JENNIE

"Happy Fourth of July!" I raise my glass and smile at the full table. Lisa is sitting next to me and Jihyo, Lily, Cameron, James, Maddie, Ella, Tyrell, Jackie, Rose, Lisa's father, Chahee and Neil and their two kids, and Mark and Yeji are gathered around the feast that Lisa and I put together. Mark and Yeji's baby is sleeping in a stroller next to the table. She's an adorable girl with thick, dark hair and big eyes, called Harmony—Harmie for short—and she's stolen our hearts with her happy and curious nature.

"Happy Fourth!" My family and friends yell back, and we drink to a year of change.

This day feels like a milestone, the first day that we're all socializing as a family—both genetically and chosen—and I couldn't be happier to have everyone here. The grill is smoking with the extra corn I just put on, and salads, breads, dips and steaks are passed around while laughter and animated chatter blend in with the background music.

Chahee is stroking her huge baby bump. It wasn't planned, and it was a bit of a shock after raising two teenagers, but she's delighted to have another daughter soon and Neil's been fussing over her all night, making sure she doesn't eat anything rare and stays hydrated.

A lot has happened in a year. After recovering from his hip replacement, Lisa's father moved back to the farm to take care of the animals during the renovation. We built the annex first, so he wouldn't have to live on a building site. It's a sweet bungalow in the far corner of the yard and although he's never been one for change, he's delighted with all the modern comforts and looking forward to us moving into the farmhouse at the end of the year so he'll have his granddaughter close by. We want to restore the house and the barn to its former glory with some modern additions and it's starting to look really beautiful. I'm looking forward to tending to the animals and I've suggested organizing 'farming day trips' for the Camp Rubin kids.

This will be my last year celebrating the Fourth of July in Villa Jennie and that feels fitting as it belongs to a different life. Mark had no desire to move back here, so I've decided to sell it and it will go on the market soon. From the sale, I could buy something extravagant, but I know I'll never be happier than in the sweet farmhouse that will soon have an extension with a new kitchen and a pool in the backyard. Lisa belongs there and I belong with Lisa. One day, it will be Lily's.

"Babe, this is so nice," Lisa whispers, kissing me on the cheek. "I love having everyone together and next year, we'll be celebrating in—" Lisa stops herself as she catches Lily slipping food under the table. "Lily, please don't feed Rascal until we've finished eating, will you? I'm trying to teach him not to beg and it's not helping," she says, but Lily has already thrown him her last piece of steak.

Lily finally got her dog and they're inseparable. We figured a Labrador was a safe choice as they're generally well behaved but despite weeks of intense training, Rascal has a mind of his own. He's not bribable with treats, he's totally unsensitive to praise and does exactly what he wants so after a while, we changed his name from Beanie to something more fitting. The white couch is permanently decorated with muddy footprints, the floors are constantly wet as he jumps in the pool and likes to shake himself dry inside the house, his ever-wagging tail has swept many glasses off the coffee table and he steals food from the counter whenever he sees an opportunity. He's also a sweetheart, though, and always by Lily's side.

"But I've finished eating," Lily retorts. "Look, my plate is empty."

"That's because you gave everything to Rascal."

"My plate is empty too," Cameron announces, and I suppress a chuckle when I see him lowering a fistful of food under the table. "Can Lily and I go swimming with Rascal now?"

Lisa and Jihyo exchange knowing looks but decide to let them off the hook, just for tonight. "Sure, go on. But no cannonballing," Lisa warns, then turns to me. "I shouldn't have moved the table to the poolside."

"I know, I told you it was a bad idea." I roll my eyes and laugh, then shoot her a loving smile. "But it's really warm today, it might be refreshing."

A few seconds later, we're showered, as Lily and Cameron—who can both swim now—jump in at our end, followed by Rascal, who causes the biggest splash of all. There's screaming and howls of happy laughter.

"Ella, come in!" Lily yells. She looks up to Ella like a big sister and has been counting down the days for her arrival.

"Ella is eating, honey." I brush the pool water from my shoulder and laugh even harder when Ella gets up and spontaneously jumps in still wearing her denim onesie.

"Oh boy, so much for a civilized dinner," Lisa jokes, shielding her face from another splash.

Tyrell follows Ella's impromptu action, jumping in the water wearing his baggy jeans and T-shirt, and we all laugh and clap when they reappear above the surface, Ella with her arms around his neck. I love the chaos, the smiles on the faces of my favorite people but most of all, I love having Lisa by my side. Her business is doing well and I'm so proud of her. She inspires me to do better, to embrace every single day as if it were my last, and to enjoy the little things in life. I don't care about my standing in society, or what my mother thinks of me. I've told her about Lisa last time I visited and as expected, she's in denial.

A butterfly captured through my lens, waking up with Lisa, the sun on my face and moments like this is what I live for now. It's simple and blatantly clear. Love is the only thing that matters. The only thing.

THE END . . ..