Page 53 of Room to Spare (The Fixer Upper #2)

Jules froze, breath caught behind the lump in their throat. Then they moved, cutting across the room in purposeful, long strides, everyone else nearly forgotten in the wake of familiar warmth. Their mom’s arms were open, her embrace fierce, her voice thick. “We wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

Their father’s eyes were wet with tears, his hug awkwardly tight, and Jules buried their face in his shoulder, letting all the old aches dissolve.

“You should have told us. Instead, we had to hear about this from your boyfriend. And it would have been nice if you’d let us know you were seeing someone.

You really need to be better about calling your mom.

She feels like you’re a stranger now that we’re not here. ”

Keaton lingered behind, hands tucked in his pockets, watching with quiet satisfaction. When Jules finally turned, cheeks damp, they found him waiting.

“You did this?” Jules asked, voice trembling, hope and disbelief tangled in their words.

Keaton’s smile was soft. “All it took was one call. They wanted to be here more than anything.” He let the admission hang between them, the truth of it folding into the hush.

Jules blinked, then hugged him tight, grateful and overwhelmed. “Thank you,” they whispered. “For knowing what I needed, even when I couldn’t ask.”

He squeezed back, steady as a foundation. “Always.”

The rest of the show passed in a blur of validation and support.

Strangers clustered around Jules’s work, gallery staff pointing out the red dots that marked sales.

Keaton hovered close, fetching water, whisking Jules away for a moment of silence when the constant barrage of compliments and questions got to be too much, his presence a constant, steady force—a hand on the small of Jules’s back, a reminder they were never alone.

Ollie pulled Jules aside, voice pitched low. “I always knew you’d go big. Don’t forget us when you’re famous.” Sam and Ollie mugged for selfies in front of Jules’s boldest painting, their laughter echoing over the crowd.

A buyer approached, offering to purchase the piece and the one next to it. Jules nearly stumbled, but Keaton’s steadying hand at their elbow gave them the courage to answer, voice clear and sure. “Thank you. I’d love for them to find a good home.”

Keaton leaned in, voice quiet, pride shining in his eyes. “Told you people would want what you make.”

Jules’s eyes glistened. “This is real, isn’t it?”

He smiled, slow and gentle. “You belong here, Jules. Get used to it.”

Later, at the steakhouse, everyone squeezed around a long table, energy buzzing and laughter bouncing off the walls.

Paige launched into a story about Jules’s questionable taste in fashion as a teenager, and even Finn cracked a smile as Ollie rambled about how Jules always used to bemoan the times his muse was nowhere to be found.

Jules couldn’t help but notice the strange energy between the two of them.

When the servers brought everyone’s drinks, Sam raised a glass.

“To the artist who finally stopped hiding.” The toast rippled around the table, glasses clinking, joy uncontained.

“Jules, we may not have been close in high school, but it feels like you’ve been a piece of me my entire life now.

I’m so proud of everything you’ve accomplished, and I can’t wait to see where this road leads. ”

Diana and Michael exchanged a look, then Diana rose, clearing her throat. “To family—by blood and by choice. To pride, to roots, and to finding home, wherever you are.”

Jules’s parents stood, voices thick with emotion. “We’re so proud of you,” their mother said, her words trembling with love. “No matter how far we roam, this will always feel like home because you’re here.”

As the laughter carried on, Keaton leaned over, his voice pitched for Jules alone. “I’ve already started sketching plans for your new studio. Wherever we end up next, I want you to have space for whatever comes after this.”

Jules’s breath caught, realization settling deep—they were seen, chosen, loved. This wasn’t just a night of celebration. It was the first step in the next stage of their life, one that would have Keaton by their side.

Much later, after dessert and stories and too many toasts, Jules slipped outside for air.

The moonlit street stretched quiet before them, laughter and warmth spilling from the restaurant behind.

The cool air nipped at their cheeks, but they didn’t mind.

They let the world slow, let the magnitude of the day settle into their bones.

Keaton joined them, close without crowding, his presence as steady as ever. They stood in companionable silence, watching the streetlights flicker, listening to the distant chatter through the open door.

Jules’s thoughts tumbled—fear, gratitude, overwhelming love. They turned, voice small but certain. “I never thought I’d have this. But you did, and you made me see what’s possible.”

Keaton took their hand, squeezing gently. “Let’s go home.”

As Jules let themself be led back inside to say goodnight, certainty bloomed in their chest—wherever Keaton could be found was home. They were loved, celebrated, seen. They belonged.

Want to know what Finn’s hiding? Pick up Room to Dream to find out if revealing his secret will help save Ollie’s family business.

Keaton’s already dreaming about what the future with Jules will look like. Claim your copy of Breaking Ground to see how he plans on giving back what Jules lost when their parents moved away to see what he’s got planned.