“Love you!” he shouts. “Sexytimes!”
“Exactly,” I say, and press my lips to Mari’s.
Epilogue
CONFESSIONAL 741
Judson, Marilyn, PsyD (Psychologist: Juniper Ridge)
Love is such a peculiar emotion. It can bring out your very best self, and your very worst self. According to research conducted by Doctors John and Julie Gottman—
You know what?
Never mind. Love is a goddamn marvel. Let’s leave it at that.
“All right, everyone.” I step out of the kitchen with a serving bowl of pasta suitable for a small army. Fitting, since that’s the size of the group at my dining room table. “Caramelized brussels sprouts with tagliatelle and toasted chickpeas.”
There’s crispy crumbled bacon already on the table for family members who aren’t my vegetarian brother. Also garlic bread—for which I used mitts when retrieving it from the oven—and a big Caesar salad.
Coop grins as I set the pasta in the center of the table. “This looks amazing.” He touches the crocheted trivet peeking out from under the bowl. “This is pretty cool, too. Same colored yarn as my alligator.”
“Good eye.”
It turns out my sisters weren’t the only ones who kept the crocheted creatures I made when we were kids. Who knew I had a creative, whimsical domestic goddess hiding inside, or that my family spotted her before I did?
“Nice work.” Griffin squeezes my hand under the table as I take my seat. Soph’s on his other side, skeptically eyeing the brussels sprouts. “That’ll pair perfectly with the apricot ale I brought,” he adds.
On the other side of the table, Lana taps the growler between her and Soph. “There’s a soda version, too. I got to taste test it yesterday.”
I hold out my glass so Griff can fill it with the hard stuff. I sampled this batch a few weeks ago, so he already knows I like it. As the pasta gets passed around, my heart swells with love for everyone here. Gabe and Gretchen have their heads together at one end of the table, murmuring about a camping trip they’re planning. Dean and Vanessa are on their other side, explaining something to Coop about advertising revenue.
My sisters sit side by side, squabbling good-naturedly over the parmesan. Listening to their banter, I no longer feel left out. These past couple months, I’ve made an effort to let myself be included. Apparently, it was that simple? There was always room for me at the table if I’d bothered to take my seat.
Lauren looks up like she’s just read my mind. “Are we allowed to drink yet, or are we toasting first?”
“A toast.” Dean takes charge by lifting his glass. “To Mari’s published piece in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.”
“Cheers!” Lauren smiles and bangs her glass against mine. “I’ve had friends emailing me all day saying what a great article it is.”
I stare at her over our sea of clinking glasses. “You have friends who read the Journal of Experimental Psychology?”
She shrugs and draws her drink back to sip it. “I might have sent copies to everyone I know.”
“Same.” Lana grins and tucks a shock of blond hair behind one ear. “I pitched National Geographic this morning about doing a spotlight on what we’re doing out here from a psychology standpoint. They’re really into it.”
“As they should be.” Coop clinks his soda glass with Soph’s and takes a sip. “Mari deserves to be bloody well chuffed.”
Soph laughs, delighted to be his cursing mentor. “Brill.”
Seeing their pride has me so filled with joy that I’m bursting. Or maybe that’s the feel of Griff’s hand on my knee beneath the table. He leans close, breath tickling my ear. “Have I mentioned how hot it is that you got your research published?”
“Maybe once or twice,” I murmur. Soph makes a show of rolling her eyes like she does when we kiss. She’s smiling, so I know she’s not truly bothered. “I never get tired of hearing it, though.”
“Good,” he says. “Because I plan to say it every day.”
“It’s a cool article.” Soph grabs a crouton off her salad. “I showed it to my humanities teacher. She said anyone who does a report on it gets extra credit.”
“Score.” Gabe grins. “Clan Judson—inspiring young minds and influencing the next generation.”
Lauren’s eye-roll puts Soph’s to shame. “Nice try. We don’t get credit for Mari’s brilliance.”
“I know, I know.” Gabe grins and twists a noodle around his fork. “Seriously, though—all the buzz around your research is giving us a whole new rep. We’re way more than just a reality show now.”
I fight to keep my smile humble, even though I want to jump up on the table and dance. “It’s nice when a plan comes together.”
Soph sets down her apricot soda, watching us with a wise look. “Joel says, goal setting is important. Now that you hit that one, you’ve gotta think of more.”
“I might have one or two.” I deliberately do not glance at Griff. We’ve talked plenty about a future together, but we’re trying to be smart about it. We flew to Seattle last week for a couples’ communication workshop, and we work every day to make sure our foundation is rock solid.
“Joel’s a smart guy.” Griff gives his daughter’s shoulder a squeeze, and I’m grateful for how thoroughly this whole family has embraced the concept of therapy. There’s no shame, no stigma, no “what the hell is wrong with you?” that happens in some families.
“Joel’s great,” Soph says with a sly grin. “But he’s got this one twelve-year-old patient who’s really wise.”
Griff laughs. “So I’ve heard.”
“Seriously though, Mari.” Dean looks at me with his stern CEO face. “We’re all really proud of you.”
Across the room, Leonard calls out from his perch. “Proud Mary!” he shouts. “Proud Mary!”
Dean’s brow furrows. “Did he forget your name?”
Griff and I exchange a look. We’ve heard this line a lot lately. “We introduced him to Tina Turner.” I pause to pile bacon on my own pasta. “He likes her almost as much as Lynyrd Skynyrd.”
Soph gets up and grabs a peanut from the dish on the counter, presenting it to Leonard so he’s part of family dinner. “There you go.” She grins as he grabs it with one gnarled claw and starts to munch. “Want to toast, birdie boy?”
She holds up a second nut and Leonard squawks and bangs his against it. She laughs, pleased the trick stuck. They’ve worked on it all week since we’ve had lots to celebrate.
The first season of Fresh Start at Juniper Ridge was a smash hit. Our ratings rose steadily through the twelve-episode arc, following cops and medics, bakers and bankers as they’ve settled in and formed friendships and community. We’re already at work on season two with plans to bring on more members in the coming months.
Coop clears his throat beside me. “When’s Nick breaking ground on the new cabins?”
I glance at Lauren in time to see something flash in her eyes. She covers it quickly, but not before Lana and I notice.