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“I love you,” Brooks said quietly, his eyes reflecting the same wonder she felt, that out of all the twists and turns, all the wrong steps and right ones, they’d found their way here. To each other. To this.

“I love you too,” Taylor replied, her heart full to bursting. “Always will.”

And as the stars began to appear overhead, thebackyard came alive with laughter and smoke from the grill, the bassline of an old-school R&B track bumping from the outdoor speakers. Someone slammed a domino down too hard, followed by a chorusof “Aww hell naw!”And“Run that back!”But it was the spades table in the corner that held the most heat.

“Reneging gets you cussed out in this household,” Blake said, side-eyeing her partner and tossing her cards on the table with flair. “And don’t you cut me either. I got books in this hand.”

“Girl, you ain’t got nothing but attitude,” Paige snapped, snatching a card from her fan like she’d been waiting all night to play it. Her gold hoops swung as she leaned in, the very picture of sophistiratchet confidence.

Brooks had his arm slung around Taylor’s shoulders as they stood near the drink table, watching it all unfold with soft smiles and full hearts. Taylor laughed as Blake and Paige kept up their back-and-forth, her hand absently rubbing Brooks’ back. He leaned into her touch like he needed it to breathe.

Taylor looked up at Brooks and whispered, “This feels like everything.”

He kissed the top of her head. “That’s ‘cause it is.”

In the middle of it all, between the spade’s slaps, the smoke in the air, the Bishops were just getting started. They knew without a shadow of a doubt they’d be fine.

Just as they always had.

Just as they always would.

THE END