Just for those who thought the ending was too sad.

Epilouge

"Arrr-nooold!"

Arnold smiled, like he did every time Geena called his name like that, with her clear, lilting voice. Something about it seemed very nostalgic.

They'd met at Phoebe and Gerald's wedding. Coming up four years ago now. Arnold had been best man, of course, Helga had been the maid of honour.

Geena had been a bridesmaid. One of Phoebe's friends from MIT, she was a musician. Astoundingly good at the piano, he thought she might appreciate his story about how Grandma had got the grand on the boarding house roof.

She didn't, she was appalled at the thought of leaving such a gorgeous instrument out in the elements… but she'd appreciated him…

A year later she'd moved to New York to live with him at the Sunset Arms, and they'd been blissfully, sickeningly happy ever since. Happy enough that she agreed to marry him, wearing Gertie's old engagement ring with pride. It was a pity that she'd never been able to meet Phil and Gertie, but Arnold was sure that they'd love her. She had hutzpah. Grandpa would have called her a firecracker.

And - because it was relevant with their guest of honour due to arrive any minute - Geena had no problem with the whole Helga thing. She'd been living with Phoebe when all of that had happened, so it was already ancient history by the time they met, and when she saw that he and Helga had no chemistry… it had just never been an issue.

Which was a relief, because it had been an issue with his previous girlfriend… but he didn't like to think about that…

"Coming!"

He padded down the stairs in socked feet, knowing Geena would tell him to change them as soon as she noticed the socks didn't match.

She had the cutest foibles.

She was standing in the kitchen, fiddling with a HUGE bouquet of flowers. The delight on her face when she turned around lit up her huge brown eyes. "I told Mrs Vitello about our guest of honour and gave these to me, made me promise we'd visit."

Arnold chuckled, sticking my nose into them and inhaling. "Beautiful."

"They are, aren't they?"

"I wasn't talking about the flowers."

She laughed, which had been his ultimate goal. She had a musical laugh, he couldn't get enough of it.

"You're such a cornball." She rolled her eyes. "Are you all ready?"

He shrugged. "What have I got to get ready?"

"You could at least put on matching socks."

God, he loved this woman.

It was easier just to put shoes on, rather than going upstairs to scrounge up another pair of socks, so he was standing by the front door, jamming his feet into his sneakers, when he heard footsteps on the stoop outside.

"They're here!" He called, before he flung open the door.

"Arnold!"

His stomach cramped with happiness when Helga leaped forward and grabbed him in a tight hug.

It just, pleased him, seeing Helga so healthy. Her eyes shone, she stood with her shoulders back, confident. She'd grown into herself, and it was clear just looking at her that she was happy.

So it made him sad to think he hadn't seen them in almost two years.

Once Miriam sold the house and moved to Florida - after finally leaving Bob - Helga just didn't come back to Hillwood. They spoke a lot, sending each other emails and photos and gifts… and they always said they should visit, but it just seemed like time slipped away without that ever eventuating.

But they'd finally gotten around to it. A simple text – Would like to book a room for two, August - was all it had taken.

And now they were here! He just knew he had the goofiest smile on his face.

There was a weird flurry of greetings and hugs and handshakes. Exclamations of new haircuts and jokes about relationship weight…

Actually, Helga did look a bit heavier, but it suited her. She'd always been on the skinnier side, and the weight just filled her out a bit, gave her cheeks a kind of hearty glow.

"You guys must be starving!" Geena pulled out of Helga's arms, beaming. "Dinner's just about ready, come through."

Arnold and Joel took the bags upstairs.

"Jesus, what does she have in here?" Arnold groaned, hefting Helga's luggage onto the bed.

Joel just laughed. "Books, man. Always books." He had a soft, goofy look on his face. Totally smitten. "I feel like I've been carrying bags of Helga's books around since we first met."

"She needs a kindle."

"Tell me about it."

That dopey look on Joel's face got even dopier when he laid his eyes back on her, sitting at the dining table, looking impatiently at the massive spread Geena had laid out.

It was awesome, really, to see them so besotted still, after being together so long. She'd moved to Chicago not long after Arnold had left California. Packing her bags and leaving all in a rush, she'd turned up on Joel's doorstep and told him everything.

It had taken a while, and there had been plenty of tears, but Joel had come around. She'd moved in with him by the end of the summer, and gone straight in to getting her PhD.

Doctor Pataki. It just didn't sound right.

Doctor Pataki being hangry though, was totally normal.

The food was amazing, of course. Geena didn't often play housewife – preferring to let Arnold do most of the cooking – but when she did, she did it well. They all shovelled food onto their plates, and into their mouths.

Talking, laughing… cooing over photos of Phoebe and Gerald's new little daughter, Emily… the summer evening seeming to stretch on forever.

"Oh no, I really can't." Helga groaned, putting both her hands on her over-stuffed belly. "It was awesome, but I've eaten too much."

Geena shook her head in mock admonishment, but her cheeks were pink. This was the kind of thing she liked to play at being domestic for. To feed friends, to have long, lazy evenings in good company.

"Alright then, well… can I get you something to drink? Tea? Coffee? Wine? Whiskey?"

"A cup of tea would be magic, but I'll come help-"

"Sit." Geena barked. "Boys? Drinks?"

Arnold almost laughed at Helga's expression. She really wasn't used to being told like that by anyone but Joel. She raised an eyebrow at him over the table, a smile teasing at the corner of her lips.

Bossy! She mouthed, then grinned at his solemn nod, broke eye contact and stared into her own lap, chewing at the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing.

She was laughing openly by the time Geena came back with the drinks balanced on one of Gerties old tea trays.

"It was an… uh… unfortunate design." Joel's arm was over the back of Helga's chair, his fingertips toying absent-mindedly with the sleeve of her over-sized shirt. "They'd put the button on the toys back, but the cape was hard plastic, cast with the head… so if you wanted to make him talk, you had to bend him over and…" he motioned with his finger "… unfortunate."

"Poor batman." Geena grinned as she passed him a beer.

He nodded. "Thanks. Poor batman indeed."

Arnold caught Joel giving Helga's shoulder a squeeze, saw him give her a pointed nod when she looked at him. She bit her lip.

"Uh, OK. So…" Helga cleared her throat. "I have some news-"

"You're pregnant!" Geena yelped, her hand flying to her mouth.

"Oh lord." Helga rolled her eyes. "That is not what I was going to say!" But there was a grin on her face.

Geena hmphed. "Dammit, and I was sure, too." They all laughed at that. "Well, she hasn't had anything to drink all night… and she's all… glowy…"

Helga just grinned. "I'm published."

Geena and Arnold exploded into congratulations, firing a rush of questions at her until she waved her hand and twisted to grab her back off the back of her chair.

"Hot off the press. It'll be released next month, but here's your copy." She passed it over the table. It was a small book, one that felt good in the hands, with a plain, pale blue cover.

Shoulders Back
Poems and prose by Helga Pataki

"Shoulders back?" Arnold asked, flicking through the pages, pausing to read snippets of lines."

"Publishers chose it, from one of the poems. I was blanking." She was blushing, glancing up at Joel where he sat with that goofy smile on his face.

"I like it." He passed it to Geena, who eagerly looked through. "This is big, Helga… I mean, your very own book?"

"Oooh, listen." Geena put her hand on Arnold's arm to shush him. "Sowing the substrate of her memories with the seeds we saved from Mothers pinkest dahlias… Oh Helga, I love that."

Helga mumbled thanks, her cheeks as pink as Mothers dahlias. She let them pour over the book for a while, answering questions and blushing her thanks for praise until they finally put the book down, promising that they'd read it properly later.

"This is so cool, Helga. You'll have to sign it for us before you leave."

"Already done, Shortman. Personalised and everything. I don't think I've ever felt like such a pretentious twat… signing my own book."

Arnold chuckled. "Well, it's appreciated."

She was still blushing. She took a sip of her tea, a small, smug smile on her face. "Oh, and you were right Geena, I am pregnant."

"I KNEW IT!"

Hours later, after the exclamations and congratulations and questions and tears had been addressed, after Arnold had swept Helga up and danced with her to Geena's beautiful piano playing, after Joel had led an exhausted Helga up to bed, then come back down to help with the dishes, after Geena had shooed him from the kitchen… Arnold found his fiancée in the dining room, her feet drawn up and her chin on her knees, reading Helga's book with soft eyes.

"Good?" Arnold asked, coming over to press a kiss to the top of her head.

"Look at this." She flicked back to the front of the book, showing him where Helga had signed one of the front pages, written a message in her familiar, looped handwriting.

To Arnold and Geena – because it definitely isn't narcissistic to write more stuff in a book I've already written… Love you both. Helga

He snorted. "Typical." He nuzzled Geena's hair. She smelled faintly of cookies.

"Did you read the dedication?" He could hear the smile in her voice. He leaned closer, the small print hard to read in the dim light:

To Claire, for risking your heart.

To Phoebe, for lending your ear.

To Arnold, for holding my hand.