last time I was in this bowling alley, I was in so much pain as Lucas ended everything between us so that he could be with his best friend. I had no idea at the time that it would be the best thing that could happen to me. It pushed me to find myself. I worked out how to make myself happy in a relationship. And I discovered acceptance and real love with Ben.
Now Ben and I are together, Amber and Lucas are together, Cass and Duncan are together, and my sister is becoming a genuine friend. As for Seb, well, he’s still just the same. Though he does like to refer to himself as Cupid these days.
Never would I have imagined this being my happy ending, and yet here I am, feeling nothing but happiness.
“Table’s free!” Duncan declares.
“I want in,” Amber tells her brother. “You know I’ll beat all of you.”
Ben kisses me as Duncan and Amber argue the way siblings do before he, Duncan, and Seb head for the air hockey table.
“Whoa, nice ring,” Cass gasps, catching my attention.
She holds Amber’s wrist up to inspect the jewellery better under the flashing disco lights. “Is that...?”
“No,” Amber says quickly. “It’s just a friendship ring.”
Her gaze slides to me.
“It’s beautiful,” I tell her.
She smiles and nods before launching into details of the overseas trip she’s planning with Lucas. Once she’s done, she leaves us to make good on her promise to whoop the guys’ butts at air hockey.
I watch as Amber walks over to the guys and joins in. When Amber plays Ben and I see them laughing together, I don’t feel nervous or insecure. For the first time in my life, I feel safe in my relationship—secure in the knowledge that Ben and I have something so special and significant that it would take a lot to shake us or break us.
