Page 59 of The Pumpkin Spice Proposal
Mario sighed like a man carrying the weight of the world, but when he stood, he offered me a quick squeeze of my hand before following my daughter down the hall. His voice drifted back, patient and amused, teaching her the Italian word for screwdriver (cacciavite) as they investigated the mystery of our supposedly psychic plumbing.
I stayed where I was, surrounded by cocoa mugs and warmth, my heart fuller than I’d ever thought possible. This wasn’t the life I had planned.
It was so much better.
Messier. Louder. Snowier.
Better.
CHAPTER20
Epilogue - Lily
Two monthslater - Christmas Tree Lighting
“Higher, Mario! I can’t see!” Olivia commanded from her perch on Mario’s shoulders, pointing imperiously at the still-dark tree in the town square.
“Any higher and you’ll be the star on top of the tree,” he said, but adjusted his grip so she could see better.
I watched them, my heart doing that stupid, wonderful flip it had been doing for months now. More than a month of real dating, real feelings, real everything. It hadn’t been perfect—Mario still struggled with emotional conversations, I still panicked sometimes about him leaving, and June’s Facebook group had documented every single moment—but it had been ours.
“Lily!” My mother appeared with a tray of hot chocolate, my father trailing behind with cookies. “Doesn’t Olivia look adorable up there?”
“Like a Christmas elf who’s had too much sugar,” I said, accepting a mug gratefully.
The town square was packed, the entire population of Autumn Grove apparently determined to witness the tree lighting despite the freezing temperature. Or maybe they were here to witness us—Mario and I had become something of a town project, our relationship status tracked with the dedication usually reserved for sports scores.
“Is that a new shirt?” Mom asked Mario when he and Olivia joined us, my daughter now firmly attached to his hip like a festive koala.
“Olivia picked it out,” he said, looking slightly embarrassed.
The shirt in question had a giant Christmas tree on it and actual working lights. It was hideous. It was perfect.
“It’s very bright,” Mom said diplomatically.
“It’s AMAZING,” Olivia corrected. “And it matches my dress!” She did a little spin, showing off her red dress covered in sequined reindeer.
“You two are a fashion disaster,” I said, but I was smiling.
“We’re festive,” Mario corrected, pulling me against his side. “There’s a difference.”
Ben appeared with his new girlfriend, Kate. “The tree lighting’s in five minutes. Bets on whether June cries?”
“She always cries,” I said.
“Yeah, but this year she has you two as bonus emotional fodder.” He grinned. “I heard she’s preparing a speech about love and community.”
“Of course she is,” Mario muttered, but his arm tightened around me.
The crowd started counting down, and Mayor Gable took the microphone. “Before we light our tree, I want to take a moment to celebrate what makes Autumn Grove special—our community, our traditions, and yes, our love stories.”
“Here we go,” Mario whispered in my ear.
“This year, we’ve watched one of our favorite love stories unfold,” the Mayor continued, and a spotlight suddenly found us. “Mario and Lily reminded us that sometimes love needs a little help from friends?—”
“And Facebook groups!” June called out.
“—and that the best things in life are worth fighting for.”
