Page 115 of The Offer

He laughed at the words he’d said to her four summers ago, when everything in her life changed. “Is that a yes?”

She kneeled next to him and brushed a hand through his hair, then linked her arms around his neck. “Well, I probably should finish this list, right?”

He pulled her close with that smile that still made her heart skip after all of these years, his eyes bright and full of adoration. His kiss was tender and slow, like they had all the time in the world. Because in their little world, they did. Forever was now on the table.

Cheers erupted out on the town green. Jess pried herself from his clutches and noticed many familiar faces standing on the grass, clapping and hooting and hollering.

Dakota stood there with Jasper, Riley running around at her heels wearing the Piglet shirt Jess bought for her last Christmas. Her parents were also there, arms linked. Tears streamed down her father’s cheeks, but Arielle was prepared, standing beside her parents with Kevin’s dad in tow. She handed him a cloth napkin from her straw tote, the two exchanging watery smiles.

Calvin and Melanie had their arms around one another, the new shiny gold bands on their left hands sparkling under the summer sun, their faces full of hope and love after making their vows barefoot in the sand two months earlier.

Rory and Tyler stood beside them, Rory cheering obnoxiously loud for Jess as Tyler cackled, then tackled her from behind and peppered her cheek with kisses. The two looked just as posh as their SoHo apartment in New York, where they’d officially lived together for a year. Jess couldn’t help but radiate with pride as she’d walked around Rory’s place that spring, proud of the once messy high school girl and her transformation into a confident graphic designer at a big publishing house, finally living with her boyfriend after four years of excruciating long-distance. All of the Scoopers supported Tyler when he decided to leave football behind following his graduation from Rutgers. Or at least the side of football where he was on the field. Now he was working his way up to becoming a sports journalist, hoping to work off the field with a microphone, giving his insight on every play-by-play.

Jay was even there, his face covered with an expertly trimmed beard, his hand linked with Vanessa’s, the two of them looking slightly rumpled from their plane ride all the way from San Diego.

Blake also looked a little disheveled, likely from his drive down from Boston where he was spending his summer interning at a marketing firm. He said it was nothing like working at Scoops, and commented on how his job at the ice cream shop may have been the best he’d ever had.

Jess agreed; they all did. Especially when you ended up with a beautiful family such as this.

“They’re all here,” Jess breathed.

Kevin kissed her cheek. “I knew I had the best chance of them all being home if I did it today. I had a feeling you wouldn’t want this day without them.”

A smile stretched across her lips. “Yeah. You’re right.”

“Are you going to put that giant rock on your finger or not?” Calvin barked.

“Hmm, I haven’t decided yet,” she teased.

“She’s lying, she said yes,” Kevin jested.

More cheering ensued. Jess shook her head as she held out her hand, letting her fiancé slip the massive teardrop diamond onto her finger.

Zach jogged up to the group. “Crap, did I miss it?”

Blake crossed his arms, looking irritated. Zach laughed, then threw his arms around his boyfriend and lifted him up before planting a kiss on his lips. Blake’s face flushed like it always did when he was around him. Five years into dating and their attempt at doing long-distance didn’t seem to slow down their affection. Even if a tiff ensued every now and then.

Jess knew they would make it, though. Because that’s what you did with the person you loved. You kept trying. You kept showing up. You sacrificed…but you also communicated your needs. When you truly loved a person, you trusted them to take care of you as much as you took care of them.

Kevin slipped his hands around the curve of her waist, splaying them on her lower back. “Forever, my dear Jessica?

Her hands found his chest, and she beamed up at him. At the man who made her life feel like pure sunshine. “I like the sound of that offer.”