Page 61 of Can We Skip to the Good Part?

O ne Year Later

The house looked gorgeous. After a year of hard work, Max honestly couldn’t believe they’d made it to the finish line in advance of the housewarming party.

The property, with its colorful garden and quiet, open stretch of land in the back, felt like something out of a dream.

The house itself was two stories of rustic charm.

Weathered wood siding, deep front porch, and wide windows that let the light pour in.

It made sleeping in on weekends an exercise in joy.

Those gorgeous windows had been at the top of Max’s must-have list when searching for a house that would be their first purchase together.

Inside, it was all clean lines and high-end finishes: warm oak floors, a chef’s kitchen with tall green cabinets and gold hardware, picked out by Ella, and a fireplace framed in stone they’d chosen together.

Every room felt intentional, like it knew it was meant to be loved.

Max’s condo had been wonderful to her during the years she spent there, meeting her every need.

But it wasn’t just her anymore, and now she knew with certainty that it never would be again.

That meant they’d need a space that was for both of them, that reflected both of their needs and style.

Ella now had her own office for design that looked out over the expansive yard that backed up to a greenbelt full of towering trees, winding trails, and the kind of quiet that made space for creativity to bloom.

“I’m here,” her mom’s voice said, floating in from the entryway. “I let myself in because it’s a party. Your father will follow me later.” The guests weren’t set to arrive for another half hour, but her mother would want to play deputy hostess, so, of course, she’d arrived early.

“Come on in!” She heard Ella say cheerfully from the other room.

In the past year, the two of them had inched closer and closer until they’d become tighter than peas and carrots.

Max was 100 percent confident that her mother preferred Ella to most any other human, a good balance of sunshine to her no-nonsense outlook, which she had to admit had softened considerably since her bout with cancer.

“I brought homemade sweet rolls. They’re in the warming basket you got me.”

“I love mine,” Ella said. “Isn’t it the best?”

“Science is my passion, and when you combine it with cooking, I’m a happy woman,” Mayumi said. “Is my daughter being good?”

“She’s been wonderful. She just installed the cutest little wishing well in the back. Running water and all. She can pretty much do anything around the house.”

Max smiled as she strolled into the room. “Hear that, Mom? I’m handy.” She kissed her mother on the cheek and accepted the bread. “You didn’t have to bring anything.”

“No, no. You always bring something. Always,” she said emphatically, as if Max needed to memorize the directive for the future. Okay, some things hadn’t changed. She relaxed into a smile. “But you always do, because you are smart and kind.”

“Nice save,” she told her mom.

An hour later, the house was christened by the arrival of friends and loved ones.

Sonya shared anonymous stories from the mediation trenches in the open kitchen as she poured and served the batch cocktail she had brought with her, her gift to the party.

Stevie and Olive arrived looking like an adorably happy couple.

Max caught them stealing a kiss near the hors d’oeuvres table.

Wasn’t it interesting how it had all worked out?

Olive had recently moved into Stevie’s place and was now their second host each week.

The four of them had each found their person at the Read It and Weep Book Club, the place you apparently went for singles matches.

“Everyone came,” Ella said with a grin, pressing her shoulder against Max’s. “And I think this counts as Rachel’s third date with Amanda.” Max followed Ella’s gaze to the two strolling through the living space hand in hand.

“The cheeseball with the cranberries is outta this world,” Doug said, puttering by with a rare grin on his face.

“Glad you like it,” Max told him, though he hadn’t waited for a response.

According to Ella, the shop had been overrun with customers this week when a slew of new romances were released. Doug’s Books was better than ever.

Ella exhaled. “They all seem happy and talkative and have food and drinks. I think that means we can relax and take it all in.”

Though Max had helped in any way she could, Ella had emerged as the event planner of their couplehood and had put together the heart and soul of the gathering. Like everything she touched, the evening was planned to perfection.

“Should we say a few words?” Max asked, threading their fingers, knowing she had more than a few already assembled.

“Oh, I’m going to leave that to you,” Ella said. She’d never been a fan of the spotlight, and that was okay. “But I will smile and stand next to you in solidarity as your cohost. I might even nod a couple of times. Prepare yourself.”

Max squeezed Ella’s hand. “I love the plan. Let’s get everyone’s attention.”

As they moved to the center of the room, Max made sure the ring she’d been meticulously designing with the jeweler for months was secure in her pocket.

She nodded in her mom’s direction, which prompted her to take out her phone and begin recording.

Sonya, also catching the agreed-upon cue, dinged her glass three times with a spoon, which brought the room to a gradual hush.

Their guests turned to her with expectant smiles, waiting.

“Wow, it’s so quiet in here,” Max said, feeling her nerves swim to the surface, an unusual feeling.

She swallowed them back, wanting to do this thing right.

“Ella and I are so happy that you’re here to celebrate with us tonight.

Our new home is everything we hoped for, and we wanted to share it with you.

In many ways, this place is a culmination of our journey together.

That journey wasn’t always easy, but it was ours, and it brought me to this very moment, when I couldn’t be happier.

” She turned to Ella and smiled. “This woman on my left changed my entire outlook on life when she stepped into mine.”

A collective “aww” rippled through the room. Ella beamed, and her cheeks bloomed.

“I was a cynic when it came to love stories and finding forever. But it turns out, I was just frozen in place, waiting for Ella Baker to get here already and show me the way.” Rachel, who stood in the corner smiling, offered her an encouraging nod.

“Because of Ella, I now see the good in the most mundane. I look forward to lazy Saturdays and strolling the night market in town. Everyone, I garden sometimes.” That pulled a laugh.

“I don’t exactly recognize myself, and it’s the best feeling ever.

” She lifted both shoulders. “I’m head over heels in love and know without a doubt that’s not going to change. ”

“Wow. I love you, too,” Ella said.

“But let’s talk about the house a minute, because it’s nice. I like it. But let’s face it, it’s not complete.”

Ella frowned and quirked her head, clearly wondering what Max meant. They’d had several conversations about the house being perfect.

“Nope. This house is very much looking for a commitment from us. It wants to know we’re in this forever, and I am. I plan to be by this woman’s side until we’re watching the sunset in rocking chairs on that porch with hot toddies and fuzzy socks.”

“We’ll need a photo of that,” Ariana called, cupping her hands around her mouth.

“Deal,” Max said with a laugh. “But one thing first.” Max pulled the small velvet box from her pocket just as an uncomfortable lump rose in her throat.

Ella looked at the box in shock as Max knelt before her on one knee and opened it.

When their eyes met, Max couldn’t hold back the tears any longer.

The love she felt for Ella was so all-encompassing that it permeated every piece of her.

There was a quiet gasp in the crowd. Ella covered her mouth with one hand, but not before Max saw it tremble.

“Is this real?” she asked.

Max nodded. They’d talked about forever, about wanting to get married when life quieted down, but never an explicit timeline.

And if Ella wanted a long engagement, she’d give it to her.

She’d give her anything she wanted. But for Max, on her end of things, she didn’t want to wait another minute to marry the woman she loved.

“Ella.” That’s when the well of emotion engulfed her, stealing her voice.

Their friends waited in silence. Max brushed away a happy tear.

“Ella,” she said again. “I love you beyond words. You dazzle me every day with your kindness, beauty, talent, and the way you make the world a happier, more exciting place. No room is the same when you walk into it. No human being is unaffected. I would very much like to marry you and ensure you’re in all of my rooms from now on.

Would you do me the honor, Ella Baker? Will you marry me? ”

Ella exhaled and shook her head slowly. “Yes. I’d marry you right now.” She sank to her knees, meeting Max right where she knelt, cupped her face, and kissed her deeply to the swell of applause and a couple of whistles, surely one from her dad. Everything in Max leapt for joy.

Their friends clapped and whooped, some with hands over their hearts, as Ella pulled Max into a second kiss that was soft at first, then deepened with a kind of quiet urgency, like she needed Max to feel the yes in every part of her.

When they finally pulled apart, Ella rested her forehead against Max’s. “Look. You knocked me off my feet,” she whispered.

“Well, you rewired my whole world.” Max’s breath caught. She reached up to cradle Ella’s face, her thumb brushing the damp edge of her cheek.

After photos, lots of champagne, and multiple tours of the house, they settled in for a night of laughs and storytelling with the group, which became smaller and smaller as the night progressed.

Her parents kissed them both and took their leave, a roster of patients to see in the morning.

The Weepers shared a group hug and previews of what each thought of next week’s book so far.

Rachel and Amanda exchanged a sultry look that said their evening might have only just begun.

Later, after the last glass had been washed and the house had gone still, Max found Ella upstairs in their bedroom, standing by the open window in one of Max’s worn T-shirts, moonlight spilling across her bare legs.

She looked over her shoulder with that slow, familiar smile—the one that always felt like the moment was meant just for her.

Max came up behind her, sliding her arms around Ella’s waist and pressing her lips to the curve of her neck. “You know what I was thinking?” she murmured.

“Mmm?”

“That this house might have good bones, but you’re what makes it home.”

Ella turned in her arms, eyes soft, fingertips tracing the line of Max’s jaw. “Then let’s fill it. With books and coffee and morning kisses and years.”

“And you,” Max said, brushing her mouth against Ella’s. “Always you.”

The ring sparkled on Ella’s hand as it curled around the back of Max’s neck, pulling her in. They kissed again, slow and unhurried, right there in the quiet dark, wrapped in warmth and promise, and the unshakable sense that this was only the beginning of their very own HEA.