Hey, I hope you're having a great start to the new year. May it continue to be a great one.
This is the short epilogue I'd promise. Thank you for going along on this little journey with me. It has been an absolute pleasure.
I was hoping to get out updates on my original stories and while I have started them, I haven't been able to complete them. I am still very busy at the moment but I will definitely continue to work on them and while I do, I'll be posting another un-original in the meantime. I think it's a good one and I think you'll like it.
I do not own Glee or the characters, neither do I own Head Over Heels.
"A closed mind is a good thing to lose."
Mercedes Jones
A month later...
On the afternoon of Maylene's and Noah's wedding rehearsal, the sisters stood together in the cottage, holding hands at the front door.
"This is it," Maylene whispered. She bit her lower lip, looking drawn. And very ashen. "I mean, this is really it."
"Uh-oh." Tessa turned to Mercedes. "Lock the back door quick, we've got a flight risk."
"Really, really it…" Maylene whispered, sounding bewildered, like she hadn't been beating them all over the head, with her bridal magazines for the past six months.
"No, honey, it's just the rehearsal," Tessa said gently, stroking her hair. "It's not the it...it."
"Which means, you can still make a run for it if you want," Mercedes said. "I'll drive."
"Mercedes!" Tessa scolded.
And Maylene just kept biting her lower lip.
"Seriously," Mercedes told her. "I'll call Noah right now and tell him we're going out for a bag of chips. He'd totally buy it. Then, we get on the Vespa and just keep going, as far as the tank of gas will take us. Which, granted, isn't all that far, but..."
"Stop it!" Tessa said, covering Maylene's ears.
"We'll leave the Steel Magnolia behind, too," Mercedes said, studying Maylene. "Your call, May."
Maylene closed her eyes.
"I have a pretty dress. It's all ready for tomorrow. I'd sure hate to waste that dress."
"No problem," Mercedes said. "We'll Craigslist it. I can see it now. For Sale: A wedding dress, size eight, almost worn once by accident. You'll get good bucks for it."
Tessa reached around Maylene and pinched Mercedes, who instinctively pinched her back.
Normally, Maylene would've smacked them both, but she ignored them to peek out the window.
Noah was waiting for them at the marina, along with Jackson, the two of them standing between the marina building and the docked boat.
Sam wasn't here yet, because he'd gotten held up at work, but Mercedes had gotten a text from him, saying he was on his way.
Maylene watched Noah tip his head back and laugh at something Jackson said, and a soft smile crossed her lips.
"I really do want him, you know. As mine."
Mercedes smiled triumphantly at Tessa, who let out a relieved breath.
"Good to know," she said.
They all took each other's hands again.
"Ready, May?" Mercedes asked.
"Ready," she said, not quite so ashen now. She squeezed her sisters' fingers. "Let's do this. Let's go get me a husband!"
Together, the sisters walked to the marina, just as Mavis West pulled up in her old clunker.
"Perfect timing!" the older woman called out. "I've got thirty minutes between happy hour and bingo night."
They all settled on the dock.
Tomorrow, the railings would be lined with potted flowers. There'd be a runner for them to walk on and guests would line the way...lots of them.
But for now, it was just Mavis and the five of them...
'Six,' Mercedes corrected in her mind, hearing Sam drive up.
The sound of his truck made her all warm and mushy on the inside, and she chuckled at herself.
'Sap.'
Mavis directed everyone to their places, then looked around for Sam.
"Here," he called.
He was sauntering towards them with his long-legged stride, his eyes locked on Mercedes, a small smile threatening the corners of his mouth at the sight of her.
Noah had taken his place at the end of the dock, with the water at his back.
And following Mavis' direction, Jackson escorted Tessa to the end of the walkway.
Watching, and knowing she was next, Mercedes turned to Sam, who offered his arm.
He was still in uniform, still armed to the teeth, and still looking a little tense, from what had undoubtedly been a long day on the job.
They hadn't seen each other in three days, because, she'd been in Los Angeles, fulfilling the last of her traveling spa obligations.
She looked up at him, trying to keep herself in check, when she really wanted to throw herself into his arms.
Whether it was the happiness emanating off Maylene, or her own swelling emotions, she wasn't sure, but she felt far too close to tears.
And she had no idea why.
Except, she did.
Sam escorted Mercedes down the makeshift aisle and she moved to stand next to Tessa.
Maylene came down the aisle next, beaming, her face radiant, and Mavis walked them through the short ceremony.
When it was over, Noah practiced kissing her and since that went on for some time, Jackson suggested that he should practice kissing Tessa.
While they were working on that, Sam pulled Mercedes in tight.
"Hey." He nuzzled at her ear. "You okay?"
Because she wasn't sure, she cupped his face and pulled it to hers for some practicing of their own.
When the kissing was over, everyone was talking and laughing about the wedding, about Jackson's and Tessa's engagement, and about honeymoons and futures.
Mercedes took it all in, wishing her smile didn't feel congealed on her face.
She needed to just suck it up.
To be honest, she was truly happy for her sisters.
So happy.
Tomorrow, Maylene and Noah would be married.
And then, in the next month, Tessa and Jackson would follow suit.
They'd still be sisters, of course. They'd always be sisters, but it would never again be just the three of them.
And she was going to go back to being on her own.
Sam took her small hand in his much larger one and squeezed.
There was a silent inquiry in the touch, and she looked up into his eyes.
He searched her gaze for a long moment, then brought their joined fingers up to his mouth.
"You're not okay," he said, as always, seeing what no one else did. "You're sad."
"Of course not."
"You're sad," he repeated with quiet understanding.
Mercedes sighed.
"Don't you have to go take Noah out and get him drunk now?"
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing." She closed her eyes. "I'll be alone."
Sam waited until she looked at him.
"I should be insulted."
"No," she said, shaking her head, her control beginning to slip. "No, I don't mean it like that..."
With his eyes never flinching, and never leaving her face, he said,
"Marry me."
"What?" Her heart stopped. Had she heard him correctly? "Because you feel sorry for me?"
"Feel sorry for you? Not likely." He smiled. "Marry me, because we're good together." He waggled a brow. "Especially in the shower."
"Oh my God. Shh!"
She glanced around, and his grin broadened, probably because, the old Mercedes wouldn't have given a rat's ass if anyone had overheard.
She still didn't, not really, it was just that, clearly, he'd lost his frigging mind.
"You could marry me right here, right now," Sam said.
'Oh, God! He's serious,' Mercedes thought.
"You like your own space," she told him, trying to give him an out.
But he lifted a shoulder, as cool as could be, while she was ready to burst something.
"I like sharing it with you," he said.
And just like that, hope kindled and ignited.
"I'll drive you crazy," she whispered.
"Already done," he assured her, "In the best possible way."
He ran a finger over her temple, gently pushing back a strand of hair.
"I want to come home to you every night, Mercedes."
"There will be nights I have to be here, when we have guests."
He shrugged.
"Then, we'll hire someone to work part-time at night and give you breaks, or I'll come to you. I don't care what bed I go home to, as long as you're in it. Say you'll think about it, that you'll think about giving us a real shot."
Mercedes stared at Sam, knowing she'd never wanted anything so much in her entire life.
Which made it simple, really.
"For you," she said, "I believe I'd do anything."
His eyes went hot.
"Anything?"
Her knees started to tremble, but she had enough strength to shove him.
A guy to the very core, he laughed and reeled her back in.
Leaning close, he pressed his mouth to her ear and nipped the lobe with his teeth.
"Trust me. It'll be good."
Okay, that's it folks. Take care of you and yours.
Again, Happy New Year to you!