Page 308 of The Havenport Collection

Bonus Epilogue

Sam

“ I think my hands are shaking.”

I had been up for hours, nervously trying to style my hair. It had grown back, but differently. Thankfully Dante had helped me navigate my post-chemo curls and set me up with a regimen that included hair masks, deep-conditioning treatments, and a lot more styling time than I was used to.

Gio walked over and pulled me into his arms. “It’s normal to be nervous.

You’re going back to school for the first time in what, fifteen years?

” He was still wearing the sweats he slept in—yum—and no shirt.

I liked him like this, strong and cuddly.

What I would have given to just jump back in bed with him right now.

He kissed my head softly, and I felt my heart rate begin to slow down as he continued, “And you are going to knock ’em dead. You are a natural teacher, Sam, and they will love you.”

“But it’s Harvard…”

“Shhh. And you are Sam Sullivan—globetrotter, sustainable finance guru, and all-around ass-kicker. They wanted you, remember?”

He was right. A few months ago I had been approached by Nora’s friend Sarai about a project with the Harvard School of Business and Public Health.

They were putting together a team to lead students in combining private enterprise with public health initiatives in the developing world.

And they wanted me to lead it. It was basically my dream job, mentoring students, teaching a class at Harvard, and working to build sustainable health care systems all over the world.

I had never considered myself a teacher before, but when I sat down with the team to begin planning, it all came so naturally.

But today was my first day meeting and teaching kids. Not actual kids since they were graduate students, but to me they seemed like toddlers.

I took a step back and straightened my dress, still unused to how my body felt. My reconstruction had been textbook, and the recovery had been rocky, but things were finally getting back to normal. Or at least the new normal.

I missed my old self desperately at times. But I was also proud of how I had evolved. How I had grown and changed over the past year.

“You’re going to accomplish so much. Look at what you’ve done with the crisis center in only a few short weeks! Jackie at the diner says Luke Kim is always bragging about how brilliant you are.”

I blushed. With my mother’s insistence, I had accepted a position on the board of the Havenport Family Crisis Center and helped to overhaul the finances and budgeting process and created a capital growth plan to help them plan for a sustainable future.

It was a lot of work on top of my new job, but it was so satisfying.

Things were coming together to open up a new campus next year, and we would be able to help even more families. I loved being a part of it.

And it had also helped me grow to appreciate the Havenport community.

Gio and I had become close to Luke and Nora, and we frequently crashed Matteo’s restaurant for dinner, staying way past closing drinking wine and eating cannoli.

Having felt like an outsider for so many years, I had been fully embraced by the community to the point where I wished for anonymity some days.

But it was worth it. Xena was thriving, and I had the love of my life by my side every day.

I had traveled with him to some of the wine events over the summer, and we had gone on a photo safari in South Africa to celebrate my reconstruction.

Gio became obsessed with the local wine industry and ended up working most of the trip, trying to import some of the local specialties.

We lived in Havenport, but still traveled and pursued our passions, something I had never thought would be possible for me.

I walked toward the kitchen, grabbing my tote and the coffee Gio had made me. “What are you up to today?”

“Missing you. And taking Xena to the beach before working on that table for Nora and Luke’s house between emails.”

He handed me my keys and off I went, ready to begin my new Ivy League adventure.

Gio

I watched as Sam pulled out of the driveway and reached for my phone, firing off a text to the group.

“She just left. It’s go time.” My phone immediately pinged with responses, but first I had to walk Xena, who knew something was up.

Call it doggie intuition, but she was down for some adventure.

I scratched her ears and snuggled her. “You are my best wingwoman. And we’re going to lock this down tonight. ”

I gazed into her big brown eyes and she seemed to understand. “So I need you to be extra well-behaved. Because today is a big day for both of us.”

By the time I got home, Luke was setting up the projector, Nora was decorating with flowers and candles, and Matteo was filling the fridge with goodies he had prepared for later. I was arranging the handwritten signs when Beth pulled up.

She jumped out of the car and threw her arms around my neck, squeezing the life out of me. “I am so happy,” she said through tears. “You brought my girl back.”

“I did not,” I said, trying not to tear up as well. It had been a long road, but Sam and I had traveled it together, complete with the love and support of this community. And now that she was staying, I had to make her mine forever.

“I got it cleaned for you,” Beth said, handing me the wooden box. It was hand carved and intricate with a brass hinge. I carefully opened it and looked at the velvet interior. It was Sam’s grandmother’s engagement ring. When I had let Beth in on my plans, she had insisted it would be perfect.

I looked down at the box, holding my future, and swallowed the lump in my throat.

Sam

I pulled into the driveway, bursting with excitement. My first day was incredible, and my mind buzzed with all the possibilities. I could not wait to tell Gio every single detail.

But when I pulled up, all the lights were out, which was strange.

I didn’t even hear Xena barking, which she always did when I came home.

I got out of the car and walked toward the front door, noticing that there were beautiful flameless candles set up on the porch.

A small chalkboard sign stood next to the door. “Head to the tree house,” it said.

I walked through the dark house, along a path illuminated with candles. As I reached the backyard, I admired the string lights we had set up this summer over the patio. I loved this house, and with Gio here, it had truly become my home again after so many years.

I followed the candles and climbed up the stairs. Inside, the tree house was filled with more candles and white daisies, my favorite flower. Another chalkboard sign sat on the landing next to a remote control. “Press play,” it read.

I looked up and noticed the projection screen on the wall and aimed the remote at it.

Soon, one of my favorite songs, “This Love Will Come Back to You,” began to play softly as images flashed across the screen.

Photos of Gio and me as children. Our families, town events, our faces sticky and our feet bare.

I stood in awe as I watched so many happy memories. Home movies my grandpa took of me playing softball, my first piano recital. Gio and me making a homemade volcano in third grade together and then screaming when we put in too much baking soda and it erupted all over our clothes.

Tears began to roll down my face as I saw my grandparents beaming with pride at my graduation. I missed them so much. I knew my grandpa liked to take photos and videos, and of course, Grandma ruthlessly organized every single memento from my childhood. But where had these come from?

I laughed as silly photos flashed across the screen—Rose and me wearing face masks and lounging in the backyard, Gio and Matteo, both looking so young, working in their dad’s restaurant.

And then something I didn’t recognize. It was a video from my college graduation party. Gio and I were standing with a group of our friends, and my grandma was just inside the view of the camera, clearly having a conversation with my grandpa as he filmed.

“Tom, make sure to get some more photos. This is such a special day,” she said, looking around.

I remember how proud she was that day. Not only had I graduated from college a year early, but with honors to boot.

She threw the biggest party here at the house and played hostess into the night in celebration.

“You know,” she said, looking at me across the room. “I hope she’s smart enough to marry that boy one day.”

“She will, Francis. Sam and Gio are meant for each other. But she’s got to go find herself first. Our girl has a lot of living and a lot of learning to do.”

My grandma’s face softened. “Yes, she does. And I’m so excited for her. But I just hope between all that living and learning, she doesn’t forget to love as well.”

At this point the camera shuffles while Grandpa leans in to kiss Grandma’s cheek. “She will, darling,” he said. “We raised her right.”

The video ended, leaving me in the candlelit tree house with tears rolling down my cheeks. My heart was so full of love and loss and the deep satisfaction of knowing I was exactly where I needed to be.

I looked up through my tears and saw Gio climbing up the stairs. Before I could even say anything he was down on one knee.

“Sam, I have loved you since the day I laid eyes on you. I watched you grow up and blossom into the strong, beautiful, and brilliant woman who stands before me. Twenty years ago we stood in this tree house and you told me you were leaving for the Peace Corps. I was madly in love with you, but I knew I had to let you go. I knew you needed much more than Havenport could ever give you. But I knew, deep in my bones, that you would come back. Because we belong together. And you belong here.”

I sniffled, trying to wipe away the tears, but they rained down my face and there was no stopping them.

Gio reached into his pocket and pulled out a familiar wooden box. A box my grandpa had hand carved. He slowly opened it, revealing my grandma’s pearl-and-diamond engagement ring. I gasped.

“Sam Sullivan, will you marry me?”

I fell to my knees before him, throwing my arms around his neck. “Yes,” I gasped. “I want to marry you so badly. I have loved you forever too. Thank you for waiting for me.”

“You are worth the wait, Sam.”

I held him tight, soaking up the moment as I cried into his dress shirt.

Before I knew what was happening, Gio lifted me off the floor and walked toward the window. He put his fingers to his lips and let out a loud whistle. Suddenly, the lights in the second-floor windows all came on.

“What is going on?” I asked.

A window opened and Nora stuck her head out.

“She said yes!” Gio shouted, and I heard loud cheers and saw silhouettes moving toward the window.

“Is that…”

“All our friends and family?” he said, cutting me off. “Yup. You didn’t think this town would let us get engaged all by ourselves, did you? Champagne is cold and there’s tons of food. Buckle up, beautiful. We’re going to celebrate you agreeing to become my wife all night long.”