Seven Weeks to Forever (Love / Romance)

Epilogue: Chapter Forty-Six

"Are these ready for the grill?" Ivy holds up a platter of burgers and veggie patties.

"I think so," I tell her. "We can probably start cooking them now."

She heads out to the balcony where Riley's barbecue is set up and takes charge of cooking the burgers. John, his girlfriend Tenley, and his bandmates Ian and Mark are outside setting up chairs and a table. I've put Riley to work chopping vegetables for a salad, and I walk into his kitchen to help him.

"Did Selena answer your text?" I grab a red pepper from the counter and bring it to the sink to wash.

"She said she'd try to make it," Riley replies. "It's only a quarter past six."

"I know. That's what she said when I invited her at yoga, but—" My sentence is cut off by a knock at the door.

Riley wipes his hands on a towel, and then strides over to the door. I watch him greet Selena, who's holding a rectangular container in her hands.

"Hey." Selena steps past Riley and sets the container on a table, then turns around to give him a hug. "Sorry I'm late. My mom was on a baking kick and wanted me to bring cupcakes over. I had to wait for her to finish frosting them."

"I'm not going to argue with your mom about cupcakes." Riley returns her hug, then comes back to the kitchen.

I've finished washing the pepper, and I set it on a cutting board. "Hi," I say to Selena.

All I can do is hope this will be civil. Selena would barely meet my eyes a few days ago when I asked her to come to the barbecue, and I'm not expecting her to be overjoyed by my presence now. She doesn't say anything right away, and I'm not surprised. But then she walks over to stand beside me, where she does the last thing I expect.

She gives me a hug.

"Hi." The single syllable is soft, but the word and her gesture tell me everything I need to know. We're a long way from the friendship we once had, but for tonight at least, things are going to be okay.

"Hey Selena!" Ivy calls out from the balcony. "I didn't know you'd be here."

Selena laughs. "I didn't know you'd be here, either." She shoots Riley a questioning glance, which he pretends not to see.

It's not entirely Riley's fault that neither Ivy nor Selena were aware the other was on the guest list. I didn't want Ivy to be disappointed if Selena decided not to show up, and I was worried Selena would get nervous if she knew about Ivy and would decide not to come.

I sneak a glance at Selena's energy, trying to assess how she feels about this. I've seen what her energy does in Ivy's presence, and so it doesn't come as a shock to see hesitation there. Selena takes a few steps in the direction of the balcony, then stops. I don't need to read her energy to understand she's deciding what to do.

Ivy bursts back inside, though, and engulfs Selena in a hug. I hold my breath, waiting to see what will happen as they physically and energetically connect. The hesitation I saw is replaced almost instantly with sparks of pink and gold, and Selena returns the embrace.

I expect their connection to waver when Ivy bounds over to Riley and me, asking for a clean platter to put the cooked burgers and veggie patties on, but it doesn't. If anything, Selena seems happier, and her energy glows bright. She follows Ivy to the kitchen.

"What can I help with?" Selena asks the three of us. There's a flush in her cheeks, but one that hints of joy, rather than embarrassment.

"Help Ivy keep an eye on the grill?" Riley suggests. "I know you're the chef mastermind behind your parents' cookouts."

And here I thought Noah was the matchmaker.

* * *

John floats out the idea of a beach bonfire after we eat. He offers to stop by a store to get marshmallows on the way over to Dockweiler Beach, and Riley has a stash of roasting sticks at his apartment. We're soon on our way to the shore, with Riley, me, Selena, and Ivy in one car, and John, Tenley, Ian, and Mark in another.   

There are other groups gathered at bonfire pits along the beach, but we find one to use after a few minutes of hunting. We let John and Tenley get to work making a fire, while the rest of us roll out blankets on the sand.

It's as I'm smoothing out a blanket corner that I spot two feathers a few feet away on the beach. One is indigo, and the other is white. It's been less than two weeks since Noah, David, and I were together on a different beach, my open heart setting David free from where his choices and energy had bound him, and my choices setting me free to embrace this life and all of the love it holds.

I sit down on the blanket and reach for Riley's hand. The sun hangs low in the sky, and there's a golden sheen over the horizon. I wonder if it's energy from The Life-After causing our surroundings to look this way, and if I'm the only one who can see it, until Riley glances up at the sky.

"The sunset makes everything seem like it's sparkling tonight," he comments. "You look like you're sparkling, too." I feel the tender squeeze of his fingers, and then he lets go of my hand so he can put his arm around me. I snuggle in close to him, and he kisses the top of my head.

It could be the shimmering light from the sun Riley saw, or it could be he somehow caught a glimpse of my energy connected with his. The sparks between us are the same color I see on the horizon. My heart nearly bursts with my love for him and the contentment I feel, and with my gratitude for all I've been blessed with.

Noah would say my life here will be shaped by the place inside me I live it from. As I watch the sun dip close to horizon, my head against Riley's shoulder, I know he's been right all along. Incredible things are everywhere around me, as long as I keep choosing love.

♥ The End ♥

Thank you with all of my heart and soul to all of you out there reading, voting, and commenting! I loved creating the extended version of Seven Weeks to Forever with these six new chapters. If you haven't yet read it, there's a bonus scene retelling from Riley's point of view up next, and I hope you enjoy it!

- Jenn ♥♥♥