Epilogue
“Picture it…Sicily, 1922.”
-Sophia Petrillo
“Another reunion.”
Lola smiled. She could practically hear the ughhhhhh emanating from Luke’s words.
She squeezed the hand she was holding and stopped outside of her apartment door. “It’s not that bad.”
“It’s my family.”
“I happen to like the whole Erickson clan, and I’m looking forward to another shindig tomorrow.”
He pulled her in for a quick kiss. “Are you sure you’re not sick of us yet?”
Tilting her head from left to right, Lola pretended to consider the question. “Your family’s great. You, on the other hand…”
“Hey, didn’t I just take you out to a nice anniversary dinner? I’m a great guy.” He leaned toward her and whispered, “And still the hottest guy you’ve ever seen.”
That was for damn sure. Lola could barely believe they’d known each other for an entire year. Three hundred and sixty-five days of being with a gorgeous, intelligent, funny, sweet, incredibly sexy, no-longer-fake, but totally real, boyfriend.
It was too good to be true.
And a boyfriend who had insisted on taking her for a one-year anniversary dinner tonight. How romantic was that?
“Your looks are okay, but I’m really using you for your body.”
Luke faked a shocked expression. “I knew it.”
She laughed. “Seriously, though, dinner was great. Now,” she continued winding her arms around his neck, “why don’t we go inside for a little dessert? Frankie said she would be out late tonight.”
“Well, actually—”
She cut him off by pressing her mouth to his. What she’d meant to keep light and fun quickly turned passionate. Like it always did with them.
Minutes later, they broke apart, panting. She wiped a finger over his lips, removing her lipstick. She noticed he sent a text and wondered who in the world he could be texting at this particular moment.
Luke took her key from her and unlocked the door. Then he stepped back and gestured for her to go in first.
Lola pushed open the door and crossed the threshold. She reached for the lamp that they kept on a table next to the door and turned it on.
“Surprise!”
Surprise was right. She fumbled backward as people jumped out from every available space in the small apartment.
“What the…?”
Her eyes darted from one side to the next, taking in all of the people. Frankie was there, and it looked like most of the bocce girls. Luke’s mom was beaming as she stood in the doorway to the kitchen. Mia, Winnie, and Gwen were all throwing confetti. A large sign strung above the couch read Happy Anniversary!
“Luke!” she exclaimed. “Did you do all of this for me?”
He shoved a hand through his hair, hair that was slightly longer than when she’d met him last year. “Well, I had some help.”
“No need to thank me, Lo.” Frankie bounced across the room and threw her arms around Lola. “Happy one year anniversary, bestie.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Good thing so many people were hugging and congratulating her. She didn’t really have time to speak.
When the excitement started to die down, Lola noticed a table set up with an array of different colored cupcakes. Surely, Mia had baked them. She couldn’t wait to taste one.
There were also drinks and cookies and chips. All the essential food groups.
Crossing to Luke, who was talking to Oliver, she grabbed him and kissed him firmly. “Thank you so much for all of this, but I thought we were being low-key for our anniversary.”
He hugged her tightly. “You deserve so much more than low-key. Besides, do you think my mom and sisters would really let this momentous occasion go by without a celebration?”
She grinned. Over the last year, she’d become so close with Luke’s mom and sisters.
“Like it or not, you’re family now,” Winnie said.
Lola’s heart felt like it could burst from her chest any minute. Joyful tears threatened, but she was able to hold them at bay.
She had a family again.
“There’s something else,” Luke said and nodded at Frankie, who smiled and then vanished from the living room.
“What else could there be? This is more than I could have hoped for.”
“Don’t speak so soon.”
Lola turned at her roommate’s voice. She was about to ask what Frankie meant, but the words froze in her throat as she noticed that Frankie was carrying something small and fuzzy in her arms. When the ball of fur started wriggling, Lola realized that Frankie held a dog.
Not just a dog. A puppy.
“Oh. My. God. A puppy,” she squealed.
She ran to Frankie, arms wide open. Frankie put the tan puppy in her arms. The dog settled down immediately. His little pink tongue darted out of his mouth and licked her. “Ohhh, he’s so sweet.” He had a light brown nose and what appeared to be greenish eyes. He definitely had some poodle in him, but she wondered what else.
“Whose dog is this?” she asked the room at large.
Luke stepped up behind her. “Yours, if you’ll have her. It’s a girl.”
“Mine?” She looked down at the puppy’s adorable face and fell in love instantly. “I can’t believe…oh. I can’t believe you did this,” she said with a sad voice. “We can’t have a dog here.”
Her heart fell. She snuggled the puppy to her chest.
The room seemed to grow extra quiet. There was definitely something in the air. Lola glanced around, wondering what she was missing. “What’s going on?”
Luke nodded at Frankie again.
“Do you like her collar?” Frankie asked.
What a weird question to ask at this moment. “Yeah, it’s great.” Lola quickly glanced down at the pink and white polka dot collar. Then she did a double-take. “What is this?” She wrapped her fingers around a gold key that was latched onto the collar.
“It’s the key to my place,” Luke announced. “To, um, our place.”
“Our place?”
“If you’ll have me, because I would really love for you and our new puppy to move in with me.”
Lola could barely believe what she was hearing. She locked eyes with Frankie who grinned and mouthed It’s okay. Then she saw that Luke’s family was all smiles. Her friends were watching her with excitement on their faces.
The puppy let out a little arf. That was all she needed to hear.
“Yes,” she said.
Luke let out a whoop and picked her and the puppy up and twirled them around. The room exploded into applause.
Later, much later, when the party began to die down, Lola found herself alone in a corner with her new roommate. Luke rubbed a hand over the puppy’s back, ruffling her fur. Lola placed a kiss on her head.
“Happy?”
More than she’d been in a long, long time. She had an amazing boyfriend, a family, a brand-new puppy, and a life that she couldn’t wait to start living.
“Very.” She kissed him. “You really turned out to be the best pretend boyfriend.”
He kissed her back. “Good. I hope to be the last.”
…
Kennedy High School
15-Year Reunion Roundup
What have the Bobcat alums been up to over the last five years?
Luke Erickson
Current Residence: Arlington, VA
Career: Architect
Spouse: Lola McBride Erickson
Pastimes: Rogue bocce league and hanging with family
Kids: Twin daughters, Rose & Sophia
Pets: Two dogs, Blanche & Dorothy
Quote: “The older you get, the better you get. Unless you’re a banana.” –Rose Nylund
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